THE BFNL has a new ladder-leader after Eaglehawk dominated Golden Square from midway through the third quarter of their clash on Saturday.
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In what was a stunning turnaround in the 1 v 2 battle at Wade Street, the Hawks kicked the last nine goals of the game as they turned what had been a 29-point deficit during the third term into a 26-point victory.
In what was only the Hawks’ second victory at Golden Square since 2008, they prevailed 16.15 (111) to 12.13 (85) to notch their eighth win in a row.
Having started the day in second position, the Hawks replaced Golden Square in top spot and now have a one-game buffer in pole position with their 11-2 record.
The Hawks are the sixth team to have sat on top of the ladder this season, with Castlemaine, Golden Square, Kyneton, South Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye also having had stints in first spot.
As well as the 55-point turnaround from the 18-minute mark of the third quarter when the Bulldogs led 12.9 to 7.10, the Hawks’ victory is more meritorious given key forward Matt Gretgrix – who has kicked more than a third of their goals this year – was forced from the ground early in the second term with a hand injury.
The Bulldogs – minus co-captains Jack Geary and Brayden Dorrington – didn’t kick a goal after the 13-minute mark of the third term, with their final major coming after Travis Baird slotted his fifth after planting his foot in the back of Glenn Daly to take a soaring mark and convert from long-range.
From there the rest of the game was all one-way traffic, with the Hawks’ revival starting with a pair of set-shot goals from former Square player Riley Saunders, who kicked three for the match.
And when Trent Bacon in his first senior game for the club nailed a left-foot snap, the Hawks were back within 12 points at the final change.
The Hawks had 10.10 on the board at three quarter-time, with six of their goals having come in time-on across each of the first three terms.
With their tails up, the Hawks obliterated the Bulldogs in the final quarter as the home side ground to a halt and didn’t help its cause with some poor disposal, particularly by hand.
The Hawks finished with a final-term burst of 6.5 to 0.3, with Bacon kicking two last-quarter goals to add to his third term major.
The Hawks – who missed their first five set-shots at goal and were sloppy with their ball-use early – spent only 20 minutes in the lead, not hitting the front for the first time until the 10-minute mark of the last quarter.
Daly was superb across half-back for the Hawks and had the ball on a string, while the Collins boys – Brodie, who kicked a 65m goal in the second term, and Jesse – provided plenty of midfield drive and grunt.
Travis Baird with his five goals and defender Jon Coe, who continued his fine season, were both prominent for the Bulldogs, who for the first time since 2008 have lost both home and away encounters to Eaglehawk.