Victorian Premier Cricket: Kingston Hawthorn caps 2023-24 season with burst of wins

The Hawks finished the Premier Cricket season with three consecutive wins. Now coach Colin Siller is planning for the future — and reveals the one problem that’s been solved.

Joel Lewis driving on his way to 68 for Kingston Hawthorn on Saturday. Picture: George Sal

It’s been a season of progress and positives for Kingston Hawthorn.

The club’s First XI finished the campaign with a flourish, winning its last three matches.

The Hawks wound up in 15th spot — their highest finish in years — and ahead of Frankston Peninsula, Essendon and Greenvale Kangaroos.

And there was success throughout the grades at Kingston Hawthorn, with its seconds and fourths qualifying for finals.

In this weekend’s quarter finals, the Hawks’ twos face Footscray at Mervyn Hughes Oval, and the fours meet Melbourne University at the uni.

Kingston Hawthorn’s shrewd appointment last winter of Scotsman Colin Siller as head coach has proven a master stroke.

Colin Siller.

Hawks captain Josh Manning. Picture: George Sal

A former Hawks player back in the late 1980s, Siller has got the best out of the players this season while instilling belief.

He says there’s been a “quiet confidence” among the First XI since it defeated Greenvale Kangaroos in Round 16.

“Players are going, ‘yeah, we can win this’,” he said.

“It’s a real change.

“It’s by no means a finished product…in terms of the ones we need to recruit well and where I want the club to go is back to finals.

“Going back when Lachlan Stonehouse, Brad Wigney, Graeme Vimpani…when they were all playing in the late 80s to early 90s they were in the finals virtually every year.’’

Siller added: “Everyone’s on a high. I don’t think anyone expected us to get to 12th on the club championship.”

Thaveesh Attanayake and Jonathan Vincent of Kingston Hawthorn walk off after the victory on Saturday. Picture: George Sal

Siller said it was satisfying to achieve goals he had set at the start of the season.

“There were two things I wanted to do,’’ he said.

“One was to get one team into the finals. We’ve got two so that’s exceeded that. And I wanted to go up the club championship ladder. I thought we might go up one or two (rungs) but to get to12th is incredible. Now that’s the benchmark. We want to keep going on the way up.”

Another positive has been the emergence of Joel Lewis as an opening batter in the First XI.

The wicketkeeper moved from the middle order to the top in Round 16 and put together scores of 35, 44 and 68.

“Joel has been a revelation,” Siller said.

“And credit has got to go to (captain) Josh (Manning) for that. That was Josh’s decision and it’s worked wonders.

“So, that kind of solves a problem for next season because I think that was one area — who should open the batting? — but he’s made the position his own.”

Ahead of this weekend’s fnals, Kingston Hawthorn’s seconds are set to be boosted by several players who have been playing First XI in recent months, including Luke Stow, Jonathan Vincent, Visura Fernando, Rehan Majoka and off-spinner Saad Khattak, who took 5-61 in the ones last week. And opening bowler Cory Cater could be available after missing games with a shoulder injury.