CEO Justin Reeves has penned the following letter to members...
Dear members,
This will be my final letter to you for the year. There are a few key things we wanted to update you on before we close the book on 2020. I hope these letters have been useful to you in keeping you updated on all the latest happenings across the club. I have very much appreciated the opportunity to write to you regularly, particularly while we were unable to connect in-person for a large portion of the year.
As we welcomed our five new draftees to the club this week it has really begun to feel like we are making a return to a more ‘normal’ pre-season. Denver, Seamus, Connor, Tyler and Jack arrived at the club on Monday this week and have hit the track keen to prove themselves. They have been welcomed with open arms by the playing group and their energy and excitement has been contagious.
If you were able to make it to our AGM last night, thank you. We inducted two new life members last night, David Wanless and Richard Garvey. Each has given Hawthorn years of service and made a significant contribution to our great club. Richard has served on our Board for 11 years and stepped down from his position as Director at the AGM, Richard will continue to serve on the HFC Foundation and Hawks Community Foundation Boards. David Wanless manages our Past Players & Officials Association and does a fantastic job keeping the club connected to all those who have been part of Hawthorn’s journey.
We also bid farewell to director Lucinda Nolan who has been a great sounding board for me, and a great servant of the club. Both Lucinda and Richard will always be welcome at our club. We were excited to welcome both Owen Wilson and Luke Stambolis as new Directors under Jeff’s presidency. Both Owen and Luke come to us with vast business experience and are both lifelong Hawks supporters and members of our club.
While the AGM ran smoothly and the technology didn’t fail us, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t very much looking forward to the new year and a return to Hawthorn events being held in-person. The club has sorely missed these opportunities to connect face-to-face with our members and supporters.
As we look ahead to 2021, we continue to put the pieces in place for next year and into the future. This week we formally requested the AFL confirm our entrance into the AFLW competition by by the end of January. Our club prides itself on being a place that provides equal opportunities and pathways for everyone and obtaining an AFLW licence is a key next step to ensuring that we continue to live up to this standard. We have invested significant time and effort into building our VFLW program from the ground up. It is one of the premier programs in the league and one that continually develops talent that is snapped up into the AFLW. We have proved we are capable and we need an answer from the AFL by this date to ensure we have sufficient time to prep for entry into the competition in 2022. I look forward to providing an update on the status of our discussions with the AFL.
It has been a long and arduous year for all, I am in awe of the way the Hawthorn family has banded together during this period. Without the steadfast support of our members I cannot imagine what this year would have looked like for our club. So once again, thank you. This year has brought what is important into sharp focus and after spending so much time apart we are delighted that our members, across Australia, now have the opportunity to spend the festive season with their loved ones.
Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas. We hope that you all get to spend some quality time with those closest to you over the break before our Hawthorn family reunites in the new year.
We cannot wait for next year!
Go Hawks
Justin Reeves
Chief Executive Officer
Hawthorn Football Club
