The outlook for Glen Orden entering a new Western Region Football League division 3 season is vastly different to 12 months ago.
Last year, the Hawks returned from a season in the wilderness, aiming simply to get back on to the field and set the platform for what they hope will be a stable future.
The Hawks not only fielded two sides last season – quite a feat considering they had to pull the plug on the 2017 season due to a lack of numbers – but were also competitive, avoiding the wooden spoon with three wins in the seniors and claiming six wins in the reserves.
For Hawks coach Phil Crea and the club, it’s a springboard for ambition.
“Having 12 months under our belt, we’ll be a lot better for it,” Crea said. “It’s a positive vibe at the moment.
“It’s going to be an exciting year for the club, but we know there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us.”
The Hawks expect to see vast improvement from a number of players on their list from last season, some of whom had returned after time out from the game and others who are young and will naturally progress.
As well, a strong recruiting campaign has added some midfield depth.
“Last year we probably only had five midfielders,” Crea said.
“This year we’ve got a good 10 or 11 and we’ll definitely be rotating them.”
Some of Glen Orden’s key pick-ups include rover Aaron Law (from Werribee Districts), Nick Conte (Wyndham Suns), Lachlan Furniss and Daniel Rosenzweig (Hoppers Crossing) and Corey Mackey (Albanvale).
Two players to watch for are Ethan Gibson, who played mainly in the reserves last year but is ready to step up, and ruckman Henoch Kebede, who was raw but flashed his potential.
Glen Orden unearthed a new leader in Ash Peters last season.
He has been elevated to playing assistant coach.
“He came across last year and played about 11 games,” Crea said.
“Ash is very football knowledgeable and a great bloke to go with it and gets on well with the players.”
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