New Partnership with Bendigo Bank – Community Branch Wantirna.

Boronia Hawks are very excited to announce that we have entered in to a new partnership agreement with our banker of many years, Community Bank Wantirna, part of the Bendigo Bank group.

For those new to the Community Bank model, it is a concept unique from the other big banks. The majority of profits derived from customers that bank at our branch are invested back into the community in a range of ways. This means that our customers are investing back into their own community, into local schools, not for profit organisations, clubs, societies, youth development programs, community centres and the like.

The Club’s finance team have always been impressed by the very friendly and helpful team at Wantirna Mall and have appreciated their assistance as we upgraded our banking processes in recent years.

We are now taking this great relationship a step further as we proudly announce that Community Bank Wantirna will be the jumper sponsor for our two senior women’s football teams from 2020 to 2022.

Boronia Hawks Senior Women’s Team: Finalists in 2019.

“As Australia’s fifth largest retail bank, we provide our 1.7 million customers with competitive products, innovative service, and the ability to bank with confidence wherever they are in the world. We give back to communities, and hold true to our values. We’re Bendigo Bank. The better big bank.”

All members of the Boronia Hawks community are strongly encouraged to check out the full range of banking services offered by Bendigo Bank by visiting their website. Alternately, contact the branch for a discussion on personal and business banking with branch manager, John Tiganis.


Vale Charlie Kiff

The Boronia footy community is saddened to learn that Charlie Kiff passed away over the weekend.

Charlie was involved with the junior club through the 70’s and was a passionate Hawks supporter during the 80’s. He used to help sell beer out of a wheelbarrow out the front of the club rooms.

Although Charlie didn’t pull on the Hawker jumper himself, he was very good footballer in his own right, playing over 300 games for his local club & also winning the under 19s B&F for Collingwood FC in 1952.

He loved the Hawka and he is remembered fondly as a good man and a great story teller.

Many thanks to Tim Burgess for his memories of Charlie and to Greg Mackley for sharing this photograph of Charlie and other junior dads at the old Boronia ground.

TOM BOYD for MEN’S HEALTH WEEK

A FREE ON-LINE SESSION with TOM BOYD for MEN’S HEALTH WEEK: Wednesday 17 June from 7:30pm

Join a free online presentation with former AFL footballer Tom Boyd who will share his story of going from #1 draft pick to retirement within five years.

Boronia Hawks recommends this free on-line session to all. Given the challenging environment that we are living in today, here is a great opportunity for our members, volunteers and players to get an insight from someone who had to deal with such a high level of expectation and how he worked his way through the highs and lows.


New Grant from Victorian Government

Thanks once again to Jackson Taylor MP for his great support of our Club through the COVID-19 support package for community sport and recreation bodies.

It is a tough time for all community clubs, and our footy and netball players and supporters are naturally disappointed, but understanding of the cancellation of our senior seasons. It is good to know that you and Dan Andrews are looking out for the grassroots sporting clubs that are so important to suburban and country Victoria.


Thank you also to our Special K Team, Karen Little and Kerryn Westcott who are doing a brilliant job in seeking grants for the Club to support our programs. We are very grateful to these two ladies who put in the time and effort to work through complicated grants applications for the benefit of all club members.


Club Statement on the 2020 Season

As a club, and Boronia community, we’re all feeling disappointed with the decision to cancel the 2020 season for senior men and women.

The club plays such a huge part of the lives and wellbeing of so many people, and to know that we will need to go without it for the foreseeable future, in a time when perhaps we need it most, is hard to swallow. With so many sad and tragic events in Australia and around the world, we must keep our footy in perspective but we all could do with the support of our footy family that comes from sharing a laugh at training and on game day.

In saying this, we appreciate and acknowledge the leadership of the EFNL in navigating through an unprecedented situation. We recognise that this has been a difficult decision with a number of factors in play, and ultimately the decision has been based on the health and safety of all of our members, and the future viability of club’s within the league. In a tough time, we can’t do anything but respect this decision and appreciate the work that’s occurred and will continue to occur, behind the scenes for the betterment of football and netball in the east.

As a Club we are in strong position, and we have an amazing group of volunteers and supporters. We’ve created some serious momentum and our Board and Committees will keep pushing to ensure we are in an even stronger position when senior football and netball returns in 2021.

Thank you to all of our club members for their positivity and resilience over the past few months. I couldn’t be more proud of the club and know we will face the next period in the same way.

While we’re thrilled our junior footballers will be able to participate in a modified season, and look forward to supporting our little Hawka’s in 2020, we still face a number of challenges, but will meet them with thorough planning and optimism.

We will continue to build our Club off the field with renewed enthusiasm to ensure that we continue the momentum we’ve created over the past few years. We will come back stronger.

Our focuses are clear for the remainder of 2020:

  1. The health and wellbeing of our senior players and members – the consequential impacts on the health, wellbeing and social connection of club members can not be underestimated. Continuing engagement and support will be the overwhelming priority over the coming months.
  2. Building our momentum off-field – we will continue our work off the field to strengthen our strategic and operational efforts.
  3. Our Juniors – what a fantastic opportunity for the Club to throw its full support behind our junior teams for the coming months and help foster the next generation of Boronia men and women.

We understand this news has been devastating for our members and encourage everyone to look at the wellbeing hub on our website, and continue to connect and support each other in a difficult time.

We also our encourage our members to be respectful with any commentary made on social media, as we understand that many may be feeling frustrated and disappointed with the decision.

For our Juniors, we’re excited to support you with all of the Club behind you. Coaches will begin to communicate with each group in the coming days.

If anyone has questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Scott on 0403 238 494. Thanks again to everyone in the HAWKA community. You’re all amazing, and YOU are the reason this Club is what it is today.

GO HAWKA.

Scott Nicholas

Chairman, Boronia Hawks Football Netball Club Inc.