FORMER SWAN GOING BACK WHERE IT ALL STARTED
October 28 2003 Mark Heenan

FORMER Sydney Swan Daryn Cresswell has renewed ties with the Geelong Football Club, after being appointed as an assistant coach to Mark Thompson

Cresswell originally from North Hobart in Tasmania, played five games with the Geelong Under 19's as a 17 year-old, says he is looking forward to going back to where it all started.

" It is good to go back. How the wheel turns. They were really good to me back then, the footy club " Cresswell told the Herald Sun.

Cresswell, a veteran of 244 senior games with the Sydney Swans admits back then it was hard making the move to the mainland as a teenager.

" I was pretty homesick, pretty young (only 17). I sort of regretted it a couple years later. Then I was lucky enough to get a second opportunity in Sydney " he said.

The 32 year-old says it was always going to be hard to determined whether or not this year was going to be his last, after the Swans were within a whisker of making a grand final appearance.

" I had to make a decision whether I was going to play on and I suppose I didn't really make it until late in the year. I was playing pretty good footy and the side went well. I suppose you couldn't finish (in a much better better way) other than win the premiership, when we went out in the preliminary final. " Cresswell said

While Cresswell has been assigned to midfield coaching duties, Geelong has also appointed the services of former Cat Ken Hinkley who will take care of the forwards.

After being traded from Fitzroy in 1989, Hinkley played 121 games with the Cats and finished third in the 1992 Brownlow Medal, and won Geelong's 1992 Best and Fairest.

Since retiring in 1995, Hinkley was an assistant coach to Malcolm Blight at St. Kilda and took Camperdown to back to back flags in 1999-2000 in the Hampden League. The success didn't stop there when the former Cat half back coached Bell Park to a GFL Premiership this year.

Hinkley is very grateful to get an opportunity with another League club, and believes Geelong is heading in the right direction.

" (Geelong) has put together a talented young list. I might be lucky to come at the right time when that list with further development, will go on and reap the rewards of some of the decisions they took a couple of years ago " Hinkley said.