Hawks still building in run to finals

IT wasn’t always pretty, but Eaglehawk co-coach Travis Matheson was happy to bank another four BFNL points, and to move on, following a win over Strathfieldsaye last Saturday.

The Hawks enhanced their top three credentials with a 30-point win at a blustery and cold Tannery Lane.

An eager Storm, desperate for four points of their own to get some separation from Castlemaine and a rising Golden Square in the battle for fifth spot, defended grimly throughout the contest.

But it was never going to be enough to hold out the steely Hawks.

For Matheson and co-coach Clayton Holmes the win was in some respects a means to an end.

“I just thought it was one of those games where we’ll happily bag the four points and move on a little bit,” Matheson said.

“To Strath’s credit, I thought they were really good. They had a crack and set up really well behind the ball.

“They made it hard for us to score.

“We weren’t as clean with the ball as we would have liked to have been.

“We’ll maybe put that down to giving the boys the week off training last week and coming back a bit scratchy.

“We’ll get to work and clean that up.

“But it was still good to win and we move on.”

 

Having coached the Hawks since 2019, Matheson felt 2025 had been one of the more challenging seasons he had overseen, given the testing number of bye and split rounds.

That’s not to say all the challenges posed by the draw have been negatives.

“It’s definitely been a bit different, but it’s also been a closer season to,” Matheson said.

“There definitely hasn’t been many blowouts and that kind of stuff, which there have been previously.

“It’s definitely been a season that has thrown a few things up that have been a little different.

“For us, there’s four games left to clean things up before we get into the real stuff.”

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect on Saturday was the response to their 15-point loss to Gisborne before the interleague break.

The Hawks were not without their chances and would have undoubtedly learned plenty, as they did from their earlier season loss to the Bulldogs, for the next time their paths cross.

That’s looking increasingly likely to be in the qualifying final.

In such a dour and defensive struggle, it was no surprise to see defenders Dylan Hanley and Charlie Langford perched atop the Hawks’ best players

Hanley and Ben Thompson both played their 100th games for

“They are both local boys and they are both really great mates,” he said.

 

“It was great for them to share that one today (on Saturday).

“It absolutely was motivation for us.”

Attention for the Hawks quickly turns to Castlemaine, which like the Storm, are in dire need of a win to keep their top five hopes alive.

“They will be pretty pumped up to keep pushing for fifth spot,” he said.

“Like Strath, they want to stay alive in the race.

“Every game is going to have a bit in it from now on.”

In other round 12 games, Golden Square leapfrogged Castlemaine to join fifth-placed Strathfieldsaye on 16 points with a win over Kangaroo Flat.

Sandhurst consolidated top spot with a 49-point win over South Bendigo, and Gisborne defeated Castlemaine by 21 points.

A big round 13 will be headlined by a top two clash between Sandhurst and Gisborne at Gardiner Reserve.

Round 12 recap: Sandhurst 18.7 (115) defeated South Bendigo 9.12 (66); Golden Square 22.19 (151) defeated Kangaroo Flat 6.8 (44); Strathfieldsaye 4.7 (31) lost to Eaglehawk 8.13 (61); Castlemaine 12.13 (85) lost to Gisborne 16.10 (106).

Round 13: Strathfieldsaye v Kangaroo Flat; South Bendigo v Golden Square; Gisborne v Sandhurst; Eaglehawk v Castlemaine.