Despite having won their maiden Origin Energy Premier League title last year, 2020 has seen a lot of change for the ERNA Hawks.
The Eastwood Ryde Opens side put in a thrilling Grand Final showing in 2019, denying Central Coast Heart back-to-back titles. But with great success comes higher honours for a championship-winning playing group.
“The Opens have quite a new team,” ERNA President Karen Waud says. “We have five of last year’s team up in Queensland with the NSW Swifts and GIANTS and there have been two retirements.”
Having players called into extended Suncorp Super Netball squads is certainly a great reflection on the Hawks environment. It has also presented opportunities for other players to shine.
“The Opens are thrilled the way our new, but very experienced player Brooke Lawrence has fitted into our line-up. So far she has done beautifully.
“Our U23s team is also a very new look team and the players and coaches are working extremely hard to get the team to gel as one unit. It is a very young team, with great potential.
“It is understood this is an emerging, developing team. They are improving every week and really holding their own against all comers.”
The Hawks Opens are currently flying high on top of Conference A with five wins from six outings, while the Under 23s are on the flipside of those numbers with just one win, however, they are a side in development.
“The U23s have definitely had some tough matches,” Waud notes. “In our first game against South Coast Blaze the girls lost by six and it was only a couple of turnovers off unforced errors that made the difference.
“The girls played extremely well considering eight of the team are debutants to Premier League. A lovely compliment was paid to them by Blaze Coach Regan Tweddle saying; ‘she was glad we only play you once.’”
Given the year it’s been so far, enjoyment is the key goal for 2020 the whole franchise.
“The goals for the season first and foremost are to have fun and enjoy this very disrupted season,” Waud adds.
“We want to embrace the changes and challenges that are happening weekly. We want the girls to enjoy being part of the mighty ERNA Hawks.
“We want the girls, particularly in the U23s, to develop and improve their netball and love of the game - like the Opens who already do.
“We want the Hawks’ time together to be a release from daily COVID dramas happening around us, and the time spent together training and playing to be a mental relaxation for all players and coaches from the stresses and strains of the new normal daily life.
“We also want to help develop our assistant coaches to go to the next level in their coaching experience.”
Given the Opens champions of the past two years are shaping up as the best teams in the competition again, one could be forgiven for thinking it’s between ERNA and Central Coast for title honours. However, the Hawks are just focusing on their own game for now.
“We play one game at a time; we look at ourselves and our last game and how we can improve on that," Waud says.
“Our timing, skills, and belief in someone being there to receive the pass when needed is improving week by week. It is a very new-look team and trusting each other on court is something that takes time to perfect.
“When we do come up to start preparing to play the Heart we will give plenty of respect and thought to them, which they deserve being grand finalists for the past two years and being on top of Conference B.
“They are a well-oiled machine and deserve extra preparation time by us.”
The Hawks will take on Central Coast Heart this week in Round 7 of competition, with Heart sitting on top of Conference B in the Opens division and it will certainly be a contest to relish.
