Brad Sewell Biography

Matthew Lloyd speaks of the day he drew the wrath of the Hawthorn team and their supporters after knocking out Brad Sewell in the round 22 clash of 2009 in what proved to be his last game.

"I wanted to just try wake the team up because we weren't going well. My intention wasn't to iron Brad Sewell out, my intention was to just try and lay a big bone-crunching tackle or do something to try and get the team up and about," he said.

"Obviously I did execute a hip and shoulder poorly, got Brad in the head. I knew the rules, if you hit someone in the head you're done so I knew my career was over at that point. But it was an intimidating second half to get through where they were coming at me from everywhere, under packs, they were dropping knees, throwing punches.

"I could sense the venom from Hawthorn supporters, starting to work their way towards the front rows and the abuse. I did have a moment (where I thought) 'Should I finish this game off the field for my safety?' But again I thought that would look cowardly, I've just got to deal with it so Alastair (Clarkson, then Hawks coach) did come at me after the game.

"I had to get escorted to my car with security because a lot of people had worked their way into the MCG car park. It was mentally exhausting, I had my second child a week before that so there was a lot going on in my mind at that point.

"I retired a week later or so and it was like 10kg dropped off my back because I was going through so many emotions at that time."

Recently retired premiership stars Brad Sewell and Luke Ball have been appointed to the Match Review Panel for 2015 as part of a complete overhaul of the system.

The pair make up half of the newly-appointed panel, which also includes former Saint Nathan Burke and Collingwood premiership player Michael Christian.

Brad Sewell says he came close to pursuing his AFL career at another club after being told he would not be offered another contract by the Hawks.

"It was certainly pretty serious. I guess I wanted to make sure that I was aware of all the options and I could sit down with it all on the table and I could make a considered decision when the time was right," Sewell told 3AW radio.

"The way it all stacked up I wasn't interested in playing anywhere else.

"There were a couple of informal chats I guess, but more feeling each other out in terms of the seriousness of what it would look like."

Brad Sewell announces his retirement at Hawthorn's best and fairest count on Saturday night after being told he would not be offered a contract for 2015.

"As one door closes, another one opens, and what exactly that means for me I'm unsure of just yet," Sewell said.

"I will take the time to work that out and I sincerely look forward to my next journey, safe in the knowledge that I have had the best possible grounding any man could ask for.

"I can't actually articulate how thankful I am to all of you for your support.

"The memories and feelings you have left me with I shall one day share with my grandchildren with the utmost delight and reverence."

After being overlooked for the Hawks' 2014 Grand Final side to face Sydney, Brad Sewell is considering his football future in 2015.

"These last couple of weeks have been about preparing and giving myself as much chance as I can (to play)," Sewell said.

"I'll sit back and reflect in a couple of weeks when the time's right and make a decision then."

A lack of pace has cost Brad Sewell his spot in Hawthorn's preliminary final side to play hard-running Port Adelaide at the MCG.

The veteran midfielder was the only player axed from the Hawks' side which defeated Geelong in their qualifying final, making way for damaging half-back Matt Suckling.

"We've got a lot of inside-mids, particularly with the emergence of (Will) Langford who's played some really good footy for us in the second half of the year," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"We just feel like we've got a better balance with Matt Suckling coming into the team."

Brad Sewell will play in his 200th game this week in a qualifying final against Geelong and says he will not make a decision on his future until after the finals.

"My body feels good. I have plenty of confidence in my body and my ability. We will work through things," Sewell said.

"It's been a frustrating year. I'm needing some patience and perseverance. But I certainly haven't gone into a finals campaign feeling this good and fresh."

Brad Sewell is expected to miss at least the next month of football after injuring his hamstring during Friday night's loss to North Melbourne.

The 30-year-old was subbed out of the match early in the first term with the injury, and scans on Saturday have since revealed a low grade strain.

"Brad will get straight back into a solid rehabilitation block with our medical staff and hopefully return within the next month to contribute to the back end of our season," Hawthorn's football operations boss Chris Fagan said.

Brad Sewell is facing more time on the sidelines after the Hawthorn veteran developed hamstring soreness in his first game since tearing the muscle last month.

The 30-year-old had 20 touches and pulled up well from Box Hill's win over Werribee on Saturday but was sore the following morning.

He looks set to miss another fortnight with the club to investigate how his sciatic nerve is affecting his hamstring.

As the Hawks prepare for a Grand Final against Fremantle, Brad Sewell says he never doubted his ability to bounce back and again cement his place in the Hawthorn team after being dropped during the season.

"I've played well in big games; I've played well in finals before," Sewell said.

"I think everybody at some stage goes through little fluctuations, and I sort of had mine in the mid part of the year, but I've bounced back really well."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says that while Brad Sewell's form this year may not have always been consistent, the veteran midfielder can at least be relied on to step up for the big games.

"There are some players out there – and I think Sewelly's one of them – who seem to get [themselves] up for the really big contests and will sometimes struggle when there's not as much on the game," Clarkson said.

"I don't particularly like that too much because I'd like players to be hard at it every time that they play, but I suppose the one great feature of it is that you can rely on him when it's the big game."

Brad Sewell says he was shocked to have been left out of the side to face Port Adelaide in round 16.

"My form hadn't been great and we're in a good position at the moment [so] I was left out," Sewell said.

"It was a tough week. It was a shocking week. Then having to come in and speak about it as well, it's really confronting."

Brad Sewell is a surprise exclusion from the Hawks' side to face Port Adelaide with Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson saying the veteran midfielder's form has not been up to standard.

"We've got high standards with the way that we play and Sewelly's just been a little bit scratchy for the last five or six weeks, it wasn't just his form last week," Clarkson said.

"We've got guys underneath who are challenging for positions, and we just can't keep hanging on with guys who (aren't) performing at the level that we know that they can."

Brad Sewell is set to miss one or two matches after straining his hamstring against West Coast.

"Brad had some awareness during Sunday's game and subsequently underwent scans that have shown he has a bit of bleeding in the hamstring," Hawks acting general manager football operations Chris Fagan said.

"Brad was able to jog lightly today, and depending on how quickly the injury site settles we expect him to resume playing within the next one to two weeks."

Brad Sewell says continued rule changes will be detrimental to the game.

"It seems that when a lot of the rule changes are made, the last consideration is the players' welfare," Sewell said on Fox Footy's AFL 360.

"So much of it has gone into the spectacle and what the fans want in trying to make it as aesthetically pleasing - which is all good and well - but (the game) will be almost unrecognisable to what it was 10, 15, 20 years ago if it just keeps continuing."

Sam Mitchell joins Shane Crawford, Jason Dunstall and John Kennedy Snr as a four-time Hawthorn best and fairest winner after polling 172 votes to win the Peter Crimmins Medal.

Brad Sewell came second with 156 votes.

Midfielder Brad Sewell has resisted the lure of free agency and re-signed with Hawthorn although the length of the contract was not revealed.

Simon Taylor and Brad Sewell were casualties of a 40-point thumping by North Melbourne on Saturday.

Taylor hurt his ankle after falling awkwardly in a collision while Sewell has a suspected collarbone injury and was seen after the game with his right arm in a sling.

Essendon's Andrew Welsh returns fire at Campbell Brown after the Hawk labeled Bomber captain Matthew Lloyd as being a "sniper" following his collision with Brad Sewell that left Sewell with a fractured cheekbone and eye socket.

"Hawthorn is a strong, aggressive side, they're no angels. So you've got to be careful that your own back yard is clean before you come out and question other people's attack on the ball," Welsh said.

Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson describes himself as a 'passionate peanut' after abusing Bomber players, Jobe Watson in particular, following Hawthorn's loss to Essendon which resulted in injuries to Brad Sewell and Max Bailey.

"That's just the passion of the game. I've come out onto the ground ... I think he was shaping up to come and shake my hand but with the blood boiling it was the last thing I wanted to do," he said.

"If I was going to be accommodative of any Essendon player it would have been Jobe but I didn't even want to speak to him, so it wasn't the way we wanted to finish our season, that's for sure."

Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd is offered a four week suspension for his hit on Hawthorn's Brad Sewell.

Bombers Samuel Lonergan and Paddy Ryder have also been offered one-week each for striking after a melee ensued in the match following Lloyd's bump.

Hawthorn enforcer Campbell Brown calls Essendon skipper Matthew Lloyd "one of the biggest snipers in the game" says that Lloyd's "his time is coming".

Brown's comments come in the wake of a head-high hit by Lloyd on Brad Sewell that left the Hawk with severe facial injuries.

'We're not going to forget in a hurry what Matty Lloyd did, and we hope he plays on next year ... he's done that a fair few times to us,'' Brown said.

''I think he is one of the biggest snipers in the game, and his time is coming.''

Essendon defends Matthew Lloyd after their captain is accused by Hawthorn's Campbell Brown as being a "sniper" following Lloyd's head-high bump on Hawk Brad Sewell.

"We are very disappointed in the comments from the Hawthorn camp," Essendon football operations manager Paul Hamilton said.

"One, we are not happy with the attack on the character and integrity of our captain, two the veiled threats made again Matthew, three the comments that are prejudicial to a potential tribunal hearing this week and four, the appalling set of double standards on display by Campbell Brown.

"Matthew Lloyd has had such a long and wonderful career and a strong reputation as a ball player."

Hawthorn midfielder Brad Sewell plays down the incident with Swans power forward Barry Hall which turned Sunday's game for the premiers after Hall gave away three 50-metre penalties.

"It certainly did us no harm. It was a massive play for us to potentially go from a scoring opportunity they had to kick a goal ourselves," Sewell said.

"We had momentum throughout most of the game and they got back on top early in the last quarter. We were slow-building and it certainly didn't hurt our chances but I'm not sure it was the turning point."

Hawthorn midfielder Brad Sewell says despite the poor start to the season the Hawks can fight back.

"We're only one game off fifth. It's still early in the year and an even competition. Sides are settling themselves to a certain extent," Sewell said.

Hawthorn's Brad Sewell says the entire team must take responsibility for the Hawks' defensive woes.

"That's the midfielders' fault, that's the forwards' fault, we certainly can't lump that area of the game in the defenders' lap and say that's their issue, it's across the board," Sewell said.

"It's midfielders not getting back enough, for not filling the holes, for not picking up our men and the forwards are guilty of that again."