Hawthorn debutant Matt Hill has lauded the assistance of three-time premiership Hawk Luke Breust, citing "Punky" as a key mentor in his journey to the AFL stage.
From Katherine to NRL teams the Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm, to the Hawks; Hill joined the club as a Category B rookie at the end of 2024 after a stint with the Storm Academy.
However, football is foreign to the rugby convert, who was invited to train with the Gold Coast Suns Academy when he was 15.
But a small, crafty forward, Hill was taken under the wing of Breust, who also had a strong background in rugby league.
"I think, when I first got here, Luke Breust was a big one," Hill told club media.
"Trying to watch videos and trying to learn off (him), pick his brain. I think little chats with Dylan Moore, Nick Watson and Connor MacDonald has (sic) been really good for me, trying to transfer the little chats to the games and see what I can improve there.
"And Jamie Bennell (Hawthorn Indigenous Player Development manager) has given me confidence and making the transition from the NRL to the AFL a lot easier with off field stuff as well as on field."
Breust, like Hill, has a level of "speed and flair" that has excited the Hawthorn coaches, while an undertone of "aggressiveness" that is required in the rival code.
In the VFL, the 187cm forward has kicked 28 goals from 30 matches, and has taken his game to new heights with his pressure and scoring prowess.
Sam Mitchell needed to replace Nick Watson, who has an overworked hamstring, with the club taking no risks on one of the most exciting players in the competition.
Mitchell detailed Hill's development in the past two years, ultimately resulting in his senior call up.
"He went from a very heavy weights program, low running to a lighter weights program and a lot of running," the Hawks coach explained.
"It took a lot of adjusting from a physical aspect but there was some things he brought from rugby straight away. If he's on the mark, I suggest you don't take him on. And tackling, you got to be careful too because he's got a few tricks up his sleeve.
"He's lightning quick and does some great things around the ball."
Mitchell reflected on when the Hawks welcomed Hill to the club, and how quickly he assimilated into the new environment.
Matt Hill gets one back for @BoxHillHawks 👌
🎥: Watch the Smithy’s VFL live and free on the AFL website and AFL Live Official App: https://t.co/3V9lTkSGTM pic.twitter.com/OcUGT7Y6Ob
— VFL / VFLW (@VFL) May 1, 2026
"I think it's a good thing the AFL do with the Category B where you can take a punt on guys who have played other sports or from different countries, and it gave us a window of opportunity that potentially there was a player at Storm that had some low level football background," he said.
"I saw his name come up first. He came to the club to have a walk around, have a kick of the footy, and see if this was something he wanted to explore. To be honest, it was like a duck to water."
Hill spoke about how "special" the moment was when learning of his AFL debut, detailing why it's much greater to his family then just pulling the boots on against Melbourne on Saturday.
"It was special," he said.
"How hard I've been working and how much it means to me and my family. We don't really get this opportunity in my family much, especially where I come from, all my brothers, uncles and aunties don't really get much. So I think this is a big step in the next generation on where we could be heading."
Hill is also the cousin of former Hawk and St Kilda speedster Brad as well as Collingwood's Bobby.
