“Genuine great”: Hawks favourite to bow out at season's end

Hawthorn legend and three-time premiership player Luke Breust has called time on his terrific AFL career.

The 34-year-old enjoyed a remarkably fruitful career, playing 306 AFL games and booting 552 goals since debuting for the Hawks.

Taken in the Rookie Draft in 2011, Breust played a crucial role in the Hawks’ three-peat between 2013 and 2015, earning an All-Australian blazer in both 2014 and 2018 and leading the Hawks’ goal-kicking five times across his 15-year career.

In 2025, Breust has featured in just six games for Hawthorn, booting three goals.

“Having delivered three premierships and countless more amazing memories to the Hawthorn family, ‘Punky’ should be incredibly proud of everything he has achieved across his career,” Hawthorn CEO Ash Klein said.

“Along with his extraordinary talent, Luke has always been such an admired and respected Hawthorn person, with his professionalism, reliability and consistency shining through.

“On behalf of the entire club, I’d like to congratulate Luke, his wife Anthea, and their daughter Freya, for everything they have done for Hawthorn.”

Hawthorn Executive General Manager of Football Rob McCartney said: “Luke’s accolades and achievements will see him remembered as one of Hawthorn’s genuine greats – three-time premiership player, twice an All Australian five times our leading goalkicker, 550+ total career goals, 300+ games – Punky has done it all.”

Breust will finish up at the end of the 2025 season.