FORMER Hawthorn president Ian Dicker has been awarded AFL life membership for his 10-year contribution to the game and his club.

Dicker, who was recognised with Hawthorn life membership in 2005, was presented with the league accolade by AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick on Saturday at the p[resident's lunch ahead of the Hawks' clash with Carlton.

Dicker was Hawthorn president between 1996 and 2005 and oversaw many key developments in the club's progression from struggling entity to the powerhouse it is today.

He was a key player in the building of the club's membership, which reached a Victorian record of 50,000 this year, and cleared the bank debt while setting up safe income-earning investment streams.

Dicker oversaw the appointment of now-premiership coach Alastair Clarkson in late 2004, and influenced the relocation of the club's home games to the MCG.

He also instigated the lucrative sponsorship with the Tasmanian government and subsequent home-game deal with Launceston and Aurora Stadium, as well as the affiliation with VFL side, the Box Hill Hawks.

Dicker's presidency began when, after supporting the club for 34 years, he rang the late Ron Cook and told the former Hawks' administrator he would help to fight the potential merger with Melbourne in 1996.

He joined the Don Scott-led anti-merger group and soon afterwards was announced as the next club president and officially elected that December.

Dicker held that post for the next nine years, and within a year had more than doubled the 1996 membership of 12,000 while converting a loss of more than $1.1 million to a profit of over $300,000.

He also won a substantial compensation package from the AFL over the loss of Waverley Park, and then regained access to the park as an administration base for the 2006 season.

Dicker retired at the end of season 2005 and was succeeded by current president Jeff Kennett.