Hawks land trio of quality recruits

A MONTH after soaring to BFNL premiership glory with a stirring come-from-behind victory over Sandhurst, Eaglehawk has made another huge statement, this time on the recruiting front.

The Hawks have unveiled a trio of quality additions for their premiership defence, headlined by the return of a Michelsen medallist.

In a boost to their already potent on-ball stocks, led by this year’s Michelsen medallist Billy Evans, Ben Thompson and Joel Mullen, the Hawks will add Noah Wheeler to the mix following his decision to return to Canterbury Park.

He is not the only familiar face returning to the Hawks’ nest, with Lewin Davis set to don the double blue again in 2026 following a two-year absence.

Adding to the influx, the Hawks have enticed former South Bendigo midfielder Oscar White back to the BFNL, but to a new home.

All three players were teammates for Northern league club Banyule in 2025.

Following his departure at the end of his Michelsen-winning season in 2023, Wheeler spent the entire 2024 season sidelined as he recovered from an ACL injury.

He returned to the field of battle this season and featured in his side’s best players in 10 of 13 games and gained selection in the Northern league’s team of the year.

Davis’ precise ball use and ability to hurt teams on the scoreboard is sure to bring plenty of excitement to the Hawks in 2026.

White, who played with South Bendigo between 2021 and ’23, joins the Hawks after winning Banyule’s best and fairest this season.

An elite runner, he will further complement the Hawks’ robust midfield.

Hawks co-coach Travis Matheson is thrilled with the club’s early recruiting haul

“Noah and Lewin were two boys we have remained really close with are obviously deeply respected by people at the club,” he said.

“They really enjoyed their time at the club, so this was something we hoped would always happen.

“It’s a good result for everyone.

“You don’t win a Michelsen unless you are doing something right, so getting Noah back is huge.

“Unfortunately, his last year with us ended with an ACL injury and he missed a year of footy in 2024, but he bounced back by finishing fourth in the league MVP down there.

“He’ll come back and be the Noah we know.”

On further bolstering the midfield, Matheson added: “I think most boys in there can play in more than one position, so no doubt we will remain strong through that area of the ground.

“But it will allow us options to strengthen other parts of the ground as well.”

An influx of more top-end talent is just the start to the off-season the Hawks would have been hoping for after landing their 28th premiership.

From the line-up that came from 22-points down at three-quarter time to stun the Dragons by 10 points, the Hawks have lost only midfielder Joel Budarick, who is moving to Perth for work opportunities.

Matheson praised his massive contribution to the Hawks’ premiership season.

“We will miss Joel – he was obviously great for us,” he said.

“The same with the guys who have come back, the door is always open for Joel.

“Everyone else is locked away.”

As the strong start to their recruiting indicates, the Hawks are not prepared to rest on their laurels and are already embracing the challenge of being the hunted.

“It does change things (being reigning premiers). Most probably thought Sandhurst were going to win last year, and even whilst we thought we could win, we thought next year (2026) might be the year we give it a real nudge,” Matheson said.

“The challenge absolutely for us next year is the fact every time we come up against a team, they will be wanting to knock us off.

“From that perspective, it does make going back-to-back a lot harder.”