Luke Breust Biography

Luke Breust is set to play his 300th game when the Hawks meet the Power in a semi-final at Adelaide Oval.

"If you had told me in round six or seven that I would play 300 this year, I probably would have laughed at you," Breust said.

"So to be playing in the second week (of the finals) is so special. Adelaide Oval has been nice to me as well, so it will be nice to get back over there."

Breust remembers his first pre-season AFL game when he registered zero possessions.

"I remember sitting in the team meeting and 'Clarko' said 'Where are you, Punk? How did you go on the weekend?' I said, 'I got donuts'," Breust said of coach Alastair Clarkson.

"That feels like a long time ago."

After an off-season of significant change, Luke Breust is now the only player on the Hawks' list above the age of 30.

"I've been committed to this footy club for a long period of time. Being a one-club player was really high on my list. To be able to do that and remain a one-club player and hopefully finish my career here was my goal,” Breust said.

"Looking around the locker room for a familiar face and they are not there anymore but I'm sure I'll build relationships and get around teammates that I have already built significant relationships with. We'll move forward, the journey continues."

Luke Breust signs a new deal with Hawthorn to remain at the club until the end of 2023.

"With a new wave of players coming through the ranks, Luke's experience and knowledge will be essential in helping them learn the ropes of AFL football," Hawks head of football Rob McCartney said.

"He is of great character and a good example to his younger teammates of the values and standards required to build a successful and sustained career."

Luke Breust will be out for at least a month due to a small fracture in his jaw sustained after crashing into Kangaroo ruckman Todd Goldstein's shoulder during a tackle.

"He woke up on Monday morning and he was quite sore through there, so we got the area scanned. What that's shown is a small fracture through his jaw, so he will have surgery on that in the next 24 hours and he will miss a few weeks of football," Hawthorn's physical performance manager Luke Boyd said.

Luke Breust turns his back on free agency after signing a four-year contract extension with Hawthorn that will keep him at the club until the end of 2021.

"Once you've been here for eight-plus years, it obviously does come into your mind that [free agency] is available, but at the same time I wouldn't say I put too much thought into it," Breust said.

"I was pretty confident that I could play out my time here and secure a decent deal so it didn't really cross my mind."

Luke Breust says he was unnerved by speculation he might be included in a trade for Hawks targets Jaeger O'Meara or Tom Mitchell.

Breust, 25, told reporters he would certainly be at Hawthorn next season.

"Probably early on it did rattle me a little bit, but since then I guess it's all just part of the AFL industry these days and you just have to accept that, and just roll with the punches," Breust said.

"That's what I've been doing the last few weeks. I got away to NSW and got away from it all and that's probably been good for me."

Luke Breust signs a two-year deal with Hawthorn to remain at the club until the end of 2017.

"I was more than happy to (sign early); Hawthorn have been exceptional for me from the start," Breust said.

"Coming off the rookie list I've only really had one-year contracts, so they showed faith in me and I'm more than happy to show some faith back in the club and sign for a few more years.

"There are some exciting times ahead at Hawthorn."

Luke Breust has kicked goals with stunning accuracy in 2014 and he says training under pressure is the secret to his success.

This year he's slotted 35.4 at 81.4 per cent accuracy – including shots that have not registered a score.

"Any chance I've got really I just pick up a footy and have a set shot under fatigue or pressure," Breust said.

"So I think that's really working and I'll continue to do that throughout the rest of the year."

Luke Breust says he's determined to step up his leadership role to help the Hawks deal with a raft of injuries to key players.

"I've been really working hard on that this year," Breust said.

"It's my fourth year at the top level. My first couple of seasons I probably was pretty quiet and just went about my role and focused on that.

"Whereas now I've been around for a little while, so they sort of expect me to direct the forward line and help guys out – like resting midfielders who might not know exactly where to be I can help them out and direct them."

Luke Breust has booted 18.19 from marks or free kicks in 2013, a hit rate of 48.6 per cent which he says he must improve on.

"I still think it's pretty reliable – it's just that it's let me down a few times this year," he said.

"But I still feel confident when I'm at the top of my mark that I can go back and kick the goal.

"I've just got to keep practising each week, and hopefully that practice pays off on game day."

The deep and elongated chanting of Luke Breust's name every time he touches the ball spurs on the Hawks goalkicker.

"I definitely hear it now - early on I probably didn't realise what they were doing," Breust said.

"If anything, I probably get a little bit of a lift from it, especially if you kick straight in front of goal - that helps.

"I initially thought they were booing me and I was wondering what I'd done wrong, but I soon realised."

Hawthorn's Luke Breust is not only on target as a goalkicker after booting three goals in his past three matches, but is also meeting his own expectations with work rate and tackling pressure.

"'Clarko' (Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson) always says that as a small forward, if you can have six to eight tackles a game then you're playing your role," Breust said.

"That gives you a good chance to have an impact offensively as well, because a lot of the time if the ball's in your area and you're tackling and pressuring, opportunities arise from that."

Luke Breust has escaped serious injury, but is likely to miss a week after a sickening collision against Crow Brodie Martin.

"He's a bit fortunate there because he was very, very open - he's just rattled the scone a little bit and he'll be OK," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"He's recovered OK. It was a pretty severe hit so with a six-day break leading into a Perth travel, it will probably be unlikely he'll play next week but we'll wait and see he recovers.

"It was a pretty solid knock. Those blokes that sneak up on you off the interchange, it can be a dangerous thing."

Hawthorn super-sub Luke Breust is the round 15 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after tallying 15 disposals and two goals against Collingwood.

"The main thing is to try and be in the game as much as you can, watch what things are working for us, talk to the players as they come off and make sure you're up and running for five or six minutes then at the breaks have a kick and try to stay focused. When you come on you can have that impact," Breust said about his role as the Hawks' substitue of the bench.

Luke Breust makes his AFL debut for Hawthorn at the MCG with 13 disposals (11 kicks and 2 handballs), 4 marks, 2 tackles and 2 goals in a 30-point win over St Kilda.