Editorial
AJ Ogilvy and Tim Coenraad.
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If you told people before the start of this National Basketball League season those two names would be integral to an Illawarra Hawks' finals push you would have been looked at strangely.
Firstly, neither player was on the actual initial team.
When the new owners and coach Brian Goorjian gathered up the ashes of the previous failed ownership and set a new course for the Illawarra's club, neither Ogilvy's or Coenraad's name was on the list.
Ogilvy was only brought back into the team initially as an injury replacement for youngster Dan Grida, but Goorjian saw enough in the off season to make him team captain regardless and what an inspired choice that has proven to be.
The veteran centre has been a linchpin of the Hawks on court all season and has helped take some of the pressure on emerging young centre Sam Froling, who is without doubt one of the best young prospects in the country.
As for Coenraad? Well, he'd retired.
The fan favourite wasn't presented with an opportunity on the playing roster but had been working with the Hawks off court in a community relations role while still helping out on court at training.
When marquee player Cam Bairstow appeared unlikely to overcome injury, Goorjian threw Coenraad a lifeline and not only did he grab it, but he's swinging on it like Tarzan.
Coenraad carved out an incredible career as one of the league's best shooters and his shooting touch has come straight back. He's posing an outside threat teams can't leave open, vitally relieving some pressure from the Hawks' main scoring guards in Tyler Harvey and Justinian Jessup.
The Hawks enter the week a chance of becoming an unlikely play-off side, erasing the memory of a dismal last season and wooden spoon highlighted only by the half season of star LaMelo Ball on his path to the NBA.
The Hawks need to win just one of two remaining home games, against Perth on Tuesday or Sydney on Thursday, to cap off what would be the most incredible journeys for both Ogilvy and Coenraad.
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Julian O'Brien
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
