Stephen Gilham Biography

Stephen Gilham says he will retire at the end of the 2014 season.

"It's been a great journey for me over the past 12 years to be involved at three clubs at the AFL level," Gilham said.

"I've been battling the last few years with injury and that's the reason why I decided half way through the year this would be my last season."

At 29-years of age, Stephen Gilham hopes to earn himself a new contract at the end of 2014 to experience success at the Giants.

"There's definitely a carrot dangling there that's going to keep me motivated to play my best footy and prepare the best way I can to get the most out of myself and play as many games as I can," Gilham said.

"I want to contribute to this club and reap the rewards of our hard work being put in at the moment to one day be successful."

GWS names three premiership players to its leadership group for 2014 including Shane Mumford, Stephen Gilham and Heath Shaw.

"These three guys are premiership players at the clubs they've previously been at but they also offer 10 years of experience in football generally and not only on the field but off the field," Giants coach Leon Cameron said.

Former Hawk and new Giants recruit Stephen Gilham says he has been impressed by his new teammates' intensity at training and their desire to learn.

"They ask you: 'What does 'Buddy' do?' 'What does Sam Mitchell do?' They just want to learn as fast as they can," Gilham said.

"It was breathtaking to be honest: the environment we were in and how hard they were going … [they were] absolutely nailing themselves."

Stephen Gilham signs with GWS as the Hawks snare talented Northern Territory youngster Jed Anderson from the Giants' zone in exchange.

"It was always a bit of a question mark as to what his situation at the Hawks would be; Brian Lake coming in made it potentially a bit more difficult for him," Gilham's manager manager Dan Richardson said.

"There's never any guarantees in footy but it gives him an opportunity to play plenty of senior footy this year whereas that was 50-50 at the Hawks."

Hawthorn defender Stephen Gilham is still four to six weeks away from a senior return despite a solid showing for the Box Hill Hawks.

"He achieved what he was meant to achieve tonight without setting the world on fire, but it was his first step on the road back really, so we're pretty happy with him," Hawthorn's head of coaching Chris Fagan said of Gilham's efforts in the 31-point win.

"He was pretty rusty, he hasn't played since about round eight last year, but it was just good for him to get out there and play a game."

Hawks defender Stephen Gilham will return from a knee injury for Box Hill on Thursday night.

"He'll probably play half to three-quarters of the game," Hawks general manager of football Mark Evans said.

"You have to treat it like they're at the start of their pre-season campaign in relation to competitive footy. So it's like being at the start of the NAB Cup for Stephen Gilham.

Returning Hawks pair Jarryd Roughead and Stephen Gilham have made a promising return in a club scratch-match.

"They participated in maybe 45 or 50 minutes of semi-competitive training," Hawks football operations manager Mark Evans said.

"Not full-blown competitive conditions, but just as part of their progress towards preparation for playing.

"By the time I'd left the club they seemed to have both come through that OK. It's not about rushing either of them. It is more part of the long, gradual approach back into footy."

Stephen Gilham will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against the Saints.

Hawthorn premiership defender Rick Ladson's frustrating wait for his 100th AFL game is nearly over.

A knee injury has marooned the rebounding backman on 99 games since last year's Grand Final triumph, but he has finally been able to step up and sustain his workload during the past month.

Ladson and fellow knee victim Stephen Gilham, who has managed only one game this season, joined the Hawks' solid two-hour workout at Waverley Park yesterday.

Hawthorn is unsure when key defender Stephen Gilham will resume full training, let alone play again.

"With the injury he has, he progresses very well to a level where he can get back into training," Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said.

"But he hasn't been able to get to that final level of intensity that he needs to go and play.

"We were hoping he was going to play, maybe in the VFL this week or next, but he becomes a week-to-week proposition because we're still unsure when he'll get to that level of intensity."

Premiership backmen Grant Birchall, Stephen Gilham and Xavier Ellis are a chance to play for Hawthorn against Essendon.

"We are slowly getting some guys back," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"We just need to make a decision post-training today whether we bring them back through Box Hill or whether we play them in the seniors straight up."

Travis Tuck and Stephen Gilham are likely to be back as Hawthorn try to regroup against West Coast in Launceston on Saturday.

Alastair Clarkson says the six-day break counted against injured defender Stephen Gilham ahead of Saturday's match.

Hawthorn has suffered another injury setback, even as it starts to regain key premiership players.

Defender Stephen Gilham returned for last Sunday's win over North Melbourne, but he is out again with a swollen knee.

It is the same knee that was injured previously, delaying his start to the season.

Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans says Stephen Gillam will return to face the Roos this weekend.

Hawthorn full-back Stephen Gilham is unlikely to play the Round 1 Grand Final rematch against Geelong after hyperextending his knee on Sunday.

Three fresh injuries to defenders Stephen Gilham (knee), Campbell Brown (ankle) and Grant Birchall (suspected hamstring) will force Hawthorn to begin their AFL premiership defence with a backline well short of a decent preparation.