Drouin puts win number three on the board
Drouin made it win number three for the year defeating Bairnsdale at Drouin on Saturday to take a share of second place on the ladder.
But once again it had to fight down to the wire to claim a 12-13 to 11-10 victory.
Three wins from four games is a start the Hawks would have gladly taken if offered it before the start of the season.
The clash lived up to expectations that there was little between the teams.
Bairnsdale led for only a very brief time from just before half time when it snatched a four-point lead until the one-minute mark of the third quarter when Drouin’s Tom Barr intercepted a kick in and converted from 45 metres.
But the Redlegs had Drouin under siege in the last five minutes of the game.
Two goals in two minutes followed by a behind cut what looked a big enough lead - 22 points – to nine and they were launching another attack when the siren sounded.`
Until then Drouin had charge of the term although running into the breeze but couldn’t put the game well out of reach.
Its first five scoring shots for the quarter were behinds, a couple of them terrible misses from close in.
A steadying goal from Bailey Beck drew an immediate Bairnsdale response.
A second goal to him and another by Barr after contesting in the air, recovering quickly to gather the ball and bursting clear of opponents for a 35-metre goal on the run opened a good gap.
It was more than handy to have when the Redlegs mounted their late charge.
The Hawks had led 33 to 1-0 at quarter time but it didn’t reflect their dominance of play with the defence superb and the midfield well on top.
Bairnsdale’s only score came 90 seconds from the end of the quarter when Russell Cowan marked a hurried kick off the ground and converted.
The second quarter was the opposite of the first.
The Redlegs lifted across the ground, kept a tight check on the Drouin on-ballers and rammed through six goals for the term to snatch the half time lead by four points.
Forward Brayden McCarrey was the key to that.
He seized his opportunities on the way to a match tally of five goals.
Perhaps the key to the eventual result was Drouin’s ability to score against the breeze.
It kicked six of its 12 goals to the town end goal; Maffra got only one of its 11 there.
The hard-fought contest all day was evidence of the importance both sides placed on the game.
Jamie Ferguson’s return to the side at centre-half forward after missing the Warragul game with injury boosted the attack.
He kicked two of Drouin’s first four goals and set up one of the others while his strong marking and mobility across the forward half of the ground made a great attacking avenue.
Josh Seri’s delayed departure to live in Queensland was also more than important.
He kicked three goals, all of them from beyond 40 metres and at crucial times.
Bob McCallum is never anything but good and was in the “very good category” on Saturday.
He was outstanding in the ruck and great all over the ground covering as much territory of any of the smaller onballers.
Chris Robinson has proven a reliable and cool on-baller in his four games at the club, wingman Barr continued his fine form, Bailey Beck was good and stood up when most needed and Eddie Morris did his bit although rarely without an opponent or two at his side.
The defence led by Harry Wans, Clayton Kingi and Liam Anderson held well apart from the second term and the last few minutes.
And a couple of the less experienced players Jake Simpson and Fletcher RobertsonEdgar took some more steps forward.
McCarrey and Cowan, both likely to make the final inter-league team, were responsible for Bairnsdale staying right in the game.