Home away from home for the Hawks as pre-season kicks in at Cazalys Stadium

The Northern Nest has landed as the Hawthorn Hawks AFLW side look to give back to the community and kick start their pre-season ahead of the 2024 AFLW season.

The Hawthorn Hawks AFL Women's team will play a game in Cairns for a second season, when they take on the Melbourne Demons at Cazalys Stadium on October 24. Hawks players Greta Bodey, Mattea Breed, Emily Bates and Casey Sherriff are looking forward to playing in front of a large and enthusiastic Far North Queensland crowd. Picture: Brendan Radke

The Northern Nest has landed as the Hawthorn Hawks AFLW side look to give back to the community and kick start their pre-season ahead of the 2024 AFLW season.

Cairns welcomes back Cairns Saints player Greta Bodey along with her Hawks teammates, kicking off with a training session at Cazalys stadium before venturing out to see what Cairns is all about.

Bodey said she was definitely excited to come back to the region.

“So good to be back, it was bloody cold this morning in Melbourne, so it is great to defrost up here,” Bodey said.

“We all love coming up here to the Northern Nest, the ground looks amazing and we can’t wait to get started.

“We took a fair few from that game (against the Tigers last year at Cazalys) but I think we have come a really long way as a group.

“I am excited to see what we will do this season.”

The Hawthorn Hawks AFL Women's team will play a game in Cairns for a second season, when they take on the Melbourne Demons at Cazalys Stadium on October 24. Hawks players Greta Bodey, Mattea Breed, Emily Bates and Casey Sherriff are looking forward to playing in front of a large and enthusiastic Far North Queensland crowd. Picture: Brendan Radke

Bodey was a late starter to AFL, taking it up in 2019, where she played for the Cairns Saints before being drafted to Brisbane as a 2019 rookie signing.

She then moved to Hawthorn at the end of the 2022 season after 42 games and was lucky enough to play her 50th AFLW game in Cairns in 2023.

The Hawks AFLW side signed a three year deal, linking them to Cairns for one match a year.

They will line up against the Melbourne Demons on Thursday October 24 for Indigenous round.

Under new coach Daniel Webster, the Hawks are looking to break into finals for the first time in AFLW club history.

“This week is all about team building for us, we have a bit of training this afternoon and on Saturday,” Webster said.

“We do have some activities settling in throughout the weekend.

“I love it (settling in as coach), great club, great people, it is everything I thought it would be and more.

“I hope it is an advantage for us (training in Cairns ahead of the clash with Melbourne).

“It is going to be a big game and hopefully at that time of the season we are heading in the right direction.

“It will be good to get a lot of people out and see the Hawks get a win.”

AFL Cape York House for Girls general manager Rick Hanlon said he is excited to see what the Hawks can do for the AFL Cape York House foundations.

“We are really pleased to be partnering with the Hawthorn Football Club around the use of AFL Cape York House for Girls,” Hanlon said.

“The team is staying their this weekend, we are really pleased about that.

“But we are also talking to the club around doing some work around our foundations, in particular the AFL Cape York House foundation.

“How we can support the young people in our community and actually grow the game in the regions we go to.

“The national agenda is football to be played around all loungerooms this country and this is just another one of those opportunities.”

The Hawks return to the region for the first time since the 2023 loss to Richmond at Cazalys Stadium.

Hanlon said he has been extremely impressed at the growth of the game just from that event.

“I expect it to step up again (this season) with another 12 months under players belts and another pre-season under players belts, it should be a really good standard of the game,” Hanlon said.

“But it will give it more attraction for kids to come to the game from a local Cairns area to watch the game.

“What they will see is highly talented young ladies taking on the Dees and it will be a good spectacle.

“As a region that is always crying out for an opportunity, this is a great opportunity for the public to get out and come and support the ladies.”

Originally published as Home away from home for the Hawks as pre-season kicks in at Cazalys Stadium