By Terry Wilson
APART from one game filling in for the Aspley colts side a couple of weeks ago Ben Hogan has not known any other club but the Sandgate Hawks.
The Hogan name is synonymous with Sandgate and young Ben has plenty of red and green coursing through his blood after starting there as a junior.
Hogan, only 17, is this week’s QAFL Round 17 Rising Star Award nominee after a series of strong performances as a part of the very much overworked Hawks defence.
Another good effort last weekend against Labrador clinched his award nomination and the teenager feels it was perhaps his best game of 14 appearances for the Hawks in 2018.
“I’m pretty satisfied with my performances this year,” he said.
“I had a good start then towards the middle it dropped off a bit but over the past few weeks I’ve got some confidence back and last weekend against Labrador I thought I had my best game of the year.”
The rookie defender, who does not turn 18 until January, made his seniors debut for Sandgate in Round 14 last year – against Labrador – and has now tallied a total of 17 QAFL games.
“That was a lot different to playing 16s with the speed of it and the way the ball was delivered into the forwards,” he said of the occasion.
It looks like Ben will carry on a strong Hogan tradition at Lemke Road Oval, where a number of the clan have featured over the years.
His father Adam played for the Hawks, as did uncles Michael and Adrian Hogan and Brian Henningsen.
“And my Grandad Frank was a trainer there,” Ben said.
Father Adam played a few games for the old Brisbane Bears reserves side in the VFL and also played with North Brisbane after Sandgate and Windsor-Zillmere merged.
Now it is up to Ben to forge his own career and he has his dreams, like any young footballer.
Still at school completing Year 12 at St Patrick’s College at Shorncliffe, Ben would love to be drafted by an AFL club.
“That’s the end goal but I know I’ve got a lot to work on,” he said.
In particular? “Just my size, I’m not the biggest guy going around (he is 184cm tall and weighs 70kg),” Ben said.
“I’d like to get on the Aspley NEAFL list before that.”
Obviously life as a backman playing for Sandgate can be tough, but Hogan feels the group now at the Hawks can build a sound foundation for the future.
“It is challenging at times (in defence for the Hawks),” he said.
“We come up against a few good sides and their ball movement t into the forward is pretty difficult to stop.
“But the group we have know we’re trying our best.”
This season Hogan has had the added responsibility of taking the kick-ins and has made a good fist of the important role for a side that has had just the one victory.
Hogan becomes the second Sandgate youngster to be nominated for the Rising Star Award. He joins James Taglieri as a candidate for overall honours.
