Aaron Lord

Recruited from the Central Dragons in the TAC Cup, Aaron Lord was a mercurial small forward known for his goal sense and impressive physical strength. He began his AFL career with Geelong in 1994, showing early flashes of potential before being involved in a high-profile direct swap for Tim Hargreaves that sent him to Hawthorn for the 1997 season. It was at the Hawks that Lord played his most consistent football, utilising his pace and strong overhead marking ability to become a dangerous focal point in attack. A dedicated athlete often noted for his muscular build, he topped Hawthorn’s goalkicking in 1999 with 42 goals and was capable of tearing games apart in short bursts, booting bags of six goals on multiple occasions.

Despite his ability to produce match-winning cameos, Lord struggled with consistency throughout his career and fell out of favour at Hawthorn following the 2001 season. Delisted by the Hawks, he was thrown a lifeline by his original club, Geelong, who selected him with the second pick in the pre-season draft. Lord returned to the Cats as a veteran presence for two final seasons, adding 25 games to his tally before retiring in 2003. He finished his career as a 150-game player who, at his peak, was one of the most threatening goal sneaks in the competition.