Hawks kids join in AFL flag celebrations

Immediately after the final siren, Hawthorn’s reaction to their latest AFL premiership was part celebration, part open-air creche.

The Hawks are known as the family club and a feature of these three flags has been the players bringing their children onto the MCG to share the moment.

That went to a new level after Saturday’s 46-point win over West Coast.

Jordan Lewis proudly showed off his son Freddie, who was born in grand final week.

Brian Lake and his children briefly commandeered a motorised drinks cart.

Captain Luke Hodge later apologised for not acknowledging the crowd enough, but he was trying to keep one eye on what his children were doing.

There were some murmurings about whether it was appropriate to have so many children in the midst of the premiership celebrations.

But Hawks legend Leigh Matthews hailed it as a great idea.

“Taking the kids onto the ground is a fantastic initiative,” he said on Channel Seven’s Game Day.

“I don’t know about the week-old baby – I don’t know if Freddie will remember it, but certainly the parents will.”

Matthews was on the ground as the Hawks celebrated and said it was chaotic.

“It’s like trying to manage a group of cats,” he said.

“You need someone to help you with the kids.”

Matthews also remembered it was completely different when he was winning flags with the Hawks around 40 years ago.

“In the grand finals in the ’70s, the wives and the kids would be outside,” he said.

“They wouldn’t be even allowed in the dressing rooms until about an hour and a half after the game.

“The inclusion of the families, both in the dressing rooms and even on the ground post-grand final, it’s a fantastic modern initiative.”

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