Frank assessment of how Hawks can win
THE great Leigh Matthews once said midfielders were a dime a dozen in comparison with power forwards.
The key forwards are the ones who stand up on the big stage when the game is on the line and usually get paid accordingly for their importance.
Cairns Saints, who have relied on one of the best forwards the Far North has ever seen over the past decade in Matt Walsh, were almost singlehandedly beaten by an emerging presence into forward 50 on Saturday afternoon.
Former NEAFL and TAC Cup key forward, Ezekiel Frank, now in brown and gold of the Hawks, stood up in the final term with four crucial majors to put eight competition points clear of the two clubs in the race for fourth spot.
Saints led by three goals at the final change and looked on their way to spoiling the Hawks first Indigenous Round and 2007 Hawks premiership reunion party.
That was until the former Territory Thunder big man caught fire.
Frank bookended the final term, booting the first and last two goals of the fourth quarter, regularly outpointing his opponent Joel Newman, who was one of Saints’ best despite Frank’s brilliance.
The athletic teenager was forced to play up the ground earlier in the season but has now booted 16 goals over his past three games and was the difference in the 18.5 (113) — 16.9 (105) victory.
“We need Ezekiel forward even though he has to have a run in the ruck sometimes,” Hawks coach Marc Harbrow said.
“Things just happen when you get it in his area down forward. We need to get it on the boot quickly and get it into him.”
Saints will now need a huge second half of the season to sneak into the finals picture.
For the second week in a row, they led in the final term and could have easily recorded two wins in a row if things had gone the other way.
Impressive youngster Fitzroy Greenwool was again a livewire with five majors while Newman, in just his second game for the club since transferring from Townsville, provided run from defence. Saints’ injury concerns did not get any better after Geelong recruit Cade Wellington, who had kicked four goals, finished the game on crutches.
Harbrow was proud his squad found a way to win in the final term on such an important occasion for the club.
“We spoke about where we are as a group and as a club. We needed 22 captains to stand up, not just a handful of guys,” Harbrow said.
“We needed to fight on until that final siren.”
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0.1-10.110.1-1 Cairns City Lions 0.1-1 Centrals TB Bulldogs 7.4-46 15.17-107 25.25-175 40.32-272 Lions: Best players T. Fatnowna, B. Chiavelli, L. Woodcock-Nowlan, L. Smith, J. Brinn, B. Wallace Bulldogs: Goal kickers J. Williams 10, H. Nicholson 6, J. Campbell 5, M. McLachlan 5, R. Lempa 4, J. Potter 4, A. Robins 3, A. O’Sughrue, D. Smith, G. Simon. Best J. Williams, T. McAuley, H. Nicholson, R. Lempa, J. Potter Manunda Hawks 3.1-19 9.1-55 12.3-75 18.5-113 Cairns Saints 4.4-28 7.8-50 14.9-93 16.9-105 Hawks: Goal kickers E. Frank 5, J. Gall 3, C. Gauci 2, C. Flint, D. Seden, W. Aisi, M. Miskin, M. Millar, F. Saunders, K. Williams. Best E. Frank, D. Seden, J. Gall, C. Flint, J. Karwan, K. Williams Saints: Goal kickers F. Greenwool 5, C. Wellington 4, L. Poulter 3, D. McConachy, T. Messenger, K. Daley, J. Kneebone. Best J. Newman, B. Bish, F. Greenwool, J. Dixon, R. Couch, K. Daley 0.2-2 North Cairns Tigers 0.2-2 2.5-17 3.6-24 South Cairns Cutters 3.3-21 7.9-51 13.13-91 16.20-116 Tigers: Goal kickers T. Giffard, T. Ketchup, H. Molloy. Best A. Paynting, T. Clough, M. Perkins, C. Smith, D. Nash, S. Rowe Cutters: Goal kickers: C. Campbell 3, T. Borrillo 3, J. Dixon 2, M. Douglas 2, K. Petri, D. Skeene, D. Bosen, J. Roach, Z. Ewer, R. Etherington. Best D. Welch, Z. Ewer, J. Roach, R. Etherington, D. Dewis, H. Brayshaw GOALS Kye Chapple (Crocs) ............... 57 Jackson Williams (Bulldogs)...43 Jesse Mawson (Crocs) ............ 32 Cameron Campbell (Cutters)...28 Dwayne Bosen (Cutters) ......... 28 0.0 3.1-19 6.541 Pyramid Power 6.5-41 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 2.3-15 2.5-17 3.8-26 5.12-42 Power: Goal kickers D. Floyd 2, P. Kris, T. Sammons, L. Enosa. Best C. Sullivan, T. Ludwick, P. Kris, J. Abai, D. Raymond, V. Mundraby Bulldogs: Goal kickers A. Penn, J. Gardner, M. Baxter, R. Lyness, S. Jackson. Best J. Polglase, K. Goodman, S. Babia, A. Tulloch, J. Gardner, G. Clement 1.3-9 2.4-16 Manunda Hawks 3.6-24 5.7-37 Cairns Saints 1.2-8 5.2-32 6.339 7.3-45 Hawks: Goal kickers D. Teasdale 2, A. Taylor, S. Sagiba, A. Di Pietro. Best J. McCooey, D. Loftus, D. Teasdale, A. Taylor, S. Sagiba Saints: Goal D. Hill, M. White, M. Fields, M. Croghan. Best A. Hayes, H. Cox, L. Wren, S. Poepjes 0.2-2 North Cairns Tigers 0.2-2 2.3-15 2.3-15 South Cairns Cutters 3.0-18 6.4-40 10.5-65 15.9-99 Tigers: Goals B. Jorgensen, J. Bosuen. Best J. McCann, M. Cook, D. Uebergang, B. Moore, B. Pajor Cutters: Goal kickers G. Ptasznik 3, S. Lawson 3, M. Markham 2, D. Richardson, C. Stewart, G. Wilson, J. Woodrow, J. Farley-Smith, L. Anning, T. Thompson. Best M. Markham, J. Farley-Smith, J. Woodrow, C. Wanders, G. Ptasznik, D. Richardson