Family Day in Every Way
Thousands flocked to Bunjil on Sunday for what was another confirmation that we ARE the Family Club
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It was a special day on Sunday as our club continued its 100-year celebrations with an even more Family Day than normal.
And the vibes were electric.
Thousands of fans made the trip to Bunjil Bagora to meet the players, line up for autographs, get pictures with premiership cups, take part in activities, watch the jumper presentations, and just be part of the build up to the 2025 season.
What made it even more special was the effort the club put into bringing more than 30 of our past heroes in to present jumpers to the current players — ranging from all-time greats to cult heroes.
Every past player was loudly acknowledged and appreciated, giving even more credence to our recent proclamations that the Family Club moniker is well and truly back — and deservedly so.
🔎 Ethan’s Observations:
Loudest cheers: during the jumper presentation ceremony, a lot of fans were up and about to see the players getting their tops ahead of the 2025 season. But who got the loudest cheers? Special mentions for CJ, Will Day, Josh Battle, Lloyd Meek, James Sicily and Jai Newcombe. However, it was the small forwards that got the loudest cheers, including the Wiz, Ginni, Breuuuuuust, CMac and Dylan Moore.
Legends: Luke Breust and Jack Gunston were not short of fans during the presentations either. Such special players getting the appreciation they deserved.
Nat Edwards: The MC for the business part of the family day was none other than Nat Edwards - a huge AFL Media personality, and of course a huge hawks fan. She did a great job, and was accompanied by Daniel Harford as they read out all of the past players that were giving current players their guernseys.
Great turnout: Thousands of people were at the event, and there was a sea of brown and gold everywhere you looked. Everyone seemed to be having a great time meeting players, getting food and drink, playing games at the Sketchers store and the inflatables, and also seeing what our other sponsors had to offer, like Superhero and Nature Valley.
Absentees: During the guernsey ceremony, there were two very noticeable absentees: our coach, Sam Mitchell, and our new star recruit key defender, Tom Barrass. Sam was at the event earlier, but unfortunately had a very important lunch to go to (as long as it wasn’t with Ken Hinkley, then it is completely understandable). Tom meanwhile is back home in Perth, as next week he is getting married. We wish Tom a great wedding, and want to remind him that family always comes first, but after that, the Hawks always come second.
Past legends: There were so many old legends who presented guernseys, and were around the club for the Family Day. Some of them were Dipper, John Platten, Brian Lake, Jordan Lewis, Peter Schwab, Andy Collins, Kelvin Moore, Michael Tuck, Peter Knights and Greg Dear. It was great to see the past players giving the current players their old numbers, and passing on that legacy from past legends, to future legends. And I got to hear a few old stories about them from dad, too.
The most popular player of the day: The most popular player of the day goes to … who else but our very own CJ. He was one of the most cheered players when he was presented with his top, and while moving from his signature booth to the stage for the presentation, he was absolutely swarmed with fans left, right and centre.
🔎 And a few from his Old Man:
The crowds at the 2025 Family Day were absolutely nuts. There must have been a good 3,000+ more than last year, and the queues for autographs, photos, and the activities were huge with long waits. Despite the lines, the vibe was magnificent.
2023 vs 2025. The parents of many of the players were littered through the crowd - many of who huddled together to talk about the family off-seasons. A lot of excitement for the season to commence.
Seeing Jordan Lewis bring his kids up on stage all rocking the number three jumpers was a site to behold. Spine tingling, and as Nat Edwards announced, the scene of joy for our Father/Son enthusiasts.
Speaking of Nat, hearing Connor Macdonald announced to the crowd simply as ‘Connor Mac’ was fun. We still prefer Con though.
It was a who’s who of legends in the VIP tent and was incredible afterwards to be able to speak to some absolute icons of the club (articles to follow 👀). They were all so giving of their time, and happy to chat — really dishing out all the feels.
🎤 What they Said (the short and sharp version)
Andy Gowers: “It is a very special year for our special club — the family club.”
Josh Battle: “Great club so far, loving it, and can’t wait to get out there for opening round.”
Finn Maginness: “My decision to get the number 20 … I was very happy and have been eyeing it off for a while now.”
Robert DiPierdomenico: “I want (Josh) Weddle on the wing - you’ll smash ‘em mate!”
Jordan Lewis: “I’m expecting top four this year, that’s what we’re used to at this footy club.”
James Sicily: “I’m most excited to get into the real stuff and getting back onto broadway … It’s great to be so relevant again in the competition.”
Stay tuned to HI as we ramp up towards the start of the AFL Men’s season.
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Thanks for the article. I couldn't make it to Melbourne so it was good to read how the day went. Sounds like a lot of fun, and it was fun to read the article.