Eaglehawk on the right track to push for top three in 2024

The Hawks were disappointed to bow out of the 2023 BFNL finals race against Strathfieldsaye on Sunday, but Matheson was adamant the positives far outweighed the negatives for his side this year.

After missing the finals and finishing seventh in 2022, the Borough rose to fourth this season and advanced to the second week of the finals.

"It's really important that you identify the positives of the year and I said to the boys (after the semi-final loss) that it's not too hard to find them,'' Matheson said.

"We went from seventh to fourth, we won a final and we've had guys establish themselves at senior level.

"We had a 16-year-old kid (Jack O'Shannessy), who basically played every game, so finding the positives is easy to do and that's what we wanted to celebrate after the game."

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The Borough started the season with five-straight wins before they suffered shock defeats to Kyneton and Kangaroo Flat by a combined total of four points.

Those losses eventually cost the club a top-three berth and the double-chance.

"It's easy when you're in this situation to dwell on close losses or injuries or things that could have gone differently, but one of the things we have to focus on is finding ways we can improve individually,'' Matheson said.

"At the very least, if we can retain our list and everyone improves five to 10 per cent, which I think we can, that will make a big difference.

"If we're able to bring one or two guys in, then that's great, but we have massive improvement to come from inside this group.

"A large number of boys have already recommitted for next year.

"Our reserves are straight into the grand final and that team is largely made up of 19-year-olds. Hopefully, over the off-season a lot of those boys get themselves into a position to play senior footy next year."

Matheson said assistant coach and former St Kilda skipper Jarryn Geary had some wise words for the group after the first semi-final defeat.

"Jarryn spoke to the boys after the game about being patient with our journey,'' Matheson said.

"The thought of going from seventh last year to winning the flag this year was probably unrealistic. You don't see that too often.

"We took some steps in the right direction and, hopefully, we can take a couple more next year."

The 35-point first semi-final loss to Strathfieldsaye on Sunday largely centred around the Storm's six-goal burst in the second quarter.

"I said to the boys that it was a great learning curve,'' Matheson said.

"For that 15 minute period we didn't do any of the things that we spoke about doing for the best part of the game and it basically cost us the final margin.

"We've ticked the box of playing in a finals series and we've won a final, so that gives us awareness of what it takes to go a bit deeper."

In his first game back from a hamstring injury, Kal Geary reminded Borough fans of his class with a standout performance.

"We started Kal forward and he was electric, but then (when Strathfieldsaye got on top) we had the hard decision as to whether to leave him there or throw him into the midfield,'' Matheson said.

"He went into the middle and had an impact. He showed his class and he was our best player."

Teenager O'Shannessy bobbed up and kicked a goal and wasn't afraid of mixing it physically with his more experienced Storm opponents.

The 16-year-old has a bright future in Bendigo footy.

"He was getting the best defender when Cam McGlashan and Darcy Richards weren't playing,'' Matheson said of O'Shannessy.

"The way he's handled it, and what he's shown, was a phenomenal effort.

"It would be hard to find a kid of his age that is playing senior footy to the standard he has this year.

"I'm sure people who watched the game wouldn't have realised he was only 16."

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