Hawthorn players and staff lend support to Victorian communities ravaged by bushfires

Hawthorn hopes its recent visit will encourage others to support Victoria’s fire-ravaged regions. Here’s how the Hawks’ presence and some “really hard yakka” helped bring smiles back to those doing it tough.

Swarms of Hawthorn footballers and staff stood on the side of a fire-ravaged hilltop, ripping out burned fence posts.

The charred bits of timber and kilometres of wire had to be removed from the ground, taken off the properties, and then ultimately, replaced with new fencing.

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And for two full days earlier this month, Alastair Clarkson’s crew halted their pre-season training program to answer the community call in Buchan and Corryong.

There, 77 Hawthorn players and staff saw first-hand the devastation from the bushfires in East Gippsland. The loss of property and livestock was immense.

Across all sections of the club, it was decided the brown and gold should help, any way they could.

The mission to help collect all the scattered debris and construct kilometres of new fencing for local farmers was this week described by one participant as “really hard yakka”.

Hawthorn captain Ben Stratton and Brendon Bolton share a beer with locals. Picture: Matt McLeish.

“The last two days we probably pulled down – between us all – six or seven kilometres of fencing and put up another four or five kilometres,” ruckman Jon Ceglar said.

“(It’s not until you are here that you) realise how much land is burned, how many people lost houses, lost cattle, lost other livestock and unfortunately people lost their lives.”

The bushfire clean up continues on farms near Corryong, with @AustralianArmy soldiers working hard to assist farmers with recovery. #OpBushfireAssist #TYFYS @DeptDefence pic.twitter.com/OdGda0rwED

— Darren Chester MP (@DarrenChesterMP) February 1, 2020

But the contribution went beyond the old elbow grease.

When they weren’t lugging around posts, uncoiling wire and fixing holes, the Hawks spent time with the locals, helping put smiles on faces again.

And then, in perhaps typical Aussie fashion, they went to the pubs for dinner.

Paying for all of their own meals and drinks, the Hawks wouldn’t accept any favours in return. Every dollar helps.

Hawthorn listen to the story of a local farmer as they prepare to rebuild his fence. Picture: Matt McLeish.

Some locals had lost everything.

“The effects of the bushfires will be felt for a long time, so the best thing anyone can do is to get down to these areas when it’s safe to do so, spend some money in local shops and lend a hand wherever you can,” Ceglar said.

“We hope that by being down in the local community, we can lead by example and encourage others to do the same.”

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Until this week, Hawthorn had been reluctant to talk about their experience in the bushfire-hit towns, adamant that it didn’t want it to be seen as public relations.

Clearly it was genuine.

And it also continues a bit of a theme this pre-season for Hawthorn which also saw its players complete one week of work experience in other jobs prior to Christmas.

Players trained at the club from 6am, went to their new workplace after, then came back to the club for more grind time in the evening.

It was a dose, for want of a better term, of the “real world” at a time when the football bubble can be all-consuming.

Hawthorn players have visited Buchan to assist locals rebuilding after bushfires. Picture: Matt McLeish.

But the concept was considered so successful, the Hawks are exploring ways to expand the workplace time for next year. When they got to training, their was a new excitement and buzz in the air.

Perhaps even a greater appreciation of the football opportunity at hand.

Some new perspective.

In terms of their most recent bushfire clean-up experience, hard nut Daniel Howe said it was incredibly worthwhile and beneficial.

Something, he said, they wouldn’t forget.

“We’ve been fencing, going to the pubs at night and having a feed, and connecting to the community,” Howe said.

“It has been a good couple of days. Really rewarding for us and great to get around community, which is doing it tough at the moment.

“(We want to) get our hands dirty and help out where we can.”

The Hawks tackle St Kilda in Morwell on February 28 from 4.30pm as part of the clubs’ bushfire relief efforts.

Originally published as Hawthorn players and staff lend support to Victorian communities ravaged by bushfires