Brodrick will mentor the club’s under 18s side in 2019, returning to his home town after two-and-a-half years with Corrimal, in the Illawarra.

Hawks made the 2013 Group 10 under 18s grand final and then won the 2014 juniors premiership with Brodrick at the helm and he’s confident the two blues’ current group of under 18s is strong enough to taste similar success.

“The family’s getting bigger now and we thought it was time to move home,” Brodrick said.

“I approached Hawks and it went from there. I’ve heard there’s a good 16s side coming through and I’m keen to help develop those younger guys into senior players so once they finish in juniors we keep them at the club.

“Out of the teams I had and then the team Bossy (2015 under 18s coach Matt Boss) had, there’s a fair few of them now in first grade, and that’s what it’s about.

“We’re trying to develop future first graders.”

Brodrick is one of two new faces on Hawks’ coaching team for next Group 10 season.

Steve Pearson will take on the under 18s league tag job, while long-time coach Marty Lyden will again mentor the senior league tag girls.

After guiding Hawks to the first division minor premiership, and the 2018 preliminary final, Jack Middleton will get another crack with the two blues’ reggies.

Willie Heta will enter his third year at the helm of Hawks’ premier league side in 2019 and Brodrick’s keen to play in the top grade next season too.

He’ll likely prove a handy replacement for rampaging centre Kyle Robbins, who has linked with Port City Breakers in Group 3.

“I had this year off to give the body a rest, I hope to play first grade but given the way they went last year it’ll be a challenge to get back into the side,” Brodrick said.

“I played a couple of years down there and keen to get back into the coaching.”

Brodrick said training for under 18s will likely start in the new year, but the club was meeting soon to confirm those dates.

At the Hawks annual general meeting on November 8, the entire board was re-elected, with Mark Johnston (president), Jacky Lyden (vice president), Andrew Blimka (secretary), Gavin Pilossof (treasurer) and Frank Sheehan (registrar) taking on major roles, while the general committee also attracted healthy numbers.