Paul Puopolo Biography

Ben Stratton and Paul Puopolo will be farewelled this weekend after making the call to retire at the end of the 2020 season.

"Stratts and Poppy are exceptional examples of Hawthorn people, each with an incredible work ethic and each highly respected among our playing group and within our club," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"Stratts is the sort of guy you want beside you when you go into battle. He is relentless, selfless and will never stop competing. He never fails to take a teammates-first approach and it is these qualities that make him so highly valued amongst his peers and also the broader footy world.

"For most of his career, Poppy was always the first name selected in the side each week because you could never doubt the intensity, energy and pressure he would bring to the game. Poppy is an amazing example of how far hard work and perseverance can take you in your career."

Paul Puopolo signs a new deal with Hawthorn to play on for the club in 2020.

"We're really pleased that we're able to retain Paul's services for at least another year. He's a champion of our football club and still has plenty of good football left in him," Hawks football manager Graham Wright said.

"His on-field work rate is exemplary and we know he'll continue to set an extremely high standard for both himself and his teammates."

Paul Puopolo is set to miss up to six weeks after suffering a major hamstring injury in Hawthorn's win over Melbourne.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says mid-career stalwarts like Jack Gunston and Paul Puopolo will not be traded from the club.

"Those guys who have played anywhere from 100 to 200 games are critical for the next wave of players for your footy club (with) their leadership," Clarkson said.

"It's those guys that need to carry our club forward, so we'd be pretty loathe to lose any of those guys. It's been mooted in the press about Gunston and (Paul) Puopolo and others and they're the last guys we want to see leaving the footy club."

The free kick that had the football world, particularly premiership coach Paul Roos, talking has not had the same effect on Paul Puopolo.

Roos, in his Fox Footy role, labelled umpire Andrew Mitchell's decision to award an in-the-back free kick against Adelaide tackler David Mackay to Puopolo "as bad a decision as you'll see".

Puopolo, however, just laughed the hysteria off.

"I haven't really looked at it (and) I don't want to, to be honest," Puopolo said.

"There's probably going to be another incident in the next couple of weeks where (commentators) will say the same thing. I just take it with a pinch of salt."

Paul Puopolo is rewarded for his best season yet with Hawthorn with a contract extension through until the end of 2018.

The 28-year-old has kicked 32 goals from 19 games this year having added some more attacking flair to a game usually based on strong defensive actions inside the forward line.

"Paul has been a vital part of our side for a number of years now and we love what he brings to the team with his defensive as well as offensive actions," Hawks list manager Graham Wright said.

"It's a credit to Poppy that he has improved his game every year and developed into a vital part of our forward structure with his defensive pressure, ability to mark overhead for his size and crumb the ball inside 50."

The AFL's Multicultural Program will expand to 18 player ambassadors in 2016 and will also include two female players.

Sabrina Frederick-Traub and Darcy Vescio will be joined in promoting some of the many diverse backgrounds in Australia’s Game by Brisbane Lions Vice Captain Dayne Zorko, Geelong’s Tom Hawkins, Fremantle’s Tendai Mzundu, Gold Coast SUNS players Adam Saad and Tom Nicholls, Sydney Swan Aliir Aliir and Western Bulldogs player Jason Johannisen.

The new additions in 2016 join existing Australia Post AFL Multicultural Player Ambassadors David Zaharakis (Essendon), Stephen Coniglio (GWS GIANTS), Paul Puopolo (Hawthorn), Shem Tatupu (Hawthorn), Alipate Carlile (Port Adelaide), Jimmy Toumpas (Port Adelaide), Bachar Houli (Richmond), Nic Naitanui (West Coast) and Lin Jong (Western Bulldogs).

“The expanded list of 18 ambassadors, representing 13 AFL Clubs and two female Clubs, will play a crucial role in raising cultural understanding, inclusion and participation at all levels of Australian Football,” AFL General Manager Game and Market Development Simon Lethlean said.

Paul Puopolo signs a two-year contract extension with Hawthorn, tying him to the club until at least the end of 2017.

Paul Puopolo says one of his primary roles as a small forward for the Hawks is to cause turnovers from the opposition.

"That repeat chasing and making a team stuff-up and miss a handball is something that most people don't think about if they see it in the vision," Puopolo told AFL.com.au.

"My goal in a game is to make people do stuff like that. If I can do that, that's when I rate myself highly - not for kicking five goals or having 30 touches."

Despite being the competition's No. 1 player for pressure acts and tackles in the forward 50, Paul Puopolo still doesn't feel his spot in Hawthorn's side is secure.

"I guess you never know what's around the corner and form can change in the blink of an eye," Puopolo said.

"If you've got that pressure [for spots] then it keeps you going, it keeps you motivated. I guess I'm never too confident, just happy enough playing. It was a hard journey for me to get into the AFL but I'm just happy to be here now."

Scans clear Paul Puopolo's knee from any serious damage.

"I think when he went down we were all fearful, particularly the way he was holding that knee," Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said.

"But he jogged himself off the ground and was walking around last night, so all of his ligaments are in tact.

"He's got some bone bruising that he'll need to deal with, but that's certainly a far better result."

Paul Puopolo appears to injure his knee after landing awkwardly during a NAB Cup match but the Hawks are optimistic that he has escaped major knee damage.

"He was walking around this morning and walked on and off the plane no dramas," EHawthorn football operations general manager Mark Evans said.

"He laid there for a little while, but he did jog off, and that's always a positive sign."

Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell admits the Match Review Panel got it right after accepting a two-match ban for rough conduct against Hawthorn's Paul Puopolo.

"I never set out with the intent of causing any damage, I wasn't trying to be aggressive, to hurt anyone," he said.

"But in the end my technique and the way I went about it was not good enough. In the end, reckless is probably the right word."

Forward Paul Puopolo is the sixth re-signing to be announced by Hawthorn in the past week.

"It's a very exciting time. I was happy to get the contract done and [I'm] looking forward to the future," Puopolo said.

"You still want to be playing the best footy you can but you've got to work out where you fit in."

Paul Puopolo makes his AFL debut for Hawthorn at Football Park with 15 disposals (9 kicks and 6 handballs), 7 marks and 2 tackles in a 32-point win over Port Adelaide.

The debut of Hawthorn's 173cm mature-age recruit Paul Puopolo against Port Adelaide this Friday will be a win for football's little men.

"Poppy's a little pocket rocket," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"Very, very competitive, strong bodied, and very, very disciplined. With his backside so low to the ground you'd expect him to be a real high energy player, and real tough in and under, and that's the style of player he is."