Hallam joins Outer East league and names new coach, recruits

The Hawks are set to take flight in Outer East league, with a new coach, an international recruit and a fresh look.

Hallam president Alex Kerr (left) with new coach Scott Kerr. Picture: Facebook

A fresh start.

An exciting future.

Hallam Football Netball Club believes it can make an immediate impact in Division 1 of Outer East Football Netball League after making the move from Southern league Division 4.

Outer East clubs last month voted 19-3 in favour of Hallam’s admission for season 2023 and beyond.

And, according to Hallam president Alex Kerr, the Hawks are bursting with excitement at the prospect of growing in a new competition.

“It’s something that we’ve been pushing for and we finally got it, so very happy,” he said.

Hallam has made several key appointments, notably locking in former Nar Nar Goon assistant coach Scott Kerr as senior coach.

“We’ve been able to land a coach with some serious credentials behind him and that’s purely because of the move in my eyes,” club president Alex Kerr (no relation) said

“I’ve met with him about six or seven times now and he sells a very, very good message and I cannot wait for him to get stuck into it to be honest.

“He’s brought a couple of boys with him from Nar Nar Goon.

“Scott’s been heavily involved in this area with Berwick, Beaconsfield and more recently Nar Nar Goon and his network is huge.

“He’s brought a lot of experience and professionalism. And that’s essentially what we need because we’ve got a lot of young talent.”

Dean Kelly has joined the Hawks' nest. Picture: Facebook

Hallam has also signed Nar Nar Goon player Dean Kelly as a playing assistant coach.

He started his career at Doveton and also spent four years in the US as a punter with Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.

“He’s a big one for us,” Alex Kerr said.

“One, he’s a very handy footballer but he’s also a school teacher, he’s gone to America and played professional sport and he’s got that professionalism behind him, that’s why we signed him up as an assistant coach as well, to guide the young fellas.”

Alex Kerr said a youthful Hallam would benefit from the addition of experienced recruits.

“I’m 31 and I’m the oldest in the club,” he said.

“The next oldest is 25 so we’re very young.

“To now have that experience and senior footballers around, we feel we can make a real impact on the field straight away in this competition.”

Hallam was also in the process of designing a new playing jumper to wear in Outer East league.

“We’ve got the opportunity to re brand ourselves,” Kerr said.

“We have a couple of jumpers in the works at the moment…we’re going to keep the Hallam logo — we can’t lose that — but we’re going to look completely different and cater to so many more people.”

Ben Coutet.

Jack Sharlassian.

Kerr said the club’s netball program was also set for a boost.

“We’ve been struggling with netball for a number of years and this year we’ve got four to five teams ready to go just out of nowhere,” he said.

Kerr hoped local businesses would get behind the Hawks in their efforts to grow as a club.

“In Hallam we have so many businesses there to be able to grow our club,” he said.

“Now we’re Div 1 Outer East and it’s actually the busiest off season we’ve had already.”

Outer East league chairman Tony Mitchell welcomed Hallam into the league.

“Look, Southern supported the application for the move which is good,” he said.

“We’ve got a pretty good relationship with Southern and they understood it was an opportunity to develop the club. It’s been really good actually, something that Hallam initiated, they approached us…and it went in from there.”