Champion Hawks get the heroes' reception they deserve in city celebration

Tonight the Illawarra Hawks paraded up Crown St Mall to the cheers of a crowd of more than 500 people.

Lord Mayor Tania Brown thanked the team for a phenomenal, history-making season that brought the city and the region together and said at the next Council meeting on 7 April she would move a motion that the Hawks are bestowed the keys to the city. The crowd roared its approval.

Head coach for the Hawks, Justin Tatum, predicted back-to-back championships in 2026, which received the biggest cheer of the evening.

The crowd, made up of hundreds of young Hawks fans, stayed on, with people lining up for nearly an hour to meet their heroes and get an autograph as the DJ ripped out the Queen classic, We Are The Champions.

Just like Sunday’s hugely memorable win at the WIN Entertainment Centre, this was another occasion to remember.