You wouldn't know it looking at his performances this season, or the C next to his name, but the 32-year-old was beginning to contemplate options outside of Wollongong as new coach Brian Goorjian's roster started to fill up.

Eventually there was no spots left, with only an injury to Dan Grida opening the door for the club to extend Ogilvy's career with the club into a sixth season. Goorjian saw enough in the ensuing period to ultimately make him skipper. It was a quick trip back, but Ogilvy admits it looked dire.

"It looked grim there for a little bit, I was looking at other opportunities and trying to figure out where I was going to play," Ogilvy said ahead of his 150th game in Hawks garb.

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"I thought the Hawks [career] was done for me which would've been a terrible way to go out. That's how this business can be sometimes but it all turned around. Things have swung the opposite direction since then.

"[Miletstones] It's not something I really keep track of but playing over a hundred games in this league is great so to play this many for the Hawks is fantastic. It's not something you really take note of, I just try and prepare the best I can to help the team go out there and get a win because that's what we need to do right now."

The winning feeling was hard to come by in a franchise-low 5-23 season in 2020 after which the club fell into administration. It's illustrative of the ups and downs Ogilvy's endured in Wollongong, but he says things are definitely on an upward swing.

"Roller coaster is a hundred per cent the best way to describe it," he said.

"Making the semi-finals and grand final series the first two of years was unreal. I'm proud of what I've achieved, but for me it's always been about trying to help the team succeed and doing whatever that takes. Over the past couple of years we haven't been able to do that.

"I'm really excited to be part of a team that's winning games and playing a fun brand of basketball again. I think that's what's most important for me. There's been ups and downs, the ups have been really high and the downs have been pretty low but I think this year's looking like an up year which is exciting."

More than that, he's finding the form that led to three consecutive All-NBL First Team honours in his first three seasons in the league; something he puts down to a number of factors.

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"It's definitely a combination of different things, I'm feeling as healthy as I have in years," he said.

"I'm playing with a group of guys that push me to play to their level and at their speed, athletically and basketball IQ-wise. The other thing is just passion for the game.

"Not playing for 12 months just re-ignited that flame to go out and try and take every opportunity I have because who knows what's going to happen. That time in between games certainly drove me not to take games for granted, not take possessions off and try and be a part of a really successful team.

"We've got a great group of talented young guys and we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we can get done here. I think once we get all the pistons firing it'll definitely be an up year."

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