Woodend-Hesket coach Alistair Rae discusses the Hawks’ expectations, recruits

Woodend-Hesket coach Alistair Rae believes his 2025 side is as talented as the 2023 team that reached the RDFNL grand final. Here’s why confidence levels are so high.

Woodend-Hesket players after a pre-season practice match.

Woodend-Hesket’s Strathmore connection is set to supercharge the Hawks’ charge back to RDFNL finals in 2025.

Coach Alistair Rae has tapped into his old club, signing several former teammates and a couple of youngsters out of Lebanon Reserve.

He believes it can quickly return the club to premiership contention.

After making the grand final in 2023, Woodend-Hesket fell back down the ladder last season, winning five games and seventh eighth.

Since, Strathmore’s 2022 premiership captain Sam O’Loughlin has arrived, along with flag-winning teammate Brendan Butler, Matt Doody and Luke Butcher, joining existing former Mores Luke Cuffe and Jack Duggan.

Rae said it had made integrating the new recruits far simpler.

“There’s a couple of young guys I didn’t play with but we’ve got 12 Strathmore guys and I played with all but three,” Rae said.

“It’s normally hard when you bring in eight or nine new guys but they’ve come knowing each other and a handful of guys already here, so it’s been pretty smooth.”

Butler has been a particular standout through pre-season.

Woodend has had strong practice match performances against the likes of Maryborough Castlemaine District club Trentham and Essendon District outfits Glenroy and Rupertswood.

It’s been these performances that has Rae so confident of a jump back up the ladder.

“Against Rupertswood we were 10 goals up at three-quarter-time and – I don’t know if we checked out – but they kicked five or six goals to nothing in the last,” he said.

“Good sides don’t let anyone kick five goals to nothing, so we’re still not there yet.

“Aside from that last quarter we’d been pretty much perfect in the first three games.

“This is my eighth season in the RDFNL, we saw how close the season was last year, and this is going to be even closer again.

“With the five sides that made finals last year and I think Kyneton and us will be pushing and who knows what Melton South and Melton Centrals are going to do.”

Having been a part of the drought-breaking grand final team two years ago, Rae believes his team is in even better shape.

“We’re pretty optimistic. Generally speaking, finals is the absolute minimum,” he said.

“Knowing what we had a couple of years ago when we made the grand final, I think we’re stronger than that side that lost to Diggers Rest.”

Daniel Toman was a standout in midfield last season and finished second in the Bowen Medal, coming close to repeating his 2023 triumph.

However, the club struggled to field a consistent side with Rae, Toman, Joachim Liaw and Will Wiseman the only players to feature in all 16 games.,

Wiseman led the club’s goalkicking with 25 majors.

With the influx of high-end experience, the Hawks’ next generation has improved significantly over pre-season.

Rae is excited by the potential of a young forward after a breakout 2024.

“Riley Ferguson is probably the one, he came second in the B&F last year as a 20-year-old and he’s got stronger again,” Rae said.

“He’s going to play centre half-forward and second ruck for us, so we’re expecting big things.

“He’s a quite kid but his natural ability is right up there, he could certainly play a higher level.

“Toey (Toman) gets mentioned too much but he’s been good as usual.

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“Brendan Butler has been the standout across the three practice matches, he’s been out best player and that’s including Toey, he’s kicking goals up forward and finding plenty of it in the midfield.”

Further boosting Woodend-Hesket is the return of the club’s under-19s after a one-year hiatus.

The Hawks will kick off their 2025 campaign under lights with a Saturday night home opener against Melton Centrals at Gilbert Gordon Oval.

However, the club must deal with a disjointed early fixture with a week off to follow Round 1, then Lancefield on Good Friday, it’s league bye and Gisborne Giants in Round 4.