By Marcus Uhe
Club: Rowville
2022: 16-2 (1st). Lost the Eastern Football Netball League Premier Division grand final to Noble Park.
Head coach: Ben Wise
Captain: Anthony Brolic
Coaching panel: Matt Davey, James Gwilt, Andrew Scott.
Ins: Jackson McDonald (Knox), Matt Martini (East Burwood), Callum Verrell (Eastern Ranges), Clay Tucker (Eastern Ranges)
Outs: Alex Frawley (Karingal), Mark Seedsman (Officer), Kyle Hagger (Officer).
10 to watch: Anthony Brolic, Lachlan Macdonald, Tyler Edwards, Lachie Wynd, Jake Arundell, Mitch Sruk, Callum Verrell, Kane Young, Cooper Macdonald, Josh Clark.
Home ground: Seebeck Oval
What a season it was for the Hawks in 2022.
Emerging from relative obscurity of two years of pandemic impeded footy, they set the tone with a win over Noble Park in round one and hardly looked back.
They rode the momentum for the first seven weeks to open the season, not tasting defeat until June when they fell short against Doncaster.
They would beat them three times in 2022 before ultimately succumbing in the grand final, in torrid wet conditions against the Bulls.
But they lost no supporters for that effort, and gained an immense amount of respect for the run they put together.
So can they can do it again, or even go one better?
Or did Ben Wise’s squad catch lightning in a bottle?
Only time will tell, but an exciting list that would be the envy of many a local club has been bolstered by a handful of additions, in Cooper Macdonald’s brother Jackson, Eastern Rangers Coates Talent League products Callum Verrell and Clay Tucker, and the full time inclusion of Lachlan Stapleton, will certainly aide their chances of rising high once again.
Verrell, who played for Vic Metro in the Under-18 National Carnival in 2022, has been a standout in match simulation and practice games to date, despite being one of the youngest to take the field in round one, should he be selected, a week before his 19th birthday.
It’s not like the Hawks were short on young talent, either, with their ascension largely driven by their younger brigade, still largely in the early-20 bracket.
It’s hard to see them not remaining at the pointy end of the competition this season, as they’ll no doubt be one of the teams to watch in not just the EFNL, but across the entire local footy landscape in Melbourne.
The season begins with a mouth-watering grand final rematch against Noble Park at the bullring.
“You don’t need much motivation and coming up against the best side of the year previous, it’s good to see where you’re at,” Wise said of the round one fixture.
“You want to challenge yourself against the best sides which we always do, we didn’t hide away from that fact and we look forward to it.
“We’re just looking to crack in and see how we go.”
Fixture:
Round 1: Saturday 15 April v Noble Park (Away)
Round 2: Saturday 22 April v Balwyn (Home)
Round 3: Saturday 29 April v Park Orchards (Away)
Round 4: Saturday 6 May v South Croydon (Home)
Round 5: Saturday 13 May v East Ringwood (Home)
Round 6: Saturday 20 May v Berwick (Away)
Round 7: Saturday 27 May v Doncaster East (Away)
Round 8: Saturday 3 June v Norwood (Home)
Round 9: Saturday 17 June v Park Orchards (Home)
Round 10: Saturday 24 June v Blackburn (Away)
Round 11: Saturday 1 July v Vermont (Away)
Round 12: Saturday 8 July v Doncaster (Home)
Round 13: Saturday 15 July v Doncaster East (Home)
Round 14: Saturday 22 July v East Ringwood (Away)
Round 15: Saturday 29 July v South Croydon (Away)
Round 16: Saturday 5 August v Noble Park (Home)
Round 17: Saturday 12 August v Blackburn (Home)
Round 18: Saturday 19 August v Doncaster (Away)
