WE'VE heard it in the build-up to the milestone man's 200th game on Saturday night: everybody loves George Hewett.

During the week, Carlton Media caught up with four players that had nothing but praise for the Swan-turned-Blue. Adam Cerra arrived alongside fellow midfielder Hewett at the end of 2021, while Nic Newman linked up and lived with him during their time in Sydney before being reunited in Navy Blue. Lachie Fogarty formed a close friendship with Hewett as both underwent rehabilitation from back surgery, while Cooper Lord has had an outstanding mentor in Hewett after his arrival mid-season in 2024.

Adam Cerra: "We came here at the same time. I feel like nearly every game I’ve played for Carlton, George has been there by my side. He’s the ultimate professional and I love playing alongside him, because you know what you’re going to get. He puts his head over the ball and trains super hard during the week. It’s such a great achievement for such a great player. I would’ve loved to be there alongside him but I’m excited for many more games as his teammate."

Nic Newman: "He’s definitely one of the favourite teammates I’ve ever had and I reckon he sits in that bracket for a lot of the boys. He epitomises everything you want in a teammate: you know what you’re going to get and he’s as hard as they come. All the things that you try to be as a player, he is. He’s just a great person that you love running out with. Hopefully the boys can put in a tough, reliable performance in honour of him."

Lachie Fogarty: "There’s a lot of things I love about Georgey. On the field, it’s how reliable and competitive he is and getting his job done no matter what with no fuss."

Cooper Lord: "It’s a pretty special week for him. The thing I love most about Georgey is how competitive he is. I don’t reckon I’ve met someone who is harder in the contest and loves the game more than him. That’s what I want to be known for - being a tough, hard competitor - and that’s exactly what George is."

Lachie Fogarty: "Off-field, he’s one of my good mates - very caring and loyal. He’s always there for a good chat, and I’ve relied on him a lot. He had back surgery the week before me in September of 2022, but he also had the surgery a few years before that. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we were going into the Club from 8am which was a grind. We were living close by as well, so we would often go for walks to catch up and share how we were going."

Cooper Lord: "He’s very composed, but he’s also warm and genuinely cares about you. I’m so pumped that he’s reaching this milestone, he deserves every bit of it. He’s an unreal guy and I’m really glad he’s my mate."

Lachie Fogarty: "I look back on that time and I feel like his influence really helped me grow as a player. I learned a lot about what it takes to be a professional. He’s very obsessive - which I think we’ve all noticed - and he was so helpful for me."

Adam Cerra: "He was a quiet guy that early on didn’t show too much when I first met him - but once you crack him, he’s a funny character and a family man. Every week, you learn something new about Georgey."

Nic Newman: "He was a man of few words, but I just remember how much he loved cricket and his cups of tea. We moved in together back in Sydney and he’d always be like ‘want to come out for a cup of tea?’, and he’d be watching something like Zimbabwe versus Sri Lanka in a one-dayer. Like, what are you doing mate? He’s one of a kind, Georgey."

Adam Cerra: "He loves his walks, anybody who lives Bayside would see him going for long walks with his headphones on. He’s a soccer fan as well: he doesn’t parade too much about it, but now he’s my Fabrizio Romano [football journalist] that tells me the news every morning and knows more than I do. And I think he had good fun at my wedding - he enjoyed the Italian food and got up on the dance floor… hopefully by the end of Saturday night he’s pulling out a few moves."

Nic Newman: "He’s still the exact same… other than that he was obsessed with Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee from SA, he’s not drinking those anymore. Apart from that, he hasn’t changed one bit and that’s the beauty of why everyone loves him - because he’s the exact same person that he was when I first met him 10 years ago. He is who he is and he’ll never change."

Adam Cerra: "The other thing that we’ve learned only recently is he’s very good at ping pong, he’s the hardest to get off the table at the Club."

Lachie Fogarty: "He’s very competitive. He brings out an even different side when he’s playing Harry McKay, them two together… they’re pretty confident in their own abilities in table tennis, but they back it up to be fair. I love seeing his character come out!"