As a kid growing up in Melbourne, Karl Amon’s dream was to always play footy in his home city.
With his AFL career spanning over a decade in South Australia, Amon returned to the state he grew up in to finally chase that childhood dream in 2022.
Now nearly 18 months on from the move that “refreshed” his career – the 28-year-old is relishing his time at Hawthorn as he prepares for his 150th career game this weekend.
"Melbourne is the home of footy and I always wanted to play football in Melbourne at some stage in my career,” Amon told SEN on Wednesday.
“I spent nine years at Port Adelaide, which I really enjoyed, if I didn’t come back at the end of that I was probably going to be over there for the rest of my career.
“Coming home to friends and family and be able to play football in Melbourne, at Hawthorn, is something I’m thoroughly enjoying.”
Amon opted to explore free agency at the end of the 2022 season, moving to the Hawks on a four-year deal after playing 124 games across nine seasons with Port.
And while his game tally is still growing steadily with the Hawks, Amon’s contribution has already been felt far and wide within the club.
“It took that 40-50 game mark for me to really feel like I belong at AFL level - from there I haven’t missed too many games, ” Amon said.
“It’s an exciting time, I still think I’ve got plenty of footy left in me, so we’ll be doing a big celebration for 200 games if I get there.
“It’s certainly something I’ll look back on and be extremely proud of.”
From his cool head under pressure, to his precise left foot, Amon's skillset has added significant class to a young Hawks outfit.
The gap between his best and worst has been minimal across his 25 games in the brown and gold to date – meaning one certainty – the Hawks can count on Amon performing every week.
After just a season at Hawthorn, Amon finished in eight place in the best and fairest - a testament to the immediate impact and influence he has been able to have at his second club.
Although the experienced head is confident that he still has plenty left in the tank, life after football could well and truly involve a camera in his hands.
Away from the footy field, Amon has developed a strong passion for photography, with the hobby having evolved across the last seven years.
"For my 21st birthday my mum and dad got me a camera and it sort of grew from there,” Amon said.
“After every season I like to get overseas as much as I can and that’s where the passion came from.
“I’d take my camera away with me and take photos of architecture and landscapes.
“It’s certainly something I'd think about post-football and what that involves.”
But before Amon potentially swaps the footy for a camera, he understands the important role ahead in shaping the future of the brown and gold.
“We’ve certainly got players that are going to fast-track our development – Jai Newcombe, Will Day and the likes,” Amon explained.
“The start of the season hasn’t been how we would like, but we certainly showed on the weekend that we can match it with the best.
“We’ve got to play four consistent quarters of footy – at the moment we’re letting teams pile on five goals in a row which zaps our energy and is tough for a young group.
“But our best footy is very capable of matching it with the best.”
Amon will line-up for his 150th career game on Saturday night when the Hawks take on Gold Coast.
