Hawks fight Bloods to stay in Cup race

EAGLEHAWK’S senior footy team will be under pressure from South Bendigo to keep its Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL premiership hopes alive this Sunday.

The Hawks and Bloods will contest the elimination final at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Oval from 2.20pm.

A nine-goal loss to the ladder-leading Sandhurst in last Saturday’s final round of the home and away series meant the Hawks dropped from the third perch on the ladder to the fourth.

Now the Travis Matheson-coached Hawks have to beat the Nathan Horbury-coached Bloods to stay in the premiership race.

This season’s meetings between the clubs stand at two-nil in favour of Eaglehawk – 58-48 in round one, and 103-47 in the 10th round.

Big test for the Hawks’ defence on Sunday in stopping a Bloods’ attack led by Brock Harvey who kicked 65 regular season goals, Steven Stroobants who had 55, and Will Keck with 39.

Teams have changed markedly since last September.

As the Bloods won an elimination final, Eaglehawk was an onlooker after finishing season 2022 in seventh place.

Finals action kicks off with Saturday’s qualifying finals where Golden Square and Strathfieldsaye Storm renew their fierce rivalry.

Although the Bulldogs have beaten Storm by margins of seven and 78 points, Golden Square coach Christian Carter will be wary of what the opposition is capable of.

These clubs met in last year’s qualifying final where the Darryl Wilson-coached Storm won by 38 points on the way to reaching another grand final.

A highlight of this Saturday’s match will be watching two of the league’s best forwards in action.

Strathfieldsaye Storm co-captain and gun forward Lachlan Sharp has kicked 93 goals in 16 matches to again claim the Ron Best Medal as leading goalkicker.

Runner-up was last year’s Ron Best medallist and Golden Square star, Joel Brett on 84 goals in 18 matches.

It’s been plentiful supply for the forward lines of both teams in the run to another finals campaign.

The Bulldogs have the run and skill of Tom Toma, Jack Geary, Jake Thrum and Ricky Monti.

Players to watch for Storm include Jake Moorhead, Daniel Clohesy, Callum McCarty and Luke Webb.