EFL 2019: Glen Waverley Hawks well-prepared for promotion to Division 3
Incoming Glen Waverley Hawks coach Con Borg says his side will have to deal with “some expectation” in 2019 as they prepare for promotion to the Eastern Football League’s fourth tier.
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Incoming Glen Waverley Hawks coach Con Borg says his side will have to deal with “some expectation” in 2019 as they prepare for promotion to the Eastern Football League’s fourth tier.
Last year’s Division 4 runners-up were promoted out of the league’s bottom tier as part of the competition restructure, helping form the new eight-team Division 3.
Glen Waverley will compete against the bottom six teams from the former third tier competition, giving Borg confidence his side will be competitive in 2019.
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“We get, not so much a free hit, but the guys go in with a little bit more confidence than you do when a side has gone up through the normal promotion,” Borg said.
“From that side of it, there is definitely some expectation that we don’t feel we’ll be out of our depth that’s for sure.
“I’m sure the playing group, although we haven’t talked about it, I’m sure between themselves they’ve got an idea and I definitely get the feeling they’re pretty confident about heading into the season.”
Mazenod premiership player Steve Welsford has signed on and will boost the on-ball division alongside fellow recruits Will Mutschler (Kilsyth).
“He’s a good player,” Borg said of Welsford.
“I think he might have been vice-captain at Mazenod as well and might have won a best and fairest or second best and fairest — played in a premiership a couple of years ago.
“He’s a bit of a bull onballer. Loves the hard ball and the same with Will Mutschler … both of them love the contested footy.”
Defender Harrison Miller has also joined the Hawks from Geelong league club North Shore, where he has made 48 senior appearances in the past four years.
Recruits Adam Marchetti (Beaconsfield) and Ben Hunt (Scoresby) have just three senior games experience between them but have been slated for important roles in the forward line.
Star forward Adam Amin, who has kicked 226 goals in four years, will also remain at Central Reserve after floating the idea of playing cricket in the UK during the winter.
However, onballer Andrew Humphries (overseas) and Matthew Ferguson (Warburton Millgrove) will be significant departures.
Humphries was named Glen Waverley’s best players in two of its finals last year and Ferguson kicked 56 goals in his only season at the Hawks.
Borg said he “couldn’t be happier” since joining Glen Waverley from Northern league club Hurstbridge, where he was an assistant last year.
“As far as the people around the club and everything like that, couldn’t be more welcoming and made it any easier for me,” he said.
“There’s definitely a lot of talent down there and, without knowing the opposition and who we play against, wouldn’t say surprised with the talent down there but I suppose it met expectations of what I was hoping would be down there.”
Glen Waverley opens its season against Warrandyte on April 6.
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