Trafalgar finish with 17 wins
Trafalgar finished the season with 17 wins from their 18 home and away matches, defeating Morwell East 12-15 (87) to 512 (42).
The Hawks had left it a little too late in the season to secure a spot in the final five, even though they had threatened to do for most of the year.
Even a win against the top of the table Trafalgar wouldn’t be enough given the percentage difference between Morwell East and the fifth-placed Thorpdale.
It was an opportunity however to make a statement, by illustrating what they were capable of on their day.
It soon became apparent however, that Trafalgar had come to play, their structure in tricky conditions, holding firm, the understanding within the playing group first class and their movement forward providing many opportunities than the game plan of the home side.
At quarter time, the Bloods held an impressive lead of three goals, which was to quickly grow to 46-points by half time.
It was obvious that there would be no fairytale finish for the Hawks, and that matches lost by the slightest of margins during the season would come back to haunt the side tipped to be a finals contender this year.
The Hawks didn’t give it up, their efforts in the third quarter were admirable and if it wasn’t for many missed opportunities they may well have gone into the final quarter believing they could actually win.
But it wasn’t to be, adding three goals and six behinds, while holding Trafalgar to just the single goal.
Heading into the final term, Trafalgar did more of what the’ve done for most of the year.
They composed themselves, stayed true to the game plan, and took back control of the match to win by 45-points.
For coach Clint Eisendel and his team, the first week of the finals now becomes a rest week, with the chance to fine tune any tricks they may unveil in a fortnight and also give some much needed rest to a group that has experienced some trying matches in recent times.