By Lance Jenkinson
Glen Orden may just avoid the wooden spoon in its first season back in Western Region Football League division 3.
Given where the Hawks were 12 months ago, that would be considered a significant achievement.
Last season, the Hawks made the gut-wrenching decision to withdraw from the competition as player numbers plummeted.
With Phil Crea at the helm, the Hawks revived the team for 2018 in what has proven to be a brave, but successful, decision.
The Hawks notched their third win of the season on Saturday, a 57-point thrashing of North Sunshine at Heathdale Oval.
The bustling rooms post-game put the biggest smile on Crea’s face, as the jubilation indicated the Hawks are back in business and the future looking bright again.
“We’ve put a lot of work in this week to get off the bottom of the ladder,” Crea said. “The boys stuck to our team structures, they worked for each other and everything went well today. The place is definitely buzzing.”
Glen Orden has been competitive in most games this season. The Hawks began the season with a 0-9 run, but there were a lot of close losses in that lot.
Crea told
Star Weekly at the mid-point of the season that he forecast not only a first win in the second half of the season, but multiple wins.
“There’s no doubt about it, it’s been a real positive second half of the year,” Crea said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the boys, especially after today.”
Soni Rainbow put a tough campaign behind him with a best-on-ground showing for Glen Orden in the win.
The centre half-forward is tipped to be a key player for the Hawks going forward.
Jack Burgess continued his cracking second half of the season with a strong performance in the midfield.
Kur Kur excited with his run and carry and ability to break the lines, while captain Jack Stoddart enhanced his reputation as a leader.
Crea is hoping Glen Orden can round out the season with another win when it travels to Laverton on Saturday.
“It would be a great way to finish off the year to have a win, but as a club I think we’ve already won by fielding two sides, seeing the year out and not getting smashed,” he said.
