EFL 2018: Glen Waverley Hawks searching for first Eastern Football League premiership this finals series
GLEN Waverley Hawks will enter the Eastern Football League Division 4 finals series on a 16-game winning streak as they search for their first premiership in club history.
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WHEN Glen Waverley Hawks coach Ryan Flack is asked about pressure, he instead speaks of optimism and opportunity.
The Hawks will enter the Eastern Football League Division 4 finals series on a 16-game winning streak, vying for their first senior flag since being established in 2005.
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Glen Waverley dropped its first two games of the year but has won every game since by an average of 55 points.
However, Flack said there was no expectation on his side to convert home and away form into finals victories.
“The vibe around the club is more around optimism and opportunity rather than to say, ‘this is ours to lose’,” Flack said.
“For us, it’s all about what might be rather than what is on the line to lose.”
The Hawks have only featured once in finals in the past six years, with their last finals win coming in the 2012 Division 3 preliminary final.
Adam Amin (58) and former St Kilda footballer Matthew Ferguson (53) have formed a dangerous combination up forward, while Brad Riddle, Tim Cook and Jack Steinfort have also been valuable additions since returning over the off-season.
But it is improvement from within that has Glen Waverley as the team to beat.
Brandon Hodges and Evan Pickering have come on this year, Mitchell Potts and Luke Broad have been regular contributors, while Gavin Cruse and Billy Huxtable have controlled the backline.
“We’ve got some guys there that are playing career-best footy and it has probably taken us three or four years, as a young group, to learn how to play together and play at that senior level,” Flack said.
“We’ve got guys around that 80 to 100-game mark that are finding themselves as consistent senior footballers … it’s a fairly well connected group at the moment and I think that’s the most important thing.
“They’ve played good individual footy in the past but they’re pulling it together a bit better this year.”
The Hawks will meet Whitehorse Pioneers on Saturday for the right to advance to the grand final on September 8, while East Burwood and Forest Hill will meet in the other semi-final.
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