BULLDOGS legend Doug Hawkins was only rubberstamped as the new coach of the Bacchus Marsh Football club last night, but the famous scragger is already talking tough.
‘‘Finals are a big possibility,’’ Hawkins told The Weekly. ‘‘I think we’re going to surprise a few people.’’
It’s a job nearly 20 years in the making.
Hawkins says his blossoming media career post-retirement in the mid-1990s had halted his plans to coach a senior team.
‘‘The media was a lot of fun, it paid well, but it was a backwards step (in terms of being able to coach),’’ he said. ‘‘I always wanted to coach a senior football team.’’
While he’s refreshed and ready to guide a young Cobras outfit up the ladder, Hawkins admits the decision to apply for the job was far from an easy one.‘‘I tossed and turned a bit with the decision,’’ he said.
‘‘I may miss a game in May, but that’s it. I do a lot of speaking engagements and corporate gigs, and there might be times when I might miss a Tuesday or a Thursday (training session).
‘‘But I’ve got a good bunch of passionate people around me; you need good people around you in life.’’
He says he needed a year off after guiding the Under 16-and-a-half team to a flag, just weeks after the death of junior Nathan Prince. It remains the highlight of his sporting career.
‘‘Nothing can beat that feeling,’’ he said. ‘‘That was the highlight of my sporting career. I may have beaten Teddy Whitten’s record (for most games with the Bulldogs) but that was it.’’
Hawkins said it wasn’t a sentimental decision to return to the club as senior coach.
‘‘It’s not a case of unfinished business. Last year was a tragic year, those four or five weeks (after the death of Prince) were incredibly hard.’’
Hawkins says there are a dozen young kids he’s watched closely during his time at the club who he’s keen to see mould into senior footballers.
‘‘I’ve been involved with these kids for a long time and I think I can help with the next stage of their development.
‘‘There’s a really good vibe around this club. There’s a lot of excitement. The timing couldn’t be better for me to come on board.’’
Hawkins hoped his corporate connections would bring additional dollars to the club.
