In the game-of-the-season the Bulldogs battled back from a two-goal deficit late in the final quarter and ease home by the smallest of margins.

The Hawks landed the opening three goals of the last term with on-ballers Ben McPhee and Sam Harper on top at the stoppages.

Then best afield Adam Baird sparked a late Square resurgence.

Spearhead Dylan Johnstone landed his fourth goal from 15 metres out and skipper Jack Geary capitalised on a Chris Ryan handball to hammer home the Dogs’ ninth goal and tie the game up.

A Comanche Walls behind from a set shot at the 27-minute mark - his fourth minor of the day, including a poster – handed the home side their one-point win: 9.14 (68) to the Hawks’ 9.13 (67).

The other important statistic from the game was Johnstone’s success in the Ron Best Medal as the BFNL’s leading goalkicker.

His four goals gave him 79 for the season, two ahead of Eaglehawk’s Matt Gretgrix who nailed only one major for a 2016 tally of 77.

The Hawks couldn’t buy a goal in the opening quarter yet they still went to the long break ahead by 10 points.

While McPhee, Gretgrix and Brock Rogers all scored points Square’s Hamish Morcom, Tom Toma and Johnstone - with a long, booming shot – all hammered home majors.

Then the tide turned. Eaglehawk drove home five unanswered second quarter majors at the Maple Street end, mastering the tricky cross-breeze.

Best of these was Rogers’ second of the quarter. He almost lost his footing, but recovered and kept going to land a timely Hawks’ major.

Trailing by 10 points at the long break, the Square needed to lift. Johnstone and non-stop runner Adam Baird nailed much-needed goals.

Then Johnstone took a strong overhead mark as Isaac Miller passed inboard after intercepting an Eaglehawk clearing move.

Gretgrix finally broke the Hawks’ goal drought when he was on-line for the visitors’ first major in 26 minutes.

And when McPhee, Damian Wust and Anthony Franchina (with a clever off the side of the boot slider) were all on target early in the final term suddenly the Hawks were two goals up.

Then came the Adam Baird and Tom Toma-inspired fightback. Michael Roberts was also a more than handy in-and-under scrapper while Travis Baird joined Dale Young in shutting down the Eaglehawk attack.

Young’s influence in negating Gretgrix was pivotal.

While pleased to get the win Square coach Nick Carter wanted his playing group to get as close to each other as possible.

“We have to aim at the highest standard possible. There’s only a month left in this season so we have to ensure we engage in the most thorough preparation we can,” he told his players.