Hawks hold off HBL Lions in round nine | Photos
The speed of Augusta Margaret Rivers midfield was once again a force too strong for the visitors to Gloucester Park as the Hawks took on the Harvey Brunswick Leschenault Lions on Saturday.
Still stinging from a loss to Carey Park in round eight and facing the Lions on a two-game streak it was clear the Hawks needed to start strong and continue the pace through all four quarters.
Augusta Margaret River took an early lead in the first quarter which they managed to hold onto for the rest of the game in the face of a hardworking HBL side.
Forward Jack Hick continued to be a powerhouse for the Hawks, securing four goals and collecting a swag of airtime much to the frustration of Lions Tom Kelly and Ben Ablett, who managed to thwart just a handful of Hicks marks.
A free kick to Luke Furlong in the first thirty seconds of the second quarter gave the Hawks the first goal of the term .
A great mark by Lion Taine Williams off the boot of Zavier Williams gave the visitors a chance to reply, but Williams couldnt find the accuracy on a similar angle to Furlongs goal just minutes earlier.
HBL had moments of brilliance, David Newman tackling hard and maintaining composure to score three goals for the game and stopping some powerful AMR midfielders in their tracks.
A huge leap from Hick saw him limping off the ground minutes before the half time siren, taking a particularly heavy fall in a marking contest and leaving spectators wondering if he would return.
Forward Jack Hick continued to be a powerhouse for the Hawks, securing four goals and collecting a swag of airtime much to the frustration of Lions Tom Kelly and Ben Ablett, who managed to thwart just a handful of Hicks marks.
The wind knocked out of AMRs sails for a moment, Newman picked up the slack to grab a goal and remind the home team that there was still a match to be played.
Hick soon returned to bolster the ranks, but Newman still managed another major score to bring the Lions to within 5 points of Augusta Margaret River.
With the heat on and HBL tackling hard the Hawks struggled to find the pace they have been using to overpower visiting teams this season.
Ben Gerrans and Lincoln Adams worked hard to push back against a handful of charging HBL forwards, some classy footwork giving the Hawks the upper hand into the final term.
Despite scoring just one goal in the fourth quarter, a flurry of points and solid defensive work gave the Hawks their latest home ground win.
The Hawks now sit in fifth position on the ladder while Hick holds fifth spot on the leagues leading goalkickers scoreboard with 22 goals to his name.
Final Score Augusta Margaret River 10.16-76 Harvey Brunswick Leschenault 6.11-47. Hawks Goal Kickers: J. Hick (4), M. Payne (2), J. Purdue (1), L. Furlong (1), J. Payne (1), S. Grantis (1). Hawks Best On Ground: Mitch Lynn, Seve Grantis, Jack Hick, Jacob Payne, Luke Furlong, Lincoln Adams.
The Hawks will travel to Collie to face the Eagles on Sunday, while the HBL Lions will play Donnybrook at Mitchell Park.
Colts & Reserves
The Augusta Margaret River Hawks had to settle for a draw in their Colts game against Harvey Brunswick Leschenault on Saturday despite taking an early lead. Kicking three goals in the first term, the Hawks managed to hold the Lions to just one goal and a handful of points.
By the end of the first half, the Lions had pulled alongside the home team and by the end of the third quarter the Hawks had run out of steam, falling 17 points behind. The Hawks gave it everything they had in the final term, pulling four goals out of the hat to draw level with the visitors at 53-53 on the siren. Lion Caleb Wilson had a great day out scoring three goals, while Nicholas Barr (3) and Noah Cummings (2) were the Hawks leading scorers.
In the Reserves match, Keegan Fortescue led the Lions to a massive 81 point win over Augusta Margaret River who failed to find the pace to keep up. Socring just one point in the first term, the Hawks battled in the face of a five goal quarter for the Lions.
As the game wore on, Rhys Owen managed a valiant 3 goals while Jacob Buckland, Kade Wrigglesworth and Cody Bavoillot scored one apiece.
It was not enough to combat the HBL strength and speed, Shannon Sabourne and Christopher Strano each notching up three goals for their efforts. Final score 6.7-43 to 18.16-124.
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Margaret River Mail
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