President Jeff Kennett has penned the following letter to members...

Hi Happy Hawkers.

We face another stiff challenge on Sunday against the Eagles. But as the saying goes if you can’t win the tough games, you won’t win the Grand Final. Who said that? No idea, but still true.

We will assemble on Sunday for our one home game at Etihad Stadium, soon to be renamed Marvel Stadium, and we ask that you please make the effort to attend as our boys are lifted by the noise from the stands.

Read: Hawks add six names to Round 10 squad

The last two weeks have not been great, but they are now history and we must focus on the rest of the season starting with Sunday’s game.

As you have seen, the coach is investing in some of our younger players to give them game time and experience and it is important to keep introducing fresh players into our side. Alastair’s mission is to deliver our next piece of silverware, and he continues to be bold in investing in our players.

A piece of history has been relayed to me by Robert Allen who was the author of the book Cazaly, a story about our coach Roy Cazaly who coached the club in 1942 and 43.

The book retells the story of how the club, which was then known as the Mayblooms, became the Hawks. Roy’s daughter Pat suggested to her father that the club’s name should be changed to the Hawks.

This was first mentioned in the Sporting Globe on the 15th May 1943 and adopted by the club at a team meeting on the 25th May 1943.

75 years ago today! No, I was not President then, Dr Walter Jona occupied the chair.

So, a piece of history for us all. Since then we have won 13 Premierships starting in 1961. Or one Premiership every 5.692307692 years! (Call it 6 years). Not a bad record.

To deliver on our current vision of 2050, that is seven more Premierships by 2050, 33 years from now including this year, we need to win one Premiership every 4.7 years. A slightly faster rate than since our name change in 1943, but slightly slower than when we won our first premiership in 1961. Since then we have been winning premierships at a rate of one every 4.3 years, (call it 4 years).

I have no doubt we can do it. But knowing where we came from, and our history is important.

So, thank you Robert for this information. And if you can get your hands on a copy of Cazaly please do, it is a great read.

So now back onto the job at hand. See you at that marvellous stadium…Etihad on Sunday.

 

Go Hawks.