By LIAM TWOMEY
THE 2013 Western Region Football League Division Two season begins this weekend with a host of blockbuster round one matches, launching what promises to be another enthralling year.
While teams jostle for positions during the early stages of the season, Glen Orden has established itself as the premiership favourite after a number of impressive recruiting coups during the break.
The Hawks made headlines across Victoria when they signed former Geelong premiership star Cameron Mooney to their playing list as well as his Cats team-mate Kent Kingsley.
The recruiting drive didn’t stop there, with Victorian Amateur Football Association A-Grade player Damien Yze, Werribee Districts captain Josh Huxtable and Parkside captain Peter Krueger also joining the club.
While the favourites tag is being thrown around WRFL circles, Glen Orden coach Nick Diker doesn’t want to hear about it on the eve of the season, instead choosing to focus on what he and his team can control.
“The biggest thing is, you will never hear me saying that, and you won’t hear anyone from within the club saying that,” he said.
“We can’t control what people outside the club say. I can’t control what is said on Facebook, Twitter and in the papers.
“We hear it … but I think we are smart enough not to buy into it and really we don’t care about it. We have our processes and we will stick to those and focus on that as a club.
“If people want to call us premiership favourites or anything like that, bring it on. It means nothing to me. The score will be on the board.”
Glen Orden will open its 2013 campaign against West Footscray this Saturday.
After finishing the 2012 season in fifth spot on the Division Two ladder and bowing out in the first week of finals, Diker said adding experience was his number one goal during the off-season.
If early indications are anything to go by, the acquisitions are off to a great start with the Hawks comfortably defeating West Coburg and Darley in practice matches.
“Damian Yze for example, he is 37 years old and has really been there and done that with his footy career. He had a crack at AFL, didn’t quite get there, but is just a leader,” Diker said.
“Our average age last year was 21. When there were games of footy to be won in the last quarter, when things were tight, we couldn’t snag a win in those close games.
“We have just focused on getting a lot of leaders because that is what we wanted to bring to the club.”
With Mooney and Kingsley set to balance their time with the Hawks with other commitments, Diker isn’t sure how many games the pair will play. He said the club had been given permission by the WRFL to play some Sunday matches throughout the season which could open the door for more appearances, provided opposition clubs agree to the change.
With Glen Orden making vast improvements both on and off the field in the past two years, there are no plans for the Hawks to be grounded any time soon.
“My goal is not to stay in Division Two,” Diker said.
“I want our club to be in Division One. If that means we go up and finish middle of the table for a year or two, then that is okay. My goal in five years’ time is to win the Division One premiership.
“Everyone we recruited can more than compete at Division One level.
“The club is a fantastic place to be at the moment and I am proud of that.”
