Several former Hawks have found their way back to the brown and gold fold in a range of different off-field roles following their playing days.

Here’s a look at some of the familiar faces who are currently involved within Hawthorn’s four walls.

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David Hale

Following his playing career at the Hawks, Hale went west to start his coaching career with Fremantle, where he spent six seasons as an assistant coach.

In September it was announced that he would be joining Hawthorn's coaching ranks, with the three-time premiership star appointed as an assistant coach ahead of season 2022.

His move back to the Hawks includes shifting his family and reuniting with former teammate and now Hawthorn Coach Sam Mitchell.

Having first been drafted to North Melbourne where he played 129 games over eight seasons, Hale then notched up a further 108 games with Hawthorn and proved a vital part of the club’s premiership three-peat from 2013 to 2015.

Andy Collins

Collins' time in the brown and gold spanned 212 games across 10 seasons between 1987 and 1996 where he also finished with three premierships to his name.

After retiring from the league at the end of 1996, he turned to coaching and has since forged a strong coaching resume in the VFL, leading Williamstown and Sandringham to premierships, before joining the Box Hill Hawks.

The 1990 Peter Crimmins Medallist recently made a welcome return to Waverley Park, coming on board as part of Hawthorn's new-look coaching panel ahead of season 2022.

Sam Mitchell

Mitchell played 307 games while wearing the brown and gold, before finishing his career at West Coast.

Upon his retirement at the end of 2017, the four-time premiership Hawk joined the Eagles ranks as an assistant coach.

After a year looking after the Eagles’ midfield group and experiencing his first taste of premiership glory as a coach, Mitchell returned home to Hawthorn as an assistant coach.

Two years later after overseeing the Hawks midfield, Mitchell took on the Head of Development Role ahead of 2021, seeing him nurture the clubs emerging young talent, while also serving as Box Hill's senior coach.

At the end of the 2021 season, Mitchell became Hawthorn's new senior coach. 

Stephen Gilham

After 98 games at the Hawks between 2006 and 2012, the 2008 premiership defender departed the club, opting to take up an opportunity to play with Greater Western Sydney before retiring in 2014.

But Gilham later found his way back to the club after becoming Box Hill's General Manager Business Operations during 2020 before joining Hawthorn as its Corporate Sales Manager at the start of this year.

Nick Holland

Holland returned to the brown and gold fold earlier this year, accepting the newly established role as the club's GM of Legal, Risk and Integrity.

He played 179 games and booted 239 goals for the Hawks between 1994 and 2005, and won the club’s best and fairest award in 2000.

Since his retirement, Holland undertook a successful career in the field of law, backed by dual degrees in law and science.

Richie Vandenberg

The former Hawthorn skipper made a return to the club in 2018, taking up the position as the chairman of the football subcommittee and is now currently the club's Football Director.

Vandenberg played 145 games for the Hawks, captaining them from 2005 to 2007.

The 44-year-old has also been the sole director, shareholder and CEO of LCW Corp – a wine-making company – since early 2013.