AFL Cairns: Manunda Hawks make call on 2020 season
The Manunda Hawks have come to a decision on the club’s ability to participate in the upcoming AFL Cairns season following a committee meeting.
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It is the news AFL Cairns was waiting to hear: the Manunda Hawks will fly in 2020.
AFL Cairns will get its wish to run a full seven-club competition after the Hawks came to terms with their financial setbacks and committed to the 2020 season.
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Hawks president Garry Hartrick said the club ratified a decision to enter teams into AFL Cairns’ upcoming competitions following a committee meeting over the weekend.
“We aim to have a seniors and a colts side and hopefully we can get enough players to put a reserve grade side on the ground because we want to try and get as many of our regular guys involved as possible,” he said.
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“AFL Cairns has made it quite obvious they’re not 100 per cent certain the reserves competition will go ahead. They understand the fact that a lot of people aren’t playing footy this year for various reasons, up to and including they may have to work weekends.
“That can be an issue, but we’ll start with the aim to have a reserve grade side as well and see how we go from there.”
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Hartrick said numbers at training had been “fair” but “not fantastic”.
“We’ve had a total of over 50 people turn up altogether over a period of time, how many of those will stick with it, we don’t know,” he said.
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“We’ll just wait and see how things progress as the season goes on. We might attract more players out of retirement or get them motivated to come along and play once they know there’s a definite chance the side will be playing in the competition.”
The women’s team have already committed to taking the field, with coach Kareena White declaring her team was ready to fly regardless of when they get the green light.
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But, while the club has committed to taking part in the 2020 season, Hartrick conceded it would be still be a tough year for the club financially.
“We’ll be looking around to see if we can get any other sponsors who can come on board to help us with the financial side of things, because that’s far from done and dusted,” he said.
“But we’re confident with the progress and the momentum that we have at the moment that we can get some people on board to help out, while also looking at opportunities throughout the year to try and make money for the footy club and keep us buoyant for next year.”
AFL Cairns managing director Gary Young said the league was thrilled to have all seven clubs be part of the new season, which was on track to start as scheduled on July 11.
“It’s reality,” he said. “While there was uncertainty about what a season might look like, there was probably some players out there thinking ‘will I or won’t I?’”
“I think they’re now going ‘footy is happening, I better get back and start training and having a kick’.”
Originally published as AFL Cairns: Manunda Hawks make call on 2020 season