Hawthorn Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of life member David Wanless. 

The club would like to extend its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Wanless, a man who dedicated much of his life work to the brown and gold. 

Wanless first joined Hawthorn in 1970 when he was appointed as the secretary of Box Hill.

From that point, Wanless worked with the club in an array of roles including promotions officer, player recruitment and football manager.

More recently, he served as the secretary for the club’s Past Players and Officials Association, which saw him work tirelessly to maintain connection with those who have previously played for or worked at the club.

His incredible efforts, which epitomised what it meant to be Always Hawthorn, saw him earn life membership at the club at the end of 2020. 

He will be sadly missed by all, in particularly the Committee of the Past Players and Official Association and the many past Hawthorn players who called David a friend.