Matt Suckling will make a guest appearance for junior club East Wagga-Kooringal next month and conduct a sportsman's night with former teammate Luke Breust

The Hawks have snared Suckling for a guest appearance in their Farrer League clash against Temora on Saturday, June 17.

Suckling, a two-time AFL premiership player, is one of EWK's most accomplished products and was keen to return to Gumly Oval and play a game for the Hawks.

In a coup for the Farrer League, Hawthorn vice-captain and Temora junior Luke Breust will also be in attendance on the day and take part in a sportsmen's night alongside Suckling after the game.

Suckling is looking forward to coming home.

"I've got some fond memories out at Gumly from going to watch Dad play when I was really young and going to training with him and obviously playing all my junior footy out there," Suckling said.

"I think I played a couple of under 18 games when I was 15-16 but never got to play a senior game so it will be special for me to come back and have a run around.

"Obviously the best and fairest medal is named after my dad so it will be a nice moment to come back and have a run around.

"I better not finish my career and not have a vote in the Barry Suckling Medal! I better come with my kicking boots on."

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Suckling will return home to Wagga to take the Hawks juniors for training on Thursday afternoon before joining the seniors that night.

He will lace up the boots against Temora on the Saturday before taking part in the sportsmen's night at Gumly Oval Hall afterwards.

Suckling retired from the AFL after a 178-game career at the end of 2020 and is now playing at Coorparoo in the Queensland Football Association division one competition, where he won a premiership last year.

When the 34-year-old looked at the draw for opportunities to return, the stars aligned.

"When I was looking through my draw at Coorparoo for a bye before June 30, I saw Temora and saw Hawthorn had a bye and I thought what an amazing opportunity for us to go back and support our junior footy clubs," Suckling said.

"For me to have a run around and for him to sit on the boundary line and no doubt throw some shades my way and a bit of banter and then to come together as the two footy clubs and have a beer that night will be fantastic."

EWK president Paul Bourne is delighted to have Suckling back at the club.

"To bring him home and get him to have a game for us, it would be great for him to have a season for us, but just to have him home for one game will be fantastic," Bourne said.

"It's not just him that he brings, it's his quality family that are back at the club now, having changed the first grade best and fairest to the Barry Suckling Medal. It's good for the club, good to have him back for the juniors, a double premiership player with Hawthorn to have him come back and help the juniors and play for us, I'm pretty stoked.

"As a club, we really have got a lot of focus at the club on the juniors. We understand the importance of them, we're fulfilling all our grade commitments at the juniors, we've grown dramatically in that space and to have a double AFL premiership winner come back and run around with our junior kids, the kids will be in awe but I'm in awe as well."

Bourne stressed that 'anyone and everyone' was welcome to attend the sportsman's night with Suckling and Breust to conduct a question and answer, while a sporting memorabilia auction will also take place.

Tickets are $55 per person, including a roast dinner, and be can purchased from the Hawks' website ewkhawks.com.au

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