The Member Diaries: Nathan Fitzgerald

It was the last game of the season, two years ago, when Nathan Fitzgerald took his two sons to watch the Hawks play. The game didn’t amount to anything special, but it was a moment after the game, Fitzgerald said, that cemented his Hawks fandom forever, all at the hands of current Hawks captain, AJ Ogilvy.

“When he saw the boys in the crowd he said ‘I'll be back in five minutes,’ and he ran back into the locker room, and ran out carrying shoes he must’ve pre-signed; they said ‘to Noah, to Sam, all the best, AJ Ogilvy’, he's just a legend of the club and a really great bloke as well," Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald would attend the Hawks games as a kid, but it wasn’t until 2012 that he became a member. In fact, if it wasn’t for his kids, he might not have become one at all. 

“I took my son who turned two that year, he got into it, and the atmosphere, the interaction with the players and all that stuff lead us to keep coming back and we haven't missed a game since,” Fitzgerald said. 

Fitzgerald was an avid Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs member, but was looking for something to fill his and his families time through the Winter months. That’s when he found the Hawks, a team and an organisation that he says is perfectly catered to him and his sons.

“I guess you could say that the family atmosphere at the club, the interaction with the players, just the community feel has been one of the best things about it,” Fitzgerald said. 

This player interaction is something Fitzgerald highlighted, noting that it made for an incredibly engaging environment, particularly for his children, and all younger fans. 

“Talking on behalf of my boys, they love Tyler Harvey, and AJ Ogilvy is their favourite, and I'll say AJ as well, he's been one of those guys we talk to all the time, we have a relationship with him and he sends video birthday messages to my boys,” Fitzgerald said. 

But as much as Fitzgerald and his son’s like to interact with the players, there’s one thing they like more, and that’s winning. 

“We definitely started much better than last year's team, it's a more promising start, they seem to be a lot more cohesive than some of the teams we've had over the last few years,” said Fitzgerald.

“I think they have the potential to be one of the best teams the hawks have ever had if they can get it together.”