A Message from Flash

Being President of our Club has always been a privilege. It is something I don’t take for granted. You just wish to make a meaningful difference and leave the organisation in a better position than when you took over. I actually don’t find the role a burden, quite the opposite surprisingly, as our Club instilled in me at an early age the responsibility to ‘give back’ when the timing was right.

Greg Hannon

I’ve reflected over the past week as Dean Collins – ‘Collo’ has been battling his serious health condition as to why our Club is just so important to so many of us and why I’m grateful that I’ve been a small part of this club since I turned up to play here at age 15.

Dean and Jayden Collins

I’m grateful for:

  • The friendships ( life long ) that so many of us have made from been associated at this club. With Collo’s predicament, so many of us realize just how fortunate we are that so many within our community genuinely care about each other.
  • The people that are Boronia. I’m all about fighting hard for new facilities but bricks and mortar do not make up a club. What makes up a club is quality people that care about each other and share similar values. We have that in spades at the ‘Hawka’ and other clubs continue to question why and how.
  • The leadership at our Club. The Board and the various committees that strive to make our Club improve. The Coterie, the members, the old boys and the supporters that keep giving their time to enable us to function and thrive.
  • Our coaches. Ash has created a panel that would be the envy of any club. Matt, Steve, Brock, Joey, Greg, Ray, Scott, Fletch and Cats. These people steer a big ship and do a wonderful job at guiding, supporting, mentoring and coaching our playing cohort.
  • The role models I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from. From Macca to Murra to the Kimmitts to the former Presidents that still take an active interest in the club. We are drowning in quality people that want our club to be strong and to continue to grow.
  • For the fact that after a couple of coaching stints I came back to where I belong. Fazz and I communicated about this during the week. When mates like Collo are struggling, we understand more than ever where we belong and where our energies should be spent. It’s great to have Fazz back; it’s great to see Shoey back at the club; and it’s great that we have people like Bomma, Panda, Dillio, Leanne and Plugga running our Hawks Nest Coterie and making it so inclusive and enjoyable.

Collo is on the way back, thank god! He has a long journey in front of him but each day he slightly improves. I’ve included some photos for you to look at. One when he had a thousand tubes keeping him alive and one with his thumbs up from yesterday.

Dean Collins
A chirpier Dean Collins!

Bomma represents the club when communicating with Amanda and Dean as he has to be treated very carefully. Bomma has ridden the ‘Collo’ journey as much as his family has (probably over the past 30 years too! ) and I’m sure he is planning celebratory drinks (when we can meet together ) to toast Collo’s miracle comeback!

Robert “Bomma” Kimmitt

Stay well

Greg “Flash” Hannon, Senior President BHFNC


Victoria Police

Boronia Hawks wishes to express our deep sadness at yesterday’s loss of four serving members of Victoria Police.

Our Club has many current and former players, volunteers and supporters associated with the police community and our thoughts are with them as they mourn the tragic loss of their colleagues.

We are reminded today of the enormous service to the community provided by our police, and we offer our sincere sympathy and condolences to all family and friends of the four officers taken in the line of duty.


AFL Victoria Update on COVID-19

Please refer to the attached update from AFL Victoria that outlines the key steps in a return to our football and netball activities.

The key message is: “we have not given up on this season. We are hopeful that we will be back on the field as soon as it is safe to do so and you can be confident that you will have our full support to ensure this return is as safe and well prepared as possible”.

“We are aiming to provide a more detailed update at the end of April, post the announcement of an expected roadmap for the elite game”.

Continue reading AFL Victoria Update on COVID-19

ANOTHER MAJOR SPORTING EVENT CANCELLED!

AFL, NRL, Wimbledon, Tokyo Olympics and now the Hawka Legends Game have all been cancelled for 2020. This is really sad as we had two teams of Club legends ready to play. The GOOD NEWS is that they now have another 12 months to fine tune their skills and hamstrings! Many thanks to Karen Little, Leanne Rech, and Dave Murrihy for all their hard work in getting this event up and (almost) running. We will see all these legends in action NEXT YEAR!

Boronia Hawks Wellbeing Hub


Over the past few years Boronia Hawks Football Netball Club has taken targeted steps to improve the off-field support for our players, volunteers and members to look after their mental health and wellbeing. We are now very proud to announce the launch of our Club Wellbeing Hub on the Club’s website. Please check it out to see the full range of wellness support and services recommended by the Club.

Thank you to Club Chairman Scott Nicholas and Director, Community & Inclusion Karen Little for their leadership in this important aspect of our Club’s Community Program.

A Message from OTLR: Welfare App

To OTLR’s sporting community,

Across sporting codes, we acknowledge COVID-19 has disrupted the sporting calendar at all levels. As restrictions and forced closures of facilities and businesses are implemented, along with social distancing and self-isolation regulations, we understand that all clubs have had to postpone Outside the Locker Room education sessions that were scheduled in the immediate future. It will be our priority to re-schedule these sessions with you at a time that is safe to do so.

Our welfare support, available via our mobile app or directly emailing our team at support@otlr.org.au is still available. Please read below for more information.

Our welfare support

Understandably during times like these, feelings of worry, anxiety and even panic can set in. Events like the new coronavirus pandemic can also trigger, exacerbate or prolong existing mental health challenges within individuals and communities.

Caring for our individual and collective mental health is more important than ever, and we encourage you to make the most of OTLR’s welfare support. Please continue to utilise our mobile app and encourage all club members, including players, management, coaches and support staff, to download the app and make use of the various features available.


Message from the Senior President

Last night we had handover of the Tormore Reserve Club Rooms from the Boronia Cricket Club. Sadly, with no indication of when we will be able to fill those rooms with fit, keen and ready footballers, avid hawka supporters and keen members ready to view a great Hawka win, I left the rooms rather disenchanted!

Following on from Scott Nicholas’ fantastic Facebook ‘live feed’ last night, I want to assure all BHFNC people that our Club will survive this.

We will come out the other end prepared because we have the very best coaches in the EFNL and because our Club has an extremely strong backbone! That backbone is built on past players and life long supporters that have created a community of people that care deeply about the Club but more importantly, each other. Other clubs marvel at the BHFNC community. They just do not understand how so many past players keep supporting our Club because it just doesn’t happen at other clubs.   We will take a hit like every organization in the country, but when we get the green light to take off again, we will take off with fury!

Hawks Nest Coterie Group

Whilst we are in a forced recession, we are still operating behind the scenes to improve the Tormore facility. Only yesterday, a new concrete walking path was laid over the far side of the ground making it really accessible for supporters on game day. No more mud and slush on a wet winter’s game day! We will also be installing spectator seating in the coming weeks, on the far flank near the scoreboard too! We also have some other positive announcements to make in the coming weeks too! With a touch of luck, I’m quietly confident our facility will be the very best in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne within 5 years!

New pathway on the outer wing. Photo by Fabulous Phil Watson.

Finally, I ask all of you to keep a close eye out for each other in the coming weeks. Some of you will have lost your job, some of you will have businesses that are struggling through no fault of your own. Stay strong and reach out to us if you just need to talk. If we go into lockdown, not all supporters and players will have much company, so use your phone and social media platforms to keep those people we care about connected.

Greg Hannon, Senior President, Boronia Hawks