Dan Howe is preparing to play his 50th AFL game when the Hawks meet the Demons in Friday night’s Semi Final.

Selected by the Hawks with Pick 31 in the 2014 National Draft, the now-22-year-old made his debut against Gold Coast in Round 9 2015. 

He has quickly become an important cog in Hawthorn’s midfield, often handed the task of running with prolific opposition ball winners. During his short career, the youngster has curbed the influence of several AFL stars including Joel Selwood, Scott Pendlebury, Rory Sloane and Nat Fyfe.

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Despite missing the last five game of the home and away season, Howe is averaging a career-high 18 disposals in 2018, complemented by his five tackles a game.

His best performance of the season came in Round 16 against the Bulldogs, when the midfielder finished with 25 disposals, eight marks, six tackles and a goal as the Hawks ran away with a 63-point win.