Har’ Work documentary director Keean Murrell-Snape (left), producer Gerardo Ceres (centre) and Hawks legend Chuck Harmison. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
The history, hardships and heart of the community will be highlighted in a new documentary honouring the Illawarra Hawks’ journey to NBL championship glory, with the creators calling on fans to share moments and mementos to help capture the full story.
From the Snakepit grandstands to the WIN Entertainment Centre, the Illawarra community has stood by its beloved basketball team for more than four decades.
The fans’ passion and dedication have been pivotal for the team’s survival and now, as the story of the Hawks’ journey to claim the national crown comes to life, those who supported them will not be left behind.
“The championship this year really brought the community together and we want to expand on that,” documentary director Keean Murrell-Snape said.
“We want people to feel that they are part of the story, because they are.”
Through ups and downs, and years where there was a fear that there would no longer even be a team, the Hawks’ emotional journey has impacted more than just the players.
Producer Gerardo Ceres said: “What happens on the court is an incredible, important part of it but it is only one part of it, and none of that happens without all the staff and all the support and all the volunteers and all the fans, and all the community that come together.
“The story can’t just be about what happens on the court.”
The idea for a documentary was born from pure passion, with each of the creators having his own connection to, and memories of, the club.
“I grew up in the Illawarra and have been a Hawks fan since I was a little kid,” Keean said. “My mum used to bring me to games at the Snakepit. I now take my son to games at the Entertainment Centre.
“It’s in my blood. I feel like we, as a team, are the right people to tell this story; it just feels completely natural for us.”
Hawks legend Chuck Harmison hoped the story would resonate with people who could connect to the club’s underdog journey.
“It’s our resilience, it’s the fact that we’re still here. We’ve been here for 46 years and it looks like we’ll be here for another 46,” Chuck said.
“It’s the success we’ve had, but it’s also the trials and tribulations.”
He played nine seasons for the Hawks before he retired, but continued to give back and stay connected to the game as the Hawks’ general manager and later the CEO for the NBL.
And despite it being almost 30 years since he hung up his jersey, fans still regularly strike up conversations.
“I get stopped all the time,” Chuck said.
“It’s just really special and it makes you realise that people in the community have a passion for the team.”
Chuck spent this year’s grand final game next to club stalwart and life member John Trevillion Scott, watching the accumulation of decades of hard work come together to claim victory for only the second time in the Hawks’ history.
“He and I were in tears,” Chuck said.
“It was just so emotional. He, more than anybody because he’s been here since day one, knows the hard work that you’ve got to put into winning a championship.
“It was just really special and I felt so proud of the guys.”
It was a moment that no Hawks fan will forget any time soon, but the journey wasn’t easy, with the team coining the term ”Har’ Work” to represent their determination, grit and perseverance throughout the season.
Now, as the Relativity Films & Bottega Films co-production aims to capture the journey in its entirety in Har’ Work: Rise of the Illawarra Hawks and shine a light on the history of the country’s oldest basketball club, the filmmakers are calling on the community to help tell the story by digging out their own mementos and memorabilia.
“We’re after photos, they could be Polaroids that you took of yourself at a game in 1981 or something like that, they could be a jersey that you kept that was signed, things that are precious to you that bring back your memories of the game,” Gerardo said.
“We’ve got news reports and those things but I think that still tells an outside story, whereas this fan memorabilia and these personal stories tell a whole other story.”
The final production is set to connect both with loyal fans and those experiencing the Hawks for the first time.
“People love good stories about people overcoming incredible odds, and that is what has happened in this club so many times,” Keean said.
“We don’t want it just to be a story for Illawarra Hawks fans. Of course we want them to enjoy it, but we want it to be a broad, far-reaching, entertaining piece of history.”
Fans can contact the creators by emailing har’[email protected] or through the production’s Instagram page.
All borrowed memorabilia will be returned to owners.
