It was a cheeky kiss, even by Luke Hodge’s lovable larrikin standards.
But the Hawthorn skipper could think of no better response to Lance Franklin’s lip in the AFL grand final.
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Hodge planted a kiss on his former teammate’s cheek at the MCG, where Franklin fruitlessly tried to spark Sydney on Saturday.
Unprompted, Hodge explained at Sunday’s fan day what led to him borrowing a page from Dermott Brereton’s playbook.
Asked on stage what moment in the game represented “the Hawthorn way”, Hodge laughed: “When I kissed Buddy.
“I didn’t think the camera was going to get me. I thought it was behind play.
“If cockroach (coach Alastair Clarkson) had of seen it, I reckon he would have gone nuts.”
Former Hawthorn hardman Brereton kissed Billy Duckworth during a game in 1988, later saying he wanted to shock the Essendon defender.
Hodge, who became a two-time premiership captain and two-time Norm Smith Medallist on Saturday when he led the Hawks to a 63-point win, had a slightly different intention.
“He ran through me a couple of times and gave me a few words,” Hodge said.
“So I thought the best thing I could do was give him a little kiss on the cheek and let him know we’re still here.”
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