BY MICHAEL ESPOSITO
DO NOT expect Glen Orden to be content playing Division Two for very long.
The Hawks were the whipping boys of Division One last year with seemingly little prospect of improvement, but new coach Nick Diker believes the side can turn its fortunes around.
In just two weeks at the helm, Diker has made sweeping changes to the club, sacking several players and bringing a team of coaches to lead the seniors, reserves and under-18 teams.
Diker has never held a senior coaching role before, but was this year an assistant coach for Werribee Districts’ senior C Grade Amateur side, which lost in the grand final, and previously was an assistant coach with the Shepparton Swans, which featured form Melbourne stars Adem Yze, Shane Woewodin and Russell Robertson.
While unwilling to name names until contracts were signed, Diker said he was hoping to sign at least 20 players from various Victorian leagues. He did say that his cousin Yze, could play a handful of games for the Hawks this year if time permits.
“My goal is to recruit people into the club that will play very well and dominate Division Two, and then acquit themselves well in Division One footy,” Diker said.
“I can get guys who are 6’4” and 110kg, can play in the ruck or full forward, but they’re very slow, so we go up a division, they’ll just be average. I’m after players in their early to mid-twenties to come on board, to be part of a team this year and have some success … as well as to acquit themselves to Division One senior footy.”
Diker said Glen Orden, which did not win a game last season, can win next year’s Division Two premiership. “If I can recruit what I think I can recruit, I don’t think I’ll be speaking out of school if I said we’ll probably be up there (Division One) in a year.”
Joining Diker on the coaching panel will be reserves coach Chris Alabakis, who captained Werribee Districts’ reserves side this season, and country footy goalkicking legend Perry Meka will come on as an assistant coach for the seniors. Diker was Meka’s assistant coach at Shepparton.
Diker admitted he had not coveted a senior coaching role because of his commitments as a business owner in Hoppers Crossing and a husband and father of three young children.
“I didn’t have really have the ambition to do it but we had a good chat and I understood where the they coming from, and I could see that it was a good challenge,” he said.
