East Wagga-Kooringal coach Matt Hard has acknowledged midfielder Chris Gordon will leave a significant hole but is hopeful the Hawks can handle life without him.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Gordon, a key figure in the club's 2016 flag, led EWK's charge back to a grand final in 2019, where they fell short against North Wagga.
Hard said the exit of their little general signals time for the next generation to stamp their mark.
"Absolutely, he's a quality footballer and won our best-and-fairest in '19 so he's a big loss, a real big loss," Hard said.
"But it's up to someone else to step up. That's the exciting part I guess. It's an opportunity for a couple of young blokes to step up."
"It's hard to find another Chris Gordon - silky skills, reads the play and clean as a whistle.
"But there's a few blokes... Jarrod Turner, Tom Pocock. They haven't missed a beat and they're training very well.
"I'm excited by the progress those boys have made at this early stage."
The Hawks welcomed back midfielder Luke Cuthbert from Turvey Park for next year, whose return will now be even more valuable.
They have had a month of training already and Hard has been pleased with the team's efforts.
"The boys have been good, they're putting the hard yards in so I'm pretty happy so far," he said.
In an indication of where they'd like to get to this season, EWK have scheduled a couple of serious pre-season hit-outs against top Riverina League opposition.
They'll take on AFL Riverina Championship premiers Wagga Tigers and then Coolamon in practice matches in late March.
Hard said they aren't counting on ruckman Nick Hull this season, respecting the multiple league medallist's intention to have another year off football.
The Hawks also thanked Gordon for his contribution to the club in his four seasons (not counting the abandoned 2020 season).
"We wish him all the best for the next stage of his life," Hard said, offering high praise in tribute to a proven Riverina and Farrer League performer.
"He's a complete footballer. He's clean, he's smart, he uses the ball very well.
"And he's tough because he gets a lot of attention week in, week out. He's durable and plays just about every week.
"With the attention he gets and to still be able to do what he does... I don't think I really realised how good he was until I had the opportunity to coach him and to see what he does and what he deals with on a week-to-week basis."
READ MORE
