Adelaide Hills Hawks

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Full name

Adelaide Hills Hawks Soccer Club

Nickname(s)

Hawks

Founded

1991

Ground

The Hawks Nest
(Capacity -)

Chairman

Manager

Steve Maxwell

League

FFSA Premier League

2006

Premier League, 7th





Home colours





Away colours

The Adelaide Hills Hawks are a football (soccer) club from the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Adelaide Hills play in the FFSA South Australian Premier League. They are based at The Hawks Nest at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. They are relatively new club and were only formed in 1991. The Hawks also field sides in the Junior Premier League and some of these teams are quite strong.

[edit] History

The Adelaide Hills Soccer Club was formed in 1991 by the Adelaide Hills Junior Soccer Association. In its first year of operation the club fielded only one team in the U/16 age group.

In 1995 the club entered teams in the U/19 and U/23 competitions and in 1998 it entered a senior team into the SASF State League finishing in the top half of the table.

In 2002 the club acquired an area in the Woodside Complex in the Adelaide Hills and is gradually developing a first class pitch and clubrooms. Peter Winter, the newly appointed groundsman, managed to transform the pitch surface from a patchy low grade ground to a pitch that now competes with the best. Woodside boasts the largest pitch in South Australia and will also begin developing its junior pitch in the near future. Seating will also be constructed along the side-line.

In 2004 the young club surprised everyone when it won promotion to the Premier League. The club considered remaining in the State League as it believed it was not ready for the Premier League and would not be competitive as it did not pay its senior players. However it opted to move up into the Premier League in order to gain valuable experience for its very young side. Adelaide Hills performed well in the Premier League though, as expected, the finished last and were relegated. The experience was a valuable one with a number of younger hawks remaining at the club and proceeding to play in the following season for the first team.

In 2005, the Hawks first season in the top flight, the federation decided "The Hawks Nest" wasn't up to the federations standards to play Premier League games and therefore needed to find an alternate home ground. Enfields ground was the chosen location and therefore the Hawks had to play all home games for the season there. This was like playing away games week in week out which affected the hawks season and their preparation for games (Enfield is at least an hour's drive from most places in the Hills).

In 2006 Hawks suffered a disappointing season finishing 7th in the new Premier League, but many young players were given the opportunity to play first team football and again benefitted from this experience.

2007 has seen a change in coaching staff due to Craig Leith being appointed as a Football Federation Representative and so big things are expected from the small club. Bruce Farquar has moved from Port Adelaide Football Club and appointed as Senior coach with Gregory Videon as assistant coach. Tim Green, a well respected Sydney player made the move over the border to take control of the reserve team.