Decorated Hawthorn duo Luke Hodge and current head coach Sam Mitchell will elevate their legacies together after both were announced as entrants to the Hawks' Hall of Fame.
The on-field generals of Hawthorn's most recent gilded age, Hodge and Mitchell combined to lead the Hawks to four flags between 2008 and 2015, accruing two Norm Smiths, a Brownlow Medal, five best and fairests and six All-Australian blazers.
Throughout his 305 games in brown and gold, Hodge would make his presence felt on all three lines, averaging 19.8 disposals per game and racking up 131 Brownlow votes
Beside him, Mitchell would turn himself from an overlooked prospect to one of the most dominant midfielders of his generation, eclipsing Hodge with 307 games, 26.4 touches per start and 220 Brownlow votes.
SEE ALSO: The top ten Hawthorn Hawks players of the 21st centuryย
Since returning to Waverley to take Hawthorn's coaching reins, Mitchell has cast his lockerroom in his mould, with the hard-nosed, straight-talking competitor leading his young team to a 15-30 record, including an eye-catching win over eventual premiers Collingwood in Round 21 of last season.
Hodge and Mitchell will be joined in the Hall by triple-premiership Hawk Alan Martello, with the 71-year-old proving patient since his 223-game career at Glenferrie came to a close in 1980.
Three-time Hawthorn premiership coach Allan Jeans also earned a posthumous elevation to legend status.
After crossing from St Kilda at the cessation of the 1980 season, the man affectionately known as 'Yabby' picked up where his predecessor John Kennedy left off, adding further silverware in the 1980s to go with the club's three flags throughout the 1970s.
The quartet will be honoured by the club when they earn official entry at Hawthorn's Hall of Fame event Wednesday 17 April at the Plaza Ballroom.
Mitchell and his Hawks will cap their pre-season when they travel to their home-away-from-home in Launceston to face the Western Bulldogs on Saturday evening.
Hawthorn's 2024 campaign proper will commence when it battles old enemy Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, March 16.
