Hawks driven to have greater impact on the standings during 2023 CVFLW season

After making it through to finals last year, the plan this year is to have an even bigger impression on the league this season.

"We played finals last year and we didn't have as much of an impact as we would've liked," co-coach Molly Metcalf said.

"We are confident that we can go even further this year.

"Step one is to make it to finals and then after that anything can happen."

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The 2022 season marked the club's first CVFLW finals appearance.

During the first week of finals they put up a hard-fought battle against the Thunder, but went down fighting 3.4 (22) to 9.9 (63).

Last year was Meltcalf's first season with Eaglehawk after previously playing with Bendigo Thunder and Kangaroo Flat.

After one year with the Hawks Metcalf has now stepped up and will be a co-coach this season alongside Geoff West.

Metcalf's inclusion will be crucial on game day in a coaching-playing role, but equally important during pre-season in locking down new and returning recruits.

"We've been back on the track since January and so far we've had some really good numbers at training sessions," she said.

"Everyone has come back quite fit and our skills are at a very good standard.

"We've got a good base to work with before we start getting into proper game plans closer to the start of the season

"We have plenty of fresh faces around the club who've brought much needed talent and pace with them."

The opening round of the 2023 Central Victoria Football League Women's season is scheduled to kick into action on the weekend starting April 1.

Finals will then begin the weekend starting August 11, with the grand final scheduled for the weekend starting September 1.

Last year the brother-duo of Jordan and Tiahna Cochrane coached the Magpies to premiership glory after wrapping up their first season in the CVFLW with a premiership flag.

In front of a packed crowd at the Queen Elizabeth Oval in September, Castlemaine got the better of Golden Square by 19 points, final scores 5.8 (38) over 2.7 (19).

The 2022 runners-up in Golden Square will have former senior men's player Nathan Manuel as head coach after taking over the top job from Todd Deary.

There have also been recent announcements within the Hawks' netball department with stalwart and 2019 Mitiamo premiership coach Kylie Piercy to lead the club back up the Bendigo Football Netball League A-grade ladder.

Piercy, who has a long association with the Hawks as both a player and in coaching roles, replaces last season's joint coaches Eleisha Saunders and Elley Lawton.

Saunders will continue as an A-grade assistant coach and will also coach the Hawks' A-reserve team, while Lawton will continue as an A-grade player.

It will be the second stint as A-grade coach for Piercy, an A-grade premiership player with Eaglehawk in 1992 and club life member.

The 2023 Bendigo Football Netball League season is scheduled to begin April 15.

-With Kieran Iles

Read more: Hawks appoint club stalwart Kylie Piercy as A-grade netball coach

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