Paul Hawke

Recruited from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina, Paul Hawke was a smart, high-stamina ruck-rover whose career is often remembered for its sharp peak and baffling conclusion. He began his time in the VFL with the Sydney Swans, where he showed promise as a forward and midfielder but often found his pathway blocked by a star-studded engine room featuring Greg Williams and Gerard Healy. Seeking greater opportunity, Hawke crossed to Collingwood in 1988, a move that soon saw him playing the best football of his life. His 1989 campaign was outstanding; operating as a "tall rover," he became a prolific ball-winner, polling the most Brownlow votes for the Magpies and finishing runner-up in the Copeland Trophy by a solitary vote to Gavin Brown.

Despite establishing himself as a key senior player, Hawke’s fortunes turned inexplicably during Collingwood's historic 1990 premiership season. In one of the more puzzling selection statements of the era, he fell completely out of favour with coach Leigh Matthews, spending the entire year in the reserves just a season after being the club's second-best player. He was named as an emergency for the 1990 Grand Final but missed out on the flag, cementing his status as a genuine hard-luck story. Hawke was thrown a lifeline by Sydney in the 1991 pre-season draft but managed only one final senior appearance. While he lacked blistering pace, he is remembered by the Magpie faithful as a clever, hardworking accumulator who was incredibly unfortunate to miss the ultimate success.