THERE is one advantage to being a retired AFL player — the league can’t fine you any more. And Brian Lake made the most of it in a hilarious best-and-fairest speech.

Lake won rave reviews for his farewell press conference last week, and he delivered an encore performance at the Hawks’ awards ceremony on Saturday night.

The three-time premiership defender revived his controversial confrontation with North Melbourne forward Drew Petrie last year that resulted in a four-match suspension.

Petrie said at the time he feared for his safety as Lake grabbed his throat, but Lake had a different recollection.

“I’ve enjoyed every 54 of those games I played for the Hawthorn Football Club, I probably should have played more but I did get suspended,” Lake said.

“I’m retired now so I can call Drew Petrie the possum, I don’t care. Stuff him. He played dead.”

Lake thanked the Hawks for taking a risk on him, former Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade and his family, but with a typical Brian Lake twist.

“Mum, Dad, they did it hard, they had to come over here a fair bit of the time, they didn’t stay at my house, I couldn’t handle them. When you’re a father of three kids you’ve just got too much so they stayed at my brother’s house.

“To my wife Shannon, she has copped a shitload, an absolute shitload. You can probably picture how much of a handful I am.

“She’s warned me not to throw her under the bus, which I did in my press conference and I do admit I’m sorry for that. I lot of it was true, but a lot of it was my issue as well.”

He also blamed his son Cohen for making him drive the Gatorade car after the Grand Final.

“Unfortunately, he won’t make Hawthorn father and son but he’ll make Bulldogs father and son, but hopefully we can trade him anyway.”

JAY CLARK, SAM LANDSBERGER AND AL PATON WRAPPED UP ALL THE DAY 1 TRADE NEWS AND WHISPERS IN THE LIVE TRADE HQ PODCAST. LISTEN TO A REPLAY BELOW AND TUNE IN AT 4.30pm AEDT TUES FOR THE DAY 2 EDITION