Ex-crow piles the pain on old mates
IT’S been more than three months, but Justin Rawlins is finally ready to break the shackles off his Warriors.
Rawlins took over the head coaching role of his boyhood club following the departure of Glen Davey in the off-season.
The former NPL defender said it was the right decision to step up to keep the club’s culture alive after making the North Queensland Football grand final last season.
Rawlins has played more than 100 fixtures for Warriors in the Premier League and captained the club to the NQ Football premiership in 2018.
But he admitted he would rely on the club’s senior playing ranks including goal machine Adam Sheen, his brother Michael and Adam Milgate to also lead the way for a young Warriors outfit.
“I didn’t want to be going outside the club in the search for a coach, I wanted to keep it in the club and keep the boys together,” he said. “I have been with Warriors since I was four or five years old and most clubs have their own culture and the way they are comfortable in playing. New coaches that aren’t used to that set up and aren’t used to that style, sometimes it can be good, it can be fresh, but other times it can go pear shaped.
“At the moment I am getting a lot of the senior blokes to help run training sessions. I see myself more as a man manager than a coach.”
The Warriors were tracking well into the season, narrowly missing out
FOR all Hugh Greenwood’s good work on the field against former club Adelaide on Sunday, it’s behind the scenes that the Gold Coast recruit has truly impressed new coach Stuart Dew.
The Suns kept the Crows scoreless in the first term at Metricon Stadium on their way to a 12.10 (82) to 4.5 (29) victory, with Greenwood laying 13 tackles to go with 10 contested possessions and eight clearances to set the tone. Traded to the Suns for a third and fourth-round pick, Crows football boss Mark Ricciuto said the 28-year-old was not going to be part of their next premiership side when justifying the move.
He added that the trade was an effort to speed up a midfield many viewed as the slowest in the AFL.
Greenwood cheekily tweeted “if only I were younger and quicker” after the win, instigating a good-natured back and forth between the pair.
It’s the kind of confidence Dew has welcomed into the fold and contributed to their terrific form since the competition’s return.
“He does a lot of the legwork, is really hard to tackle and draws people in,” Dew said of the former professional basketball player.
“But a lot of the stuff we love about Hugh is off the field; his care for teammates throughout that shutdown period was outstanding.
“(He’s played) just over 50 games, but in terms of life experience he’s had a lot and he’s got a good eye for guys that need support.
“We’re really lucky to have him.”
The Suns moved to 2-1 ahead of Saturday’s clash with Fremantle, when they will again start in the unique position of favourites.