Hawks Announce Co-Captains as New Era Begins

By Dan Woods - NBL Media
Photo - Hawks Media

The Illawarra Hawks are ushering in a new age in NBL23. The retirement of former captain AJ Ogilvy has seen import Tyler Harvey and young star Sam Froling step up to the plate to lead the next generation of Hawks with the pair being named as co-captains of the organisation.

Froling, 22, has played his whole professional career in Illawarra. After winning the league’s Most Improved Player Award in 2021 he’s become a mainstay at the centre position for both the Hawks and the Boomers.

Harvey, 29, joined up with the Hawks ahead of NBL21 on a one-year deal and subsequently won All-NBL First Team honours. After that breakout campaign he signed a new three-year deal with the club.

“It’s an honour to be captain with this guy right here,” Harvey said as he motioned to Froling.

“We had a great captain last year in AJ Ogilvy who helped lead the way for us. To see him be such a great captain is something I cherish and something I want to fulfil for him.

It’s cool having Tyler along here, Froling said. “I think we’ve gone through a lot as teammates over the last two years and to be able to lead this squad with him is pretty special to me and I’m excited for the year to come.”

After registering a second-place finish on the NBL22 ladder, the Hawks crashed out of the semi-finals to their local rivals and eventual champions Sydney Kings.

Despite last season’s strong performances Illawarra’s roster has undergone wholesale changes ahead of NBL23.

Among the departures are imports Antonius Cleveland and Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who have linked up with Adelaide and Melbourne respectively. Emerging player and former Next Star Justinan Jessup has traded the NBL for Spain, while Ogilvy has retired and Harry Froling has returned to Brisbane.

The team has added NBA experience to their ranks with the recruitment of Justin Robinson and George King, while Mangok Mathiang has returned to Australia from Europe to play in the NBL for the first time in his career.

There’s even been a change at the top of the team, with Australian basketball legend Brian Goorjian making way for new head coach Jacob Jackomas.

“We’ve brought in a lot of new guys and it takes a bit to go over what we’re trying to accomplish here as a team, where our spots are going to be – each spot is so different,” Harvey said.

“It’s nice having Sam here, somebody who’s familiar with it so he can help teach the guys what we need to do.

“It’s awesome, it’s fun. We have a fun group, it should be an exciting year for us and we’re looking forward to getting things kicked off.”