Christmas at home Garlett's downfall
Dual Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge says there is nothing more he could have done to save Dayle Garlett's career.
Hodge, who in September claimed his second Norm Smith Medal for best afield in the grand final, said it was sad to be reminded of Garlett's wasted talent.
Hodge took Garlett into his own home soon after Hawthorn selected the Swan Districts youngster in the 2013 national draft.
But the 20-year-old quit the club in March, later revealing in court while facing a string of charges for car theft and burglary that he had developed a methamphetamine addiction while with the Hawks.
Hodge, in Perth for the International Rules Test against Ireland, said that since flying into WA he had seen reports of Garlett filming himself while allegedly driving a stolen car at up to 200km/h.
He pointed to the Christmas break last year when the gifted forward returned home to WA as the turning point.
Asked if he could have done anything different to help save Garlett's career, Hodge said: "Not really. He spent a week with Jason Burt, our PD (personal development) manager, he had a week at my house and then we went away on camp for two weeks with the boys.
"In that month you could see a change in a young kid who was maturing just in what he ate, how he spoke to blokes, his manners as well. When he came back … post-Christmas he was a different bloke.
"Obviously he wasn't around the guys that were trying to teach him to do the right thing. You could sort of see when he came back it wasn't a place he wanted to be. He missed his friends too much. He wanted to be back here doing what he wanted and not getting told what to do at a football club.
"In saying that, it is disappointing to see how he's gone, but that's the thing with AFL.
"If you're not committed to it 100 per cent, you're not going to last."
Hodge said former Hawthorn assistant and now West Coast coach Adam Simpson was the right man to lead the Eagles back into premiership contention in the coming years.
And he expected Fremantle to still challenge for the 2015 flag.
"I'm shattered that (Nat) Fyfe is not playing tonight … with some of the stuff that he can do, he's a freak," Hodge said.
