Retired Hawthorn star Luke Hodge will take a break before considering his future after his decorated AFL career ended with a nine-point win over the Western Bulldogs.
Sixteen years, 305 games, four premierships, two Norm Smith Medals and three All-Australian nods after he was the first pick at the 2001 draft, Hodge has earned a little time to reflect.
"I've just got to regroup and decide what's going to happen next," he said.
"I deliberately put it off until after the last game, just so I can enjoy the moment and enjoy finishing football.
"The next two weeks is going to be pretty relaxing, maybe a beverage or two, and then I'll sit down ... and decide what the next plan is.
"I think the next 24 to 48 hours is just to sit back and have a beer with the guys that I've spent so much time with - that's the most important thing.
"What I've been told from a lot of blokes is that when you leave the footy club, you sort of spread out and you might stay close with four or five guys. The next 48 hours is going to be just enjoying the boys' company."
Hodge and retiring Bulldogs stars Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd were chaired from Etihad Stadium on Friday night, with injured Hawks champion Josh Gibson doing a lap of honour at halftime to say his goodbyes.
A record home-and-away season crowd for a match between the sides of 48,090 saw the Hawks prevail 15.9 (99) to 13.12 (90).
Hawthorn finished the season in 12th spot with a 10-11-1 record, missing the finals for the first time since 2009.
"We were without a doubt disappointing early in the year and then we had a fair string of injuries to some senior players," coach Alastair Clarkson said.
"With a lot of hard work and another good summer, hopefully we can build on this year and find our way back up the ladder and hopefully play finals again next year.
"We were realistic in terms of where we were at in the early part of the season and what we needed to do to get ourselves back, not so much into the season, but just to start to demonstrate that the pathway forward for us has got some blue sky to it.
"I think we were able to show that in the second half of the year in particular."
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