New Hawthorn Assistant Coach David Hale says he can't wait to help develop the Hawks brigade of exciting, young talls.
The triple premiership Hawk has returned to the brown and gold after six years at Fremantle that included a game as caretaker coach following Ross Lyon's departure at towards the end of the 2019 season.
Hale forms part of a new-look coaching panel alongside new Senior Coach Sam Mitchell and assistants Adrian Hickmott, Andy Collins and Robert Harvey as well as the returning Chris Newman, Andy Otten and Damien Monkhorst.
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In a recent interview with the Herald Sun, Hale said he was excited about the future direction of his new side which incorporates a blend of youth and experience.
“The Hawks forward line is similar to Freo in terms of the young key-position guys who have plenty of scope to develop with a couple of old heads in Luke Breust and Gunners (Jack Gunston)," Hale said.
“Ned Reeves is a big boy (211cm) and he played a few games last year, and Max Lynch comes across (from Collingwood) which will be exciting as well. He is working with me, and big Monky (Monkhorst) is still there.”
Hale said he was excited to learn more under Mitchell while helping to develop Lynch and Reeves as well as tall forwards Jacob Koschitzke, Mitch Lewis, Emerson Jeka and Jackson Callow.
He said he was confident that Lynch has the grunt and determination of becoming a regular senior ruckman.
“He has a crack and he had a pretty good game against Max Gawn so we have to work through the process of finding what their strengths are,” Hale said.
“We have to find somehow who can hold up that position for the next five to 10 years once Big Boy (Ben McEvoy) goes with Reeves and Lynch.
"They are the guys you want carrying the load. Especially in that position you need the competitive desire to get in and wrestle and clear the path and follow up for the little fellas.
“If you have that as your base you can work around other things. The little fellas can get a bit of confidence around you to walk taller.”
The Hawks will begin their pre-season later this month with the first to four year players returning on November 22, while the remaining players will resume on December 6.
Gunston, who underwent underwent surgery to repair a bulging disc in his back this year, is set to make a welcome return to pre-season training.
Hale said the 30-year-old's versatility and on-field coaching would be "invaluable" to the Hawks’ future success.
“He understands the game so well. He has played in some bloody good forward lines and even last year when he wasn’t playing his instruction he was giving to those guys would have been really important,” Hale said.
“Hopefully, fingers crossed, he can get a good run at it because he still has plenty of good footy moving forward if he can get his body right. With guys like him and Breust there is a wealth of experience going forward.”
To read the full article from the Herald Sun, click here.
