A FAMILIAR face will oversee Wakool’s return to the Golden Rivers Football League next season.
The Hawks recently appointed Stephen Arthur as its senior coach, with the club already receiving verbal commitment from up to 20 former players for next year.
The club went into on-field recess in January after it did not have enough players to field a seniors side, three season after claiming the GRFL senior premiership.
“It is pretty hard to talk to players during the football season and finals, but there has been a fair bit of background work going on during the past two months,” Arthur said.
A member of the Hawks’ 1989 and 1990 premiership teams, Arthur was assistant coach and chairman of selectors to Adam Pollock in 2013 before coaching Heathcote District Football League side, Elmore in 2014 and 2015.
“Elmore had up to 20 senior players walk out on the club before I arrived, and the team played in last weekend’s elimination final,” he said.
Joining Arthur will be assistant coach, Shaun Delamare, who played with the Hawks in the 2013 flag and was appointed to the head role this season.
“The club is not going in half-hearted into next season, we want to go in and give it a crack,” Arthur said.
In further positive news for the club, it is on track to field an under 14s side, with an under 17.5 coach to be appointed.
The Hawks will field the same number of netball sides as it did in 2015, with numbers to be boosted by its successful night mixed netball competition, held throughout this year.
The announcement of the club’s coach adds to a busy time for the club, which hosts tomorrow’s first semi-final.
“The whole Wakool community is looking forward to the final,” Arthur said.
“The oval is the best surface going around. It has not been played on or trained on.”
