EFNL 2021: Glen Waverley Hawks hunting new coach following Dylan Price’s resignation

The Hawks have moved swiftly in their bid to lock away a senior coach for 2022 following Dylan Price’s resignation. Latest here.

Dylan Price has stepped down as Glen Waverley Hawks coach. Picture: Steve Tanner

The Glen Waverley Hawks will get to work on appointing a new senior coach following mentor Dylan Price’s exit from the role.

Price has informed the club of his decision to step down, with the Eastern league Division 3 home-and-away season finished due to Melbourne’s current lockdown.

The league will move straight into a top-four knockout finals system should it make a return to the field on September 4. The Glen Waverley Hawks finish their campaign in seventh spot with a 2-7-1 record from 10 matches.

Price landed the head coaching role following the 2019 campaign, but didn’t get to coach the club until this year due to the 2020 season cancellation.

The Hawks finished the 2021 home-and-away season with a 2-7-1 record. Picture: Steve Tanner

Glen Waverley Hawks president Matt Hollard said the complications from COVID coupled with work commitments led to Price’s decision to step away.

“It’s just been pretty tough on him and the commitment with his teaching, he’s just decided to give it a break – he came to us with that conclusion,” Hollard said.

“For a first-time senior coach’s point of view, it’s tough enough at the best of times, but for someone to come in and try and make a name for themselves as a senior coach, what we’ve had to deal with the last two years has been difficult, for him especially.

“It’s just really hard mentally for everybody.”

Hollard paid tribute to Price’s time in the role under tough circumstances.

“He’s done an amazing job through a very difficult period, especially as a first tenure as a head coach to have to go straight into a year of lockdown and obviously this year’s been almost more disruptive with the stop-start,” he said.

“We’re stoked with the work he’s done for us over that tough period. It was good to have him there for some stability while we’ve looked to rebuild.”

The Hawks have moved swiftly in their bid to lock away a new senior coach in preparation for 2022.

“We’ve already got a couple (of candidates) in the pipeline … we’ll hopefully appoint as soon as we can because the sooner we can get a new one in and get the list managed and around the club, the better,” Hollard said.

“In some ways, as much as the season finishing early is frustrating, it’s sort of given us a head start as once we knew that Dylan advised us (of his decision), we could get that ball rolling (on finding a replacement).”

The Hawks join Eastern league clubs Doncaster and Montrose in the search for a new senior coach, with the pair recently announcing departures.