SEVEN months ago Hawks swingman Tim Coenraad had doubts about Illawarra even having an NBL team.
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Now he’s convinced they have a team able to break a 15-season title drought.
Such a scenario appeared unthinkable in March when the Hawks were placed into voluntary administration hot on the heels of just their second wooden spoon in their 36-year history.
The entire roster were made free agents and with rival clubs getting a jump on the recruitment period putting together a roster that could contend for the title seemed a long shot.
Come season tip-off, new coach Rob Beveridge has done just that after recruiting former NBL first team centre AJ Ogilvy and former league MVP’s Kevin Lisch and Kirk Penney to got with a host of returning stalwarts.
Coenraad admits it’s a roster that has exceeded the expectations he had when he was the second player, after skipper Oscar Forman, to re-sign with the club in July.
‘‘It was definitely surprising the amount of talent we were able to bring in,’’ Coenraad said.
‘‘Our roster’s been completely revamped and it’s a lot better than it was.
‘‘We’ve got two former MVP’s [Lisch and Penney] and one of the most dominant big guys in the league [Ogilvy].
‘‘To go from what we had last year to that is just a dream for all the rest of us. There’s no question that we’ve got the talent, the skills and the experience to deep into the play-offs and hopefully to the grand final.’’
While the club’s big name recuits have captured a lot of attention, it’s Coenraad who’s proven the star of the preseason, continuing the form that saw him named club MVP last season.
He attributes his flood of points to Beveridge’s offensive system.
‘‘It’s a different system to last year and it suits me a lot better,’’ Coenraad told the Mercury. ‘‘Last year we would turn down some shots to get through some offence and make the opposition work a lot more but this year Bevvo wants us to get up a lot more shots.”