Hawks hit title heights

THE Northern Hawks have triumphed over Cripps Waratah to claim the Tasmanian Netball League 2022 Premiership Trophy.

In Saturday’s grand final at the Silverdome, Hawks locked in their place as the year’s top team, not conceding a game throughout the season and remaining atop the ladder from the start.

Despite strong competition from Cripps, the squad was unable to hinder the momentum of the Hawks line-up, who led from the first whistle and finished the opening half of the match ahead by 14 with a score of 35-21.

They extended their winning margin further throughout the second phase, and ultimately prevailed in an impressive score of 68-36.

Calling on their grand final experience and overall tenacity and cohesiveness as team, Hawks were particularly strong in the attacking end, with stalwart shooters Ash Mawer and Danni Pickett showcasing their strength and creativity in converting the team’s efforts down the court.

Mawer was also awarded MVP for the clash.

Head coach Kellie Woolnough praised the team for its efforts throughout the season.

“It was a fantastic reward for effort. As a team and a club, we are proud of the intensity and focus of all the team to achieve the premiership cup in 2022,” Woolnough said.

“Our goal for the year was to establish ourselves as a relentless team and we are proud to say we have, and reaped the rewards.”

After sitting in third place for the majority of the season, Cripps overcame last year’s premiership-winning Cavs side in the semis to earn their grand final spot, and put up a hard-fought battle against the favourites, who were also aided by their home crowd.

Cripps head coach Aaron Pidgeon had previously acknowledged the work of all involved in the club’s journey to both the under-19 and open grand finals.

“A lot of work goes into running a netball club, so when you get both your under-19s and opens into the grand final – it’s critical that everyone acknowledges the people behind the scenes who work so hard,” Pidgeon said.

In the under-19 competition, Cripps overcame Devon at the Silverdome in a nail-biting game, eventually prevailing by a point, 37-36.

Cripps’ Chanelle Byers was the grand final MVP for the under-19 match.