Garry Lyon says Hawthorn premiership star Shaun Burgoyne should continue on in 2018, but expects former captain Luke Hodge to announce his retirement at season’s end.
The veteran duo played pivotal roles in the Hawks upset win against Adelaide last night and the former Melbourne champion was questioned on what he believed their list management intentions would be at the end of the year.
“You can’t let one game cloud your vision on that subject, weaker clubs do that,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“You have to have a very clear mindset on this, I would expect Hodge to call it at the end of this year.
“That would be the end to one of the most stellar careers of all time and it would be a great way to go out in my opinion.’
“Shaun Burgoyne looks to me to still have another year in him.
“Luke Hodge’s strength at the moment is his ability to dictate the back half. Clubs will go to work on that. If the Hawks became a finals threat, they won’t let Hodge play like that.”
Lyon suggests in-demand Greater Western Sydney midfielder Josh Kelly should be Hawthorn’s number one target, believing the Hawks have struggled with a lack of leg speed, following the departure of Bradley Hill to Fremantle.
The former Melbourne forward also said that the Hawks are pace of their former three time premiership star, Bradley Hill, the hawks are now in the frame for the Dustin martin trade Lyon believes they need speed.
“Pace I think they need, genuine leg speed, a Josh Kelly would be almost ideal with his hard running,” he said.
“But the one player they’ve missed the most, more than anyone is Bradley Hill.”
The Hawks’ victory at Adelaide Oval moved them to within just one win of the top eight ahead of a huge clash against Collingwood next Sunday at the MCG.