President's Report

Preliminary Final 2006 v Wandsworth Demons

Our unassuming heroes took to the long trip up to North London on Saturday confident of victory and another chance at Premiership glory. A few of us left Clapham Common - all the while gazing enviously across at the flocks of revellers getting ready for a massive day at the SW4 music festival- but the majority left from Wimbledon and arrived after a lengthy tube ride to the picturesque Bounds Green ground.
Everyone was keyed up for the big day, except Dixie who was running quite late and had 1st emergency Jimmy Malekelis reaching for his gear. He made it just in time and we were underway. It was a good start for the Hawks, running uphill and against a slight breeze we put on 3 goals to one and it could have been more. Dan Burns, Katsy and Boata all started well for the Hawks in the middle, while Murph went onto the ball so Jonny could play a sweeping role across half back. Webby was presenting well as well as Dale. Matty and Fabulous Phil were welcome returns to the side as they controlled their wings and provided good drive. Roddy kicked a crucial goal and also centred well for Wolski to slot one thru.

The second term would of liked to see the Hawks put the foot down with the aid of the slope and breeze, but it was the Demons who came out firing. The Hawks stopped running and the Demons put on a few goals to go into the main break a few points up. Murph was knocked up getting kicks, Paul Dunne enjoying his role up forward, while Gareth Yates and Nial were holding their own down back.
We took stock of ourselves at half time and made some moves with Wolski coming into the midfield as well as China coming on to add some strength. We just wanted to stay with them for the 3rd quarter so we could come home with the breeze. We did just that going into the last break all tied up and full of running. Mick Carroll kicked a decisive goal, running all the way down from full back as well as some big spoils that thwarted Wandsworths forward raids. Wolksi was proving a handful, Adrian continually worked hard to keep the ball in the forward line and Dizzy was getting on top. Dixie came on and provided a spark, living up to his super sub status.

The last quarter Webby asked for faith and he delivered with a goal and some strong marks. It would of been wrapped up sooner had we kicked straight but alas we like to keep things tight at Wimbledon and keep it entertainingfor the fans. Other super efforts were Fitzy finishing the game full of running and was instrumental all day in the midfield and down back, while Pud came on and played on a bloke several inches taller and held him almost kickless. Dan Burns kicked the last goal which gave us breathig space, despite them getting to within a goal you could sense it was a game we werent going to let slip. Two preliminary final wins in the last two years by less than a kick, we do like to entertain! So just one more little game left to hurdle and with a win from our last start against the Wildcats the belief flowing through the club. We have worked hard all year and done the extras needed to take the next step. Lets all get down and have a great session Thursday night and go into Saturday full of confidence ready to do a job. It should be a great day for the Hawker family one that we have been looking forward to for too long. Lets make history and reward ourselves, and those that have come before us, with a Premiership.

Tim Garrett - President

2006 Finals series geeup

Well we are almost at the business end of the season and its time to knuckle
down and have a good old fashined red hot go at the Premiership. This week sees us finish the regular round in emphatic style with Zeus' testimonial (see social pages). It will be great to get all the old boys down to training tonight for a run around and some beers and pizza. Then on Saturday see the class ooze from their somewhat, shall i say, less chiseled bodies. A great way to bring the club together ahead of the finals series. It starts tonight boys.

A quick spiel to my EU friends, please bare with me. We have 13 fit EU players qualified, unfortunately Pud and Charlie look to have season ending injuries (NB- 5-a-side soccer is now banned after April!!!), which is devastating to them as they are two players who deserved to be amongst the September action. I cant imagine what it is like to miss out on finals thru injury and I dont want to, all I can say is to the other players to TAKE YOUR OPPURTUNITY. Step up to fill the spots of these two and do them a service. Make no mistake they will be a part of the winning team as they helped get us here. We as a club are in the finals, "from the boot studders up to the coach we have all done our bit."
The EU's are definitley the unsung heroes of the team, you cop us Aussies screaming at you, getting thrown around in all different positions all the while trying to play a game that is new. I must say everyone has had a crack all year and its been fantastic. Jonny Haze, we take him for granted but he
does the job week in week out. Fitzy, Dermot, Teader are senior players now, your skill and leadership is going to have to come to the fore over the next three weeks. You have been great all year, lets continue your good form. Paul Dunne, Rowdy, Adrian and Ace have been here a few years and we need a big effort from you four. The improvement of Paul to run in the midfield, Rowdy kicking winning goals, Adrian's courage in every game to throw himself around and Ace to take the marks and run to the right spots, back or forward, - its been awesome to see. Keep it going fellas. And the first year
players, Niel, Gareth, Pikey and Donnal you have picked up the game impressively and all of you have held a great account of yourselves. Matt Jones is clearly a natural sportsman and I am sure he will see winning a Premiership is better than playing a few pre-season games of Rugby!!

Trust me there is nothing better than winning a Premiership. My coach used to say "better than anything you will do except for your kids being born".
Obviously that is back home, but it is still up there. I like to use the story that two old teammates are walking down opposite sides of the street and see each other, they wave and yell hello and keep going. I guarantee if those two teammates won a Premiership together they would cross the street and shake each others hand and probably go for a beer. You never forget mates you win a premiership with. Never. We have paid the price, done the hard work so lets have one final effort and not die wondering.
Lets get together tonight and on the weekend (Antons 30th too) and go into next week with numbers on the track totally focused on the one job of beating North.
Then we'll take it from there to the next step....

Cheers
Timmy

2006 Mid Season Report

G'day Hawkers, well it was an up and down 12 days at the World Cup, but all in all a fantastic trip. Apologies for lack of correspondance but I felt my time was served better in the beer halls and pubs of Germany. The less said about the Italian game the better but it shows if you are good enough you should be able to make you own fate and not let the referee dictate the result. Unfortunately in a ridiculous sport like SOCCER the referee has far too much influence due to the low scoring nature and he should be stabbed repeatedly if seen. (Sorry I am still a bit worked up).

Onto more important matters like this weekends game against Sussex. It is so important that we consolidate our recent turn in form and make sure we blow off any cobwebs from our holidays. GET TO TRAINING TONIGHT!! The tshirts will be there and it should be a big day at the club on Saturday with the England game on afterwards so it would be great to see everyone in the Hawks shirts. We will be playing early again so there will be plenty of time to get settled in for the game with a beer in one hand and a burger in the other. Let friends and family know, last time it was a great day and it raises a lot of funds for our little club and it will be a good environment to watch the game in..... as you wont get glassed if they lose the way we did! Jonny Haze might crush a can on your forehead but thats it.

That being said we must not worry about the post match, lets focus on getting two wins on the board. In the Seniors last time I thought we bled a few too many goals, offensively I thought we were great. It is always dangerous talking about percentage but it would be remissed of me not to. The old cliche rings absolutely true, worry about the win then worry about the score, but percentage is going to play a big part in the finals run. I mention this just so you know that if we do kick a couple in a row DONT STOP! You can see the percentage below, everyone has played each other once and our percentage can easily be lifted with a big win. So Backline lets knuckle down and play tight, but be creative when we get the ball and run off. Forwards keep it open, dont get out marked and make sure you convert your chances. But it all starts in the midfield, workrate has to be high and ball movement quick. All over the ground we have to be accountable for a man each.

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	%	Pts
West London Wildcats	5	5	0	0	445	191	233	20
Wandsworth Demons	5	4	0	1	423	253	167	16
North London Lions	5	2	0	3	384	251	153	8
Wimbledon Hawks	5	2	0	3	330	382	86	8
Putney Magpies	5	2	0	3	322	419	77	8
Sussex Swans	5	0	0	5	246	654	38	0

After our slow start we have recovered, but it shows how crucial every game is. We can afford no more slip ups. Honestly though I see no reason why we couldnt win the next 5 games, leap into second spot and have a real crack at this. We should have beaten Demons and Putney and were underdone in Rd 1 for West London but still went with them in patches. Boys lets band together and reward the effort and time we have put in this year with a real surge to the finals!!

Cheers
Timmy Garrett

"And everything dies baby that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back" - Atlantic City, B. Springsteen

2006 Season Opening Report

My fellow Hawkers,
I thought I would take this oppurtunity to address you all quckly and to let everyone know the change in Hawks leadership. Most would be aware I am (Tim Garrett) now president of the Wimbledon
Hawks.

Jeff Turley could no longer continue in his full capacity as President of the Hawks so the board has nominated myself to take the role, which I graciously accepted. Turls has made a committment to cricket this summer and was unable to be there match days or at training so he felt it would be best to stand aside and let someone who would be more visible to take up the role. Turls has not left all together, he is still a board member and will take the role of Administration Liason and also whenever it rains he will be there to play a few games! (NB- I am told his cricket is going well his current average is 77......bowling average that is).
Seriously though, Turls has been monumental to the club, his efforts over the years have been tremendous. He has been with the club since 1996, coached the club for 3 years including two Grand Finals, been
President for 3 years and has been integral to the success of the Hawks over his 11years.
I would personally like to thank him for his efforts and look forward to his return once his run of ducks finishes...could be a while ;-)

To the rest of the Hawkers it has been a topsy turvy start to the season, with numbers on the training track not translating into our playing numbers. I am sure Rd 1 was just an abberation, we did have a lot of players away and many thanks to Gareth and the rest of the boys for getting the Reserve Grade (or as I like to refer to them Development Squad) game under way. This weekend against Putney is a MASSIVE game for both grades. For the First Grade side we have to bounce back and show the competition that we are a big threat again this year. We have experienced players returning to the fold and the players from last week have something to prove to Coach Webb and to themselves.

As for the Development Squad we should have a full team of Hawkers this week and there will be players in that side who want to show Webby that they deserve a spot in the Firsts. As always boys we need to get numbers down to the games, so if you have any mates who are keen or any mates on their way over from Oz start getting in their ear NOW. It would be remissed of me not to add a word of thanks to the EU contingent, this year there has been great numbers and you have been bringing down you friends and colleagues it has been fantastic. This is usually the hardest aspect of putting a team together but you blokes have made it easy. It was great to see debutants Nick Lawson, Mark, Smiley make strong starts to their Hawker careers as well as the experienced Rod, Andy, JP, Jonny, Pud, Teader, Charlie and Dermie all out there on the wkend doing well. Add to that Kieran, Fitzy, Grahame to name but a few then our EU contingent would have to be the best in the league.

So lets have a big weekend starting with a good training tonight (what a day!!), get your mates down to the games and lets go one step further in 2006!

Timmy Garrett
"The door's open but the ride ain't free" - B. Springsteen

July 2005

With 9 rounds completed and five to go, the firsts are sitting a game clear at the top of the ladder and the two's are just half a game outside the top four. A great position to be in and one we certainly would have taken at the beginning of the year. However, there is much improvement still to be made across the board. With no more breaks before the finals and the holiday silly season pretty much over, now is the time to make the complete commitment to finishing off the year as well as possible.

In eight weeks, the season will be over and it will be time to enjoy the long, cold winter that London will offer up. Therefore, for the next eight weeks, EVERYONE INVOLVED AT THE CLUB, NEEDS TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO TRAINING AND PLAYING AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. Only if this happens will we give ourselves a genuine chance of reaching the levels of success we know we can achieve. We need to be able to field our strongest teams every week, from now until the end of the season and to be able to do this, EVERYONE NEEDS TO EITHER BE AT TRAINING OR HAVE SPOKEN TO WEBBY (or a committee member if he is not available) ABOUT WHY THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND.
We must not let ourselves down through laziness.

With two byes in the past month and numbers at training at an all time low, fitness levels have dropped off significantly. All the work done in pre-season and the early part of the year will go to waste, unless we continue to work hard and prepare properly for games. This requires commitment from ALL players, not just a handful of regulars. No-one is assured of their place in either team - spots are up for grabs but must be EARNT.

IF YOU WANT TO PLAY FINALS FOOTBALL, NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF AND TO THE CLUB - NOT IN AUGUST WHEN THE FINALS BEGIN - THAT WILL BE TOO LATE.

We are in a position to launch a genuine attack on the finals series. It would be disappointing to throw away the opportunities we have created for ourselves, through a lack of commitment and by being unwilling to do the right things by each other.

SUCCES WILL COME THROUGH HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT. FOR THE NEXT EIGHT WEEKS, EVERYONE MUST PLAY THEIR PART.

Jeff Turley

February 2005

Hello and welcome to another season. It seems like only yesterday that 2004 was finishing, yet here we are again, embarking on another one.

The beginning of the 2005 season has seen a number of changes within the Hawks off field structure - some through necessity and some through guys showing a willingness to get involved and make this season a great one. May I say how rapt I am to be involved again, taking up the position of President, which arose due to the departure of Mr Tim Hawes back to pastures greener. Tim has been an integral part of the Hawks since he joined the club in 1997, being a Premiership player in 1998, club Treasurer from '99 to '03, President in '04 and of course being a Life Member. His input and leadership will be impossible to replace. Thanks for everything Crack…!

Due to work not allowing him to commit the full 100% to the coaching role that he'd like to, Mick Carroll has offered to stand aside to allow someone who can, to take over the reigns. I'm glad to say, however, Mick is still fully committed to the 2005 cause, as Football Manager, which will mean plenty to the club as a whole. Mick had a great year as coach last year, getting the first team to punch above its weight for the whole year - a testament to the respect the players had for him and the work ethic he was able to instil. He will be assisted by Greg Peak, who takes up his first official role at the club.

The coaching position has been taken over by Club Captain and all round hardman, Nigel Webb. Webby, in his 5th year at the club now, is recognised throughout the BARFL as one of the best players the League has seen and his appointment will no doubt send a shiver down the spine of other clubs. He will soon appoint his match day support team, who will look after the boundary line duties while Webby struts his stuff on the ground as well. I'm sure there will be no shortage of takers to be a part of that team. Again, congratulations Nigel and I look forward to working with you during 2005.

Dave Stockham has taken over the duties as club Secretary. Dave's involvement at the club has increased each year since he joined the Hawks 4 years ago. His experience as an EU is vital to the club in attracting others to the game and shows how the English can take to the game, both on and off the field.

Another non-Australian to join the committee this year will be Jeremy Hersch. Jez will take over the coaching and managing of the seconds - an often thankless job and one that is traditionally pretty difficult to fill. With the experience he has gained over the last few years, this will be a good stepping stone to a more senior position with the firsts. Good luck Jez.

Those returning to their 2004 positions are club stalwarts Gareth Martin as Treasurer and Nick Katsivelos and Jonny Hazelden as social directors and general club organisers. These three guys will again provide the backbone of the club, by doing all the little things that go unnoticed.

The Hawk's Netball and Touch Rugby sides continue to grow and prosper under the guidance of Casey McCormack and Rebecca Knights respectively. The girls have put an enormous amount of work into not only establishing these sides but also increasing the number of participants hugely. Hopefully this year will see even more success than last year. Well done, girls and good luck for 2005.

Reflecting on last year's Grand Final loss, there is obviously work to be done in order to take the step from Runners Up to Premiers. With the start to the 2005 season so far (with the biggest turn out to an AGM that I have seen in 9 years!) and with the commitments made by all the people mentioned above, that step doesn't seem all that big. If we can continue the work that's already begun, there's no reason why 2005 won't be the Year of the Hawk…!

Jeff Turley
Hawks President

The Wimbledon Hawks held their AGM on Sunday the 6th February, attended by approximately 20 people, and it turned out to be a great day. Following on their trophy collecting in 2004, Netball has expanded and Casey is looking to fill 3 teams this year. Touch Rugby will fill two teams this season, starting in April, as Bec strives to take them one step better this time.

Jeff Turley, who brings a wealth of experience both on and off the field to the club, officially accepted the position as Club President, vacated by club legend Tim Hawes, who returned to the sunny shores of Sydney with wife Tracey. Turls, an ex-player and Grand Final coach, is full of enthusiasm and is certainly leading by example.

"I am keen to continue on the excellent work performed by previous committees led superbly by Tim to further develop the Hawks brand in the UK and look at ways of streamlining the operations of the club with the emphasis on attracting players and providing sponsorship value. We need new players this year and more people getting involved with the running of the club, whether they goal umpire, run the boundary or cook sausages, the more the merrier" Turls noted during his acceptance speech.

Club captain and former best and fairest Nigel Webb accepted the nomination to coach the senior side following my decision to step down due to work commitments. I will be travelling much more with the job this year and can't put the time and effort in that is required to coach a successful team in the BARFL.

The appointment is a natural progression for Nigel whose leadership qualities and playing ability have always been first rate. Webby will appoint a match day committee to assist with selections and the like, and it is likely to include another former coach and best in the finals series in 2004, Benjamin Vaughan.

Jeremy "Santa" Hersh (who works in the catering industry), Katsy (part time club promoter) and Jonny Haze (DJ who has played at both Koko's and Pacha in London, and at clubs in Ibiza) will manage social functions and organise catering services, a perfect fit for a team who delivered a great deal in 2004 and are full of energy for 2005 ===> but they are going to need plenty of help. There are already plans well underway for a social function incorporating the entire club sometime in Feb/March ==> new players are MORE THAN welcome. There is also talk of Quiz nights, Epsom Derby day and of course some big nights out on the town in 2005, social calendar will be updated on the web site.

Greg "the Hammer" Peak and I are handling football matters such as equipment, kits, sponsorship and marketing, and Gareth "China" Martin, when he is not counting the number of calories and grams of protein in a chicken breast, will be will counting the pennies as club treasurer and has also put his hand up to organise the end of season football trip (hopefully Sweden or Miami!!). After such a great job last year Dave "Disco" Stockham agreed to be club secretary, handling football registrations, dance moves and team sheets etc.

In addition to the social side of things, Santa agreed to coach the 2's. Jeremy has become more involved off the field every year and is keen to give it a good crack in 2005. Hopefully wife Brigette can handle hearing his strategies over dinner every Friday night!

I would like to wish everyone at the Hawks; the new coaches, committee, old and new players of all Hawks sports, other clubs, and new BARFL president Remon Gazal, the best of luck for season 2005. The year of the Hawks!

Michael Carroll

2003

Once again another season approaches and our expectations of a successful year both on and off the ground are as high as they have been during our 14 years existence.

During the off-season much change has taken place to secure the Hawks a bright and promising future. The most important and noticable of these has been the acquisition of The Walkabout as a longtime major sponsor. Yes that's right, The Walkabout or as Radar likes it to be known, The Hawkabout, has taken up residence within the confines of what used to be Chumleys. This is a fantastic coup for the club which I am sure will benefit both organisations for many years to come.

The Walkabout will be fantastic for the Hawks. It is a name that attracts thousands of travellers from all over the world and from a recruiting point of view it should enable us to fill two full teams, week in week out and ensure that the Hawks will be a force to be reckoned this year and for years to come. Already our pre-season recruitment drives have reaped rich dividends and i know that all new Hawkers will enjoy themselves throughout the year both on and off the field as have many a Hawker in previous years.

This year Wimbledon will be fielding two teams - Wimbledon Hawks and the Fulham Hawks within the Premiership and Conference Division respectively. It is with my understanding that new kits will be available this year for both teams courtesy of the Walkabout and already stubby holders and hopefully soon T-shirts, are already on sale and available to all Hawkers and friends.

The Wimbledon Hawks AGM was held earlier this year and it proved to be one of the most successful and well attended meetings in recent memory. As of the start of this year, the club is financially secure, thanks to the hard work of Michael Carroll - Football and Sponsorship Director and Tim Hawes - Treasurer. Our Social Club has also been fantastically run and will start the year with funds left over from last year thanks to Nick Katsivelos - Social Director. Among others, Nathan and Gavin Tilley were asked to continue their great work in maintaining the web-site, Jeff Turls was welcomed back to the fold to fill the Vice Presidents role and Jon Hazelden, Gareth Martin, Radar Lewis, Nigel Webb, Dave Stockham and Kel Smith were all on hand and will fill various positions over the coming year.

The Coach this year is Ben Vaughan who has once again raised his hand to lead the Hawks to glory. Fresh from a cold six month break I know Vorney is raring to go and will settle for nothing less than the Premiership this year. Good Luck Vorney!!

Training has already begun in earnest and soon too, will the season in general. This year there will only be 6 teams fighting it out - Wimbledon, London, North London, Sussex, Wandsworth and West London. Unfortunately Bristol and St. Helens will not be playing within the Premiership Conference however they will be playing in a Country League against a few new teams such as Doncaster and Reading.

With six teams only lining up, we will be playing each team twice. So that makes for a 10 week season plus finals, a few drunken byes and hopefully Wimbledon fighting it out in the Grand Final in the last week of August. The Fulham Hawks will also have a very similiar Fixture set-up and nearly all the games will precede the Wimbledon game, allowing all Hawkers to amass together after the footy has finished for some ice-cold quenching lager.

This of course will be followed by the "End Of Season Trip" which i can guarantee will reduce many a strong Hawker to a dribbling waste before the weekend is out.

So lastly i would like to say a big Thanks to all retiring and outgoing Hawkers for their outstanding service to the club be it for either one year or last 10 years and I welcome all Hawkers to this great proud Club. Let's make it a year to remember!!!  (as i cannot remember any of the others)

Damon Tilley - Wimbledon President