Hawthorn Football Club is delighted to announce Past President Ian Dicker is the inaugural Patron of The Foundation.

Ian will play an important role within the Foundation, with his extensive networks and unwavering affection of Hawthorn Football Club, and its members and supporters.

Ian’s experience and dedication to the club will ensure The Foundation is well positioned to generate support and funds to ensure Hawthorn will survive and thrive forever.

Established in 2009, The Hawthorn Football Club Foundation has been set up to secure the long-term future of the club.

Donations sought from members are apportioned towards the Foundation’s objectives of providing the club access to income and capital for specific projects that could not be funded from the normal operating profit reserves of the club.

Our vision is to not only stay ahead of the competition but become the benchmark for excellence, unity and success: the destination club. To have the best of the best with regard to resources and facilities and to secure our home base, so generations to come can embody the same pride and passion in our club as we enjoy today.

The vision of the Foundation is perfectly aligned with the vision the Board and management has for the club: to future proof Hawthorn Football Club. In addition, the role the Foundation will play in supporting the development of the proposed Dingley site will be significant.

Ian served as Hawthorn President between 1996 and 2005, and was a key figure in developing the club into the successful organisation it is today.

His appointment as president came at a time when Hawthorn’s future was in considerable doubt as the club faced a proposed merger with Melbourne.

Within a year, under Ian’s stewardship, Hawthorn doubled its membership base and set up safe income-earning investment streams.

He also oversaw the appointment of now-premiership coach Alastair Clarkson and was a key influencer in relocating the club’s home games to the MCG.

Ian will work alongside Foundation Ambassadors Graham Arthur, David Parkin, Peter Hudson, Peter Knights and Sam Mitchell.

For more information on the Foundation or to donate, please call 03 9535 3009.