If all goes to plan, Luke Hodge will be put into retirement by his younger Brisbane AFL teammates rather than having to announce it himself.

That’s the honest assessment of the four-time premiership player and his Lions teammates ahead of what is likely to be his last AFL season.

Hodge, 34, is fit and willing to play as many games as possible this year but emerging fullback Harris Andrews admits it’d be nice for the club’s developing backline to shunt the former Hawthorn captain back to the reserves.