Joel Armstrong in his favourite place, behind his camera at a Hawks game. Photo: Illawarra Hawks.
It took one single act of kindness.
That act of kindness from a Hawks legend helped forge a lifelong relationship, one which has stood the test of time and even brought the NBL’s foundation club back from the brink of destruction.
When Gordie McLeod pushed the wheelchair of eight-year-old Joel Armstrong into the Hawks’ changerooms after a victory in 1986 at the Snakepit, he was simply doing a good turn for a young man having a battle with Perthes disease, a childhood disorder of the hip.
Little did McLeod know the impact it would have.
Since then, the now 46-year-old, known simply to all as “Kevy”, has built an enormous personal legacy with the Hawks.
It’s a relationship and a connection which reflects the deep roots of the Hawks in the Illawarra community as they hunt their second NBL Championship. A connection few other clubs can claim and one the league hierarchy often struggles to understand.
In the past two decades alone, all the while juggling a job at the UOW as a web developer, Armstrong has played a multitude of roles with the club, from photographer to web master, designer and content producer and he was a driving force with his great mate Mat Campbell in the Save the Hawks campaign.
He lists coining the phrase “Hawkheads” to describe Hawks fans, brought to life by the team at Relativity in 2015-16, and designing the banners of the five retired Hawks legends hanging from the WEC rafters as personal highlights.
Joel’s pic of NBA superstar Lamelo Ball during his season with the Hawks in 2019. Photo: Joel Armstrong.
“That moment with Gordie cemented my love for the Hawks and, from then on, the team became a massive part of my life,” Armstrong commented while in Melbourne this week where he was capturing behind-the-scenes footage for the Hawks in their game two Championship series win over Melbourne United.
“That was one of my early memories. The changerooms at the Snakepit then were out the back where the canteen is and they were tiny and jam-packed. But it was cool.
“I was hooked … and I haven’t really ever left.”
In typical Wollongong fashion, the connections grew when former Hawks brothers Rod and Terry Johnson moved into the small townhouse complex where Joel lived with his mum and fellow Hawkhead Dianne Reid.
“I was already a devoted fan by then, so having them as neighbours was surreal,” he said.
“My place had the basketball hoop over the garage, so after school it was shooting with Rod as a 12-year-old. That was pretty cool.”
There are countless stories from Armstrong’s direct involvement in the club, but one of the unique ones relates to being responsible for the Hawks’ ultimately redundant Championship T-shirts when they lost in game three away to the Wildcats in Perth in 2010.
“Me and Luke Doherty took boxes over and had them under our seat at three quarter time ready … and then we lost,” he said.
“Random story – my uncle in New Zealand sent me a picture the other day. He was at an op shop somewhere in New Zealand and bought one of those shirts.
“Every sporting team in the grand final gets them made, in case you win, then they get sent off to who knows where, when you lose. And obviously this didn’t get to Africa, like a lot of them do, they got to New Zealand. I haven’t seen one for 15 years. Like, that’s cool.”
Armstrong’s uncle bought the shirt for $5.
The Hawks’ last game in 2009 before Armstrong and Mat Campbell would help mount the resurrection of the Hawks. Photo: Joel Armstrong.
Armstrong played a vital role in the Campbell-led Save the Hawks campaign in 2009, setting up the website and Facebook pages to help rally support.
“The next few months were a blur of fundraising efforts, media engagement, and community mobilisation,” he said.
“I’ll never forget the moment Mat called me at work one day and said, ‘Kevy, can you be at NRE in 15 minutes with a camera?’.
“That was when Arun Jagatramka signed the $1 million guarantee the NBL required for the Hawks’ survival. Against all odds, we pulled it off.
“The Hawks returned, Gordie came back as head coach, and we made it all the way to game three of the grand final that season.”
Joel’s image of the moment the Hawks were saved in 2009. Photo: Joel Armstrong.
The “fight for life” with the Hawks has been a constant theme in a club history project Armstrong is working on for the Hawks for release in the off-season.
“The club at times has been run on the smell of an oily rag,” he said.
“Looking through the notes for the history project, there have been a lot of ‘Save the Hawks’ before the Save the Hawks was even a thing. People mortgaging their house to keep the club going, stuff like that.”
So, the current Hawks’ experience where they won the minor premiership and have the backing of American businessman and owner Jared Novelly has been a unique experience.
“I said that to Jared the other day, before game one,” Armstrong said.
“When we’ve made grand finals it’s been super celebratory, but last week it was like, ‘Oh, we’re actually meant to be here’. We’re actually a good team now.
“We’ve got a good owner, a good front office, good backing and good support. Even in those years we were making grand finals we weren’t getting constant sellouts like this.”
Joel’s pic of his great mate and former Hawk Glen Saville playing for the Boomers at the 2008 Olympics. Photo: Joel Armstrong.
For Armstrong, the history project has been a passion, paying homage to the club and the many Hawks who have become an integral part of his life.
“(The history project) feels like a full-circle moment to ensure the Hawks’ legacy is preserved for future generations,” he said.
“More than anything, my involvement with the Hawks has led to lifelong friendships. Thanks to Glen Saville, I had the incredible experience of visiting the Athletes Village during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While there, I scored some amazing tickets to other events through championship-winning coach Brendan Joyce.
“Sav and his wife Ange’s extended family have become like family for myself and my mum, who has no relatives in Australia. Now, I’m taking photos of Sav’s kids in their respective sports, which feels like another full-circle moment.”
That small moment of kindness back in ’86 didn’t just make a young fan’s day — it helped save a club, shape its identity, and ensure its story would never be forgotten.
ARMSTRONG’S OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Designed many Hawks uniforms (his favourite being the 2015-16 black and red set worn by the likes of Kirk Penney and Kevin Lisch)
- Designing key visuals, giant billboards, big screen graphics, flags outside the arena, and various team merchandise
- Being part of the team that selected the new Hawks logo in the 2011 rebrand
- For a few seasons, writing (admittedly, biased) game reports for the Hawks website, taking photos and doing the social media in game posts
- Launching and growing the Hawks’ social media presence with the club’s first YouTube videos dating back to 2008/09 – the Hawks were the league pioneers back then
- Contributing to multiple ‘Save the Hawks’ efforts, including the 2006-07, 2008-09 and then the 2015 voluntary administration process, where he volunteered essentially full-time alongside Tim Fares and the then general manager
- Creating the “ALL IN” slogan used during the Brian Goorjian-led playoff push, which was printed on 5000 free T-shirts for the series.
The Illawarra Hawks take on Melbourne United in game three of the NBL25 Championship, on Sunday 16 March at the WIN Entertainment Centre. The best-of-five game series is currently tied one-all. For more details, visit the Finals Hub.
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