Sport
3 September, 2026
Meek reflects on his journey from the Mininera to the AFL
Having recently notched up his 100th AFL game and preparing for another finals campaign with Hawthorn against Fremantle tonight, Lloyd Meek sat down with the Advocate’s Chris Graetz to reflect on his journey from the Mininera and the SMW Rovers to the AFL.
Meek started playing football at 10, beginning with Auskick in Mininera before progressing through the under-12s and under-16s at the SMW Rovers. He made his senior debut for the Bulldogs at just 15 before being recognised by the Greater Western Victoria Rebels.
He was selected by Fremantle with pick 69 in the 2017 AFL Draft, but had to wait three years before making his senior debut against Melbourne at the MCG in round one, 2021.
The ruckman played 15 games for Fremantle across 2021 and 2022 before being traded to Hawthorn at the end of 2022. He made his Hawks debut in round one, 2023 and has since played 85 games for the club.
Early days at the Rovers
Meek fondly remembers his early days at the SMW Rovers, despite initially having to convince his mother to let him play.
“I remember for a long time that my mum didn’t want me to play football,” he said.
“After seeing all my mates out there playing, she realised that I was the only one not playing, so she let me have a run around.”
Meek quickly developed a love for the game.
“There were a few big losses early on, but I loved the game,” he said.
“I always looked forward to Saturday morning’s kicking the dew off the grass.
“All my mates from school would get off the bus and go to footy training, and playing with my mates in a tight-knit community was special.
“When I started playing senior football, it started to kickstart the passion that is the backbone of my career.”
Meek credited John Box, his son Jono ‘Flick’ Box, Conna Wilson and his parents, Sharon and Garry, as major influences on his career.
“Unfortunately, John isn’t with us anymore, but he definitely had a big impact,” he said.
“Conna is a stalwart at the club and gave his whole life to others and helped the club be the successful club it is today.”
His time in country football also provided plenty of tough competition.
“James Gow, who used to play VFL for Geelong, was a tough opponent when he played for Hawkesdale Macarthur,” he said.
“Joe Gibson, Jack Armstrong, and Will Joyce, all from Tatyoon, were always tough as they were close mates of mine, and there was always plenty of sledging going on.”
Life at Fremantle
Meek moved interstate after being drafted by Fremantle, leaving behind his family and then-girlfriend, now wife, Elonie.
He initially played with Peel Thunder’s reserves in the WAFL and admitted the three-year wait for an AFL opportunity was challenging.
“I played 15 WAFL reserves games and a couple not that well, and when you have been drafted and moved to the other side of the country and essentially playing thirds, it was hard," he said.
“You go from a massive high of draft night into the long haul of, ‘wow’, I’m so far off playing AFL football.
“I was frustrated at times and felt a bit homesick and thought to myself, ‘why have I moved over here for all of this?’
“Thankfully, I had great mentors, and Fremantle is a great club in committing to the process and helping everyone get better, and the rest followed from that.”
Meek believes his upbringing on the farm helped him deal with the difficult period.
“A lot of it was in my upbringing, especially coming off the farm and seeing dad set a great example as a role model in working hard,” he said.
“It showed me from a young age that if you want to be successful at something, you need to commit to it.
“My mum brought gratitude and has reminded me how many guys would kill to be on an AFL list. It’s not very often that you get to be on an AFL list and to have access to amazing coaches, and there have been a lot of glass-half-full moments.
“Practicing gratitude and being grateful for where I am now is important.”
When his AFL opportunity finally arrived, Meek made his Fremantle debut against Melbourne at the MCG in round one, 2021.
“I was up against Max Gawn, and I was pretty intimidated,” he said.
“I had a good pre-season and earned my chance. It would have been nice to play a couple of games earlier, but I earned my place in the team and was grateful."
“I put in a lot of hard work for three years and came from a fair way back, and the reward for all that effort felt good. It was a special moment to play in Victoria, and I will remember it forever.”
Life at Hawthorn
The move to Hawthorn brought Meek back to Victoria, where he quickly appreciated the history and expectations surrounding the club.
“As soon as I started training, the thing that I noticed most was how rich the history is here, and how passionate the supporters are,” he said.
“Everyone has a lot of love in and outside of the club, and there’s a powerful club ambition in the work ethic and willingness to strive for that position of success that we have had in the past.”
Hawthorn premiership player David Hale has also played an important role in Meek’s development.
“David was an assistant coach over at Fremantle when I was there, and was a midfield/forward coach, but still kept his eyes on the rucks,” he said.
“He moved to Hawthorn the year before I did, and he still coaches me now, and he has been a big influence on my career.”
Meek reached the 100-game milestone against West Coast at Optus Stadium on August 23, recording a season-high 16 disposals.
Reaching the milestone gave him an opportunity to reflect on how far he had come.
“I feel like it’s moments like this where you do need to stop and smell the roses a little bit because it’s a hard game that we play and it’s a hard career we’ve chosen, and one that took me a little while to get going at the front end,” he said.
“To be able to get a bit of reward the past few years and be a regular in the team and notch up those games is definitely something I’m proud of.”
The pressures of playing at AFL level have also increased, particularly with the scrutiny surrounding the modern game.
“The toughest part now is the external pressures that are placed on you,” he said.
“Journalism is a big industry now, as evident through all the football shows, and there’s also enough pressure within.
“It’s a competitive game. Every week, you know you are coming up against a really good player. If you are good enough to play AFL, especially as a ruckman, you know you are always going to be against a good player and you can’t slack off.
“You have your jumpers, your wrestlers, your runners, and really strong guys, and you need to be able to play against multiple good opponents.”
It comes as little surprise that Meek nominated Melbourne superstar Max Gawn as the toughest opponent he has faced.
“Max is a freak, and I have watched a lot of vision of him to learn more about how he plays,” he said.
“He is a good role model as well. He lives close to me, and I run into him every now and then and have gotten to know him. He is a great person who is willing to share knowledge.
“In my opinion, he is the greatest ruckman of all time. He is just so good at everything, and that’s why he’s so hard to play against.”
As a ruckman, Meek has developed a strong connection with Hawthorn’s midfield group.
“We are a tight-knit unit in there,” he said
“Jai Newcombe, Will Day, Ned Nash, and even Cameron Mackenzie and Josh Ward coming through are the ones that stand out.
“Jai can chuck the team on his shoulders and do the hard work that needs to be done, and makes me look better when he takes the ball cleanly, and he makes me look better when I give him a good tap, so we have a nice complimentary relationship.”
Chasing the ultimate prize
Hawthorn has steadily progressed through the finals in recent seasons, reaching the second week in 2024 before losing to Port Adelaide by three points and making last year’s preliminary final, where it fell to eventual runner-up Geelong.
Now Meek and the Hawks are determined to go one step further.
“At the start of the year, we were under a lot of media scrutiny with them questioning our depth, and I would like to think we have been relentless in our approach in proving them wrong,” he said.
“It’s incredibly exciting to play finals. It’s why we are here, and it’s everything we strive towards.
“With so many games during the season, sometimes you lose track of the end goal, and when it gets to this point of the year, you realise you are in with a shot, and it’s exciting, and there’s a lot of belief around the club in what we can do.”
Meek looks back fondly on Hawthorn’s recent finals campaigns.
“The 2024 season was the most exciting I have been a part of,” he said.
“Also, playing a preliminary final is good. Footy is a hard game, and you need to take those rewards when you get it, and hopefully the grand final is next.”
Life away from football
Meek, who recently completed a commerce degree, said spending time with family and friends helps him switch off from football.
“I am pretty lucky I have a good support network,” he said.
“My wife and I have a dog, Billie, and we spend plenty of time together. I have a tight-knit family and friends and they don’t care about how you play, as they love you for who you are.
“I try to play golf, but have a love/hate relationship with the game, and business really interests me as I am interested in finance and have a passion for investing and setting up our future.”
For aspiring AFL players, Meek believes commitment is the key.
“You need to commit and be willing to ask yourself how much you want it and what level of commitment that will take to get there and be realistic,” he said.
“It’s all good and well to work hard, but you need to look at what it will take and the sacrifices you need to make and be honest with yourself and if you can commit to that.
“If you can say yes and foresee what you need to commit to, that’s the most important thing.”
Reflecting on country football
Despite his busy AFL schedule, Meek still enjoys returning to Mininera and spending time with the Bulldogs whenever possible.
“I have been able to get back a couple of times a year and help out where I can with the odd training session or going to a game,” he said.
“I would like to get back more than what I do, and sometimes I feel a bit guilty that I can’t get back there more.
“There’s a lot of different people there now from when I was there, but the backbone of the club is never going to change.”
For Meek, that backbone is the volunteers who make country football possible.
“When you are a kid coming through, you don’t realise how much the volunteers actually do, but when you grow up, you get that perspective,” he said.
“Local country clubs are built on volunteers, and so many people work tirelessly to give you an opportunity.
“You have a kick, and for example you get oranges at three-quarter-time, and not knowing where they are coming from, and it’s now that you realise how much goes into a club.
“My parents and all the other volunteers are instrumental, and without people like that you don’t get the footy club environment.”
The lessons Meek learned at the Rovers remain relevant to his AFL career.
“It’s all about passion and joy,” he said.
“Being in an elite sporting environment is a roller coaster of football with all the external and internal pressure you are under, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform.
“Often, at times when I reflect, I take it back to junior football. Back then, there was passion, joy and being told to do the basics well and being out there for the love of the game.
“As soon as you lose that perspective, the pressure gets to you.
“The advice that stuck out when I was at the Rovers was the camaraderie feeling. The sense of playing for one another, and when I put on the Hawks jumper, I often think about those things.”
Meek’s mother, Sharon, said the family could not be prouder of the player and person he has become.
“He has never taken his eye off the prize, and it’s great that he made it,” she said.
“I’m proud of how he handles it mentally. It’s a tough game and very public, and you go from zero to hero and hero to zero very quickly.
“We are very proud of the person that he is, and he has a strong moral compass, but he has always had strong morals.”