Hawks hurt themselves in Maffra mauling
Drouin were their own worst enemy over the weekend in a frustrating defeat away from home to Maffra.
Missed kicks, dropped marks and wayward handballs continually came back to haunt the Hawks as they lost 8.12 (60) to 15.17 (107).
It was a bitterly disappointing result for Drouin, who entered the clash with plenty of hope that this would be the week they break their duck and score their first victory.
Maffra are in the early stages of their own rebuild, appearing to be the most gettable they've been in a long time, especially at their home ground that Drouin hasn't won at since 2009.
But it wasn't to be. Too often the Hawks missed targets, often kicking it straight to their red and black opponents or out on the full.
Their disposal off half back especially let them down repeatedly, turning the ball over in some extremely dangerous areas and leaving their defence vulnerable on the counterattack.
And no matter how young or inexperienced Maffra might be at the moment, as long as they have a forward half combo like Daniel Bedggood and John Butcher, they'll make you pay.
The Eagles' two big forwards dined out on Drouin's dire disposals, kicking 10 goals between them – six to Bedggood and four to Butcher.
The Hawks' inability to hit targets was hardly limited to a few players either, as once a few of them began to misfire it seemingly became infectious.
By comparison, the Eagles were much cleaner and efficient with ball in hand, hitting lead up marks as they racked up uncontested possessions to cut the Hawks up.
Maffra recruit Brayden Monk was as effective as anyone through the middle, while Kade Renooy gave his side the accurate ball use off half back that Drouin lacked.
For the Hawks Hugo Birks continued his strong form with four goals, looking dangerous whenever he found himself in a one-on-one or when he found space.
Shay Harvey and Joseph Collins were also able to find plenty of the ball and among their calmer users for the day.
Compounding the Hawks' issues were injuries, as ruckman Aaron Pawel and midfielder Thomas Evans both had their days cut short, while Clayton Kingi was also left sore.
The Hawks, as they have all season, had patches where they were able to play some of their better footy, but it was their poorer periods that again brought them undone.
They tried to get their running game up and going early, but were often forced into going straight down the line, rather than switching the play out wide to play into their strengths.
Early goals to Birks and Aden Quirk had things on even keel halfway through the first, but late goals to Butcher, Bedggood and Monk pushed Maffra out to a 19-point lead.
The early stage of the second was easily the Hawks' best period of play for the day.
Clayton Kingi slotted a set shot after a free kick, before Birks marked and kicked his second.
The Hawks were winning the ball at the contest and giving themselves repeated looks inside 50, and when Cambell Jolly soccered through the Hawks' third in a row, the margin was back to three points. That's where their run would end, however.
Just when they had the momentum, their poor kicking out of the backline once again became a thorn in their side.
Bedggood kicked the next three goals by himself, first marking after a turnover before running in the next into an open goal soon after and slotting another from a set shot just before half time.
With the margin at 20 points a Hawks comeback was still on the cards, as they've reeled in larger margins than that this year.
But when Maffra put through the first five goals of the third, any hopes of a comeback were gone.
Drouin fans who had travelled to Maffra could only groan in frustration as the turnovers continued, killing any chances the Hawks made for themselves.
In the end Drouin had a chance to get their season moving but are now zero and seven, two wins behind ninth.
The next three weeks are going to be tough asks too, as the Hawks face Moe, Leongatha and Traralgon – the Gippsland League's top three.
Drouin coach Brent Clinnick said it was a disappointing day for his side.
"We've got a way that we want to move the ball that makes us hard to defend and unfortunately we didn't do that today," he said.
"It's a shame because I've got so much belief in this group and when we play the way we want to play we're hard to play against, we compete, but when we go away from that we get opened up."
Drouin have missed out on some real early chances to get confidence-building wins on the board, now we wait and see how they handle the tough road ahead.