Forty years as an AFL club in a rugby league stronghold is a testament to the countless hours put in by dozens of committee members, coaches and players and two new faces are set to lead the tradition into 2016.
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The Batemans Bay Seahawks, who have called on people from across the Eurobodalla and South Coast over that time span, have named Michael Kenny as head coach and Damon Connick as president.
At the top of the agenda was restoring game-day atmosphere at Hanging Rock Oval and reviving a reserve grade team.
“There is a bit of hard work involved, we’re trying to get back two grades and we still have a young side,” Kenny said.
Kenny said he was pleased and somewhat surprised by the commitment of the playing group in the preseason.
“We started in mid-January, averaging around the 15 to 20 mark which is pretty good at this time of year,” he said.
“Everyone is on the same page, we know we have to put in the work to get better.
“We have tried to mix training up a bit. Brett Pedder has been taking Tuesday training and we’ve been rotating with Skye and the boot camp.”
Last season the Seahawks were down on playing numbers which affected crowd sizes and the first grade team’s performance, missing the finals by two wins in AFL Canberra’s division three competition. However, improved performance was not the only reason why the club wanted a second team again.
“With one team, crowds were down and lacked a bit of atmosphere,” Connick said.
There is a bit of hard work involved, we’re trying to get back two grades and we still have a young side.
- Michael Kenny Batemans Bay Seahawks coach
“We’re also trying to join the seniors and juniors in some home games this year.”
The Seahawks will continue to rip in to preseason training each Tuesday and Thursday, starting at 6pm, at Hanging Rock.