Hawks better than score

The final scores, Traralgon 16-16 to Drouin 6-4, probably didn’t do Drouin justice.

In a lot of aspects of the game the Hawks took the contests right up to the 3rd placed Maroons.

But what counts is the scoreboard.

Even the first quarter when Traralgon scored 36 to 1-1 was a bit of an over statement of the gap between the sides.

When Drouin goaled twice within two minutes of the start of the second quarter – by Michael Theodoridis, who’d kicked the side’s two goals to that stage, and Damien Healy with a good conversion from an angle – to get within five points it looked like Drouin was up to the challenge.

The Hawks’ tackling was better than their opponents and the defence, despite the absence of two of its taller players that were unavailable, stood up well.

It was some simple errors and Traralgon’s cleaner use of the ball that was the difference and by half time allowed the Maroons to forge 32 points clear.

Traralgon coach Mark Collison, who has been re-appointed for next year, was a somewhat unexpected forward headache for Drouin.

David Olsen did a good job limiting the impact of Maroons’ forward and former AFL player Jay Neagle, holding him to one goal for the game.

But it was the smaller on-ballers, Collison (six goals) and Matt Northe (four), that burnt the Hawks.

Drouin managed only one goal in the third quarter, from Kurtis Harper running into an open goal after strong play at half forward and a long kick by Theodoridis.

However, a few good chances were missed or went begging and Traralgon made the Hawks pay extending the lead to 11-13 to 4-2 by the last break.

Bob McCallum just edged Ben Amberg in a good contest between the two top big men but McCallum was a harder worker around the ground.

On-ballers Liam Axford and Tom Barr and Jordan Kingi, especially in the second half, were also prominent throughout for Drouin.

Axford got one of the team’s two last quarter goals, the other coming from Ethan Calway after a strong mark.

McCallum spent the last quarter in the forward line and outlined post-match to his players how key forwards can become frustrated.

That comment was aimed at the tendency of players to hold possession of the ball for too long or over-use it catching the forwards out of position.

They are only “little” things but are the difference between being much more competitive.

However, Drouin can claim some improvement.

The margin on Saturday was a lot less than the 130 points when the sides met earlier in the year and the previous week they’d run Moe to eights points, a side that beat them by 122 points in round four.

At Traralgon Axford, Barr and McCallum led the way once again, Theodoridis was always a danger when the Hawks attacked with some purpose and Jordan Kingi worked hard.

Defender Dan Seri had his best game of the year, Olsen did his job on Neagle and talented James McKellar, after missing most of the pre-season and a large slab of the season proper with injury, showed that he is building towards top form.