AS THE HAWKS prepare for the Round 21 clash with Gold Coast at the MCG on Sunday, the Club honours the battle of Kokoda for the fourth consecutive season.
Hawks players trekked the Kokoda track as part of its rigorous pre-season training, with its challenges, hardships and history surrounding the track front and center.
Xavier Ellis and Paul Puopolo reflected on their Kokoda journey ahead of Sunday’s match, in which the Hawks will wear camouflage guernseys to honour the 70th anniversary of the battle.
The mental and physical battle faced by all players has created a special bond within the group, building mateship, the notion of knowing your role, courage and leadership.
The standout for Puopolo though, was the mateship that emerged from the experience, as players relied on one another to complete each task.
“The main thing was everyone was being vocal, everyone was working together so you didn’t have to try and drag anyone up to help carry the log,” he said of one of the challenges.
“Everyone was pushing each other along and that’s something that made us really close.”
The grueling physical aspect of the Kokoda track prepares the Hawks both physically and mentally for the rigors of AFL football, but Puopolo says the benefits are much greater.
“The group of guys that went, we’re really close together now, we’re a really close bunch and we always sit back and talk about it,” he said.
“Its brought us a lot closer together.”
Teammate Ellis echoes those sentiments.
“Physically, we needed each other to bind together and get the log up the mountain for example but also mentally,” he said.
The importance of Kokoda to Australian history isn’t lost on the players.
“They were there for a long time, we were only there for a week,” Puopolo said.
“They didn’t know when they were going home so that was another thing that would have been tough for them - just knowing that they’ve got all their family waiting for them to come home.”
Ellis admitted that despite trekking Kokoda in different circumstances, it has helped him understand and build respect for the men and women who endured the battle.
“We weren’t dodging bullets, we weren’t starved, we weren’t sick,” he said.
“For me, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s a completely new level, what they did.”
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