The AFL community is well aware of the
But for Dayne Zorko, Hodge’s impact extends well beyond that.
At the Lions' pre-season camp in Tasmania last December, Zorko witnessed first-hand how his younger teammates idolised the new recruit.
“We’d just finished a tough session and the fridge was available for whatever we wanted,” Zorko told SEN Breakfast on Thursday morning.
“A couple of the young kids went and grabbed a can of coke.
“Hodgey goes nah, nah, nah – grabbed about six bottles of water and just walked the line and said we’re past this stage now boys, let’s be fair dinkum.”
It was this moment that made Zorko realise the influential role that his new teammate could have upon shifting the mindset of the Club’s youngest players.
“It’s just a little thing like that but automatically it changes a mindshift of what people do,” he said.
“Since that moment, I can’t remember ever seeing a bloke with a soft drink in his hand, it instantly had an impact."
The Lions skipper also began to notice big changes in his own mindset following that day.
“Every time I go to the fridge I think, what impact is this going to have if, let’s say, Cam Rayner watches me grab a can of coke – well why couldn’t he grab one?” Zorko said.
Zorko also mentioned that the Lions placed a larger focus on nutrition this season.
“We added a new dietitian. One thing that’s really important with that is the older guys buy in and set that example," he said.
“Hodge has certainly led the charge by that.”
While on air with SEN Breakfast, Zorko also discussed the possibility of Docker's star Lachie Neale joining the Club.
