A Letter From The President

Hi to all and thanks for your continuing support of the Box Hill Hawks.

A disappointing way to end the year after being defeated by Gold Coast in an elimination final.

Whilst we lick our wounds after the exit, I think we can be proud of our year and look forward to what promises to be an exciting 2023.

We had 51 players represent our club this year, with 30 of those players under 22. It sets us up well for the future.

A big thanks to our 2022 Senior Coach, Clint Proctor, a man of humility and integrity. Go well ‘Proc.’

Also, a big thanks and good luck to our departing Football Manager, Dan Napoli. Dan’s burgeoning family means a change in work requirements and whilst we have been planning for his exit for quite a while, we can’t recoil from the fact he will be a big loss.

Dan is working hard to support the 2023 list build as well as getting our footy department in place. Typical of Dan, it is getting done with little fanfare but great results. We look forward to sharing some of the news in the coming weeks.

Our club has a focus on allowing our people an environment where they can grow and flourish. The on-field journeys are plain to see with in recent times the likes of Jai Newcombe, Lachie Bramble and James Blanck getting opportunities at AFL level.

This also extends to off-field where many of our group get further growth opportunities. This time of the year is particularly busy in this regard but we take a great deal of pride in our small part in our people’s journey.

One of our other programs that is specifically worth mentioning is our focus on connecting with the community. We are thrilled to have had over 2,000 participants across our various offerings.

These programs include Multicultural Footy For Fun, Girls Footy For Fun, school holiday programs, match day Auskick as well as our growing footprint in schools’ programs. As the football industry gets bigger and bigger, we are keen to ensure we remain heavily focussed on the ‘grassroots’ of our great game.

A big thanks to Danii San Jose for successfully deploying these initiatives.

We were also able to host a couple of Hawthorn AFLW games in September. Uncertainty exists as to whether we get the opportunity to do so in the future but playing in Hawk heartland made for some great days despite the weather!

Whilst on the subject of City Oval, the redevelopment has been caught up in the cost increases that have been experienced across the world recently. It means we need to go back and chase some further funding but we are confident with the goodwill of all parties it can be achieved.

As we now turn our minds to 2023, it’s great to welcome our new Head Coach, Zane Littlejohn to the club. A self-confessed ‘footy nerd’, Zane brings an extensive footy history with a focus on player development.

It’s great to have you on board, Zane.

This season we also welcome back our VFLW side. Whilst the various VFL programs have worked side by side in recent years, it is great to have the VFLW program back under the Box Hill banner! City Oval has plenty in store for 2023!

A big thanks to you all for your support in 2022. The future is filled with exciting opportunities and

we can’t wait to get stuck in.

Thanks one and all and Go Hawks!

Ed