Improved Hawks fall short against Eagles
If you wanted an example of just how far Drouin has come this year, look no further than their match on Saturday against Maffra.
In the round one match between the two sides, the Hawks were thoroughly outworked and outplayed, scoring just two goals and losing by 75 points.
This time, playing at a venue they had not experienced a win at since 2009, against the very same team, Drouin fought tooth and nail before just barely falling short, 9.5 (59) to 10.10 (70).
The Quirks, Kye and Aden, both kicked three goals, while Jarrod Marshall was a general in defence.
Footy trivia fans will also want to remember this one; as the Hawks took to the field with three Wans brothers, those being Harry, Thomas and Charlie. This has been a rare feat in the history of the Gippsland League.
It was an extremely tight match for most of the day. While the Eagles threatened at various times to pull away, the Hawks refused to say die and dragged them back at every turn. In fact, it took a late goal in the dying minutes of the match for Maffra to finally shake off a youthful Drouin side that was still missing plenty of their first-choice players.
Despite the loss, it was also a much more positive showing than Drouin's game just prior to the bye, in which they were annihilated by the ladder-leading Leongatha.
The Hawks have shown now in multiple games this year that despite a lack of experienced players their best is still quite excellent to watch, though unfortunately they have only been able to show it in patches.
Still, those patches are now becoming longer as the year goes on, as the players gel and become more used to each other's strengths.
Ultimately though, Maffra showed just how important experience is, as their wiser heads stood up when necessary.
Danny Butcher was excellent at the contest, while Kade Renooy and Hudson Holmes showed exactly why they have been mainstays of the Maffra side for many years now.
The first term saw a very positive start for Drouin, as they kicked three goals to better their entire score from their round one match against the Eagles by quarter time.
Maffra took control in the second term though, kicking five goals to two as their contested ball stars began to find more of the footy, and the lack of tall targets in the Drouin forward line began to hurt the Hawks.
By half time the margin stood at 15 points, and the home crowd seemed expectant that their side would run away with the contest. Given the incredible success they've enjoyed over the past two decades, it was little wonder why.
They were in for a bit of a shock, as their beloved Eagles were held goalless while the Hawks put on three to come roaring back into the game.
Chaotic ball movement that Drouin has often thrived on this year was on full display, as they showed some of their brightest passages of play for the year. It wasn't always perfect, but it was scintillating to watch as the Hawks clearly believed they could find their second win at just one point down going into the final quarter.
An early Drouin goal in the fourth suddenly had them leading and full of confidence.
Playing coach Jordan Kingi was leading from the front, setting up plays with his piercing kicking skills. Ruck tandem Tom Johnstone and Charlie Bethune were performing admirably, rotating between the middle and defence as needed.
Maffra would soon retake the lead, and late in the game the margin stood at just one goal.
A late Drouin shot with just three minutes remaining looked on target, before a desperate lunge above the pack on the goal line from a Maffra defender prevented the score from evening up.
It was from this kick-out that the Eagles would go coast to coast, putting on one last goal to push the margin out to 11 points and ultimately seal the game.
It means that this was another game in which Drouin have come agonisingly close to victory before just falling short, as they did a few weeks ago against Moe.
Still, the Hawks hardly lost any admirers in this one. Given more time for their youth to blossom, they have the potential to become a very serious footy side.
As it stands, their best can challenge many of the top sides, but they will need to show it for longer if they are to progress further.
For Maffra, their hunt to break into the top five remains on track, and they look the team most likely to displace someone higher up the ladder.
Drouin's match next week against Traralgon, another side they were demolished by early in the season, should provide another opportunity to see just how far they've come.
Drouin's best as named were Jarrod Marshall, Aden Quirk, Kye Quirk, Joseph Collins, Charlie Wans and Seth Calway.
Danny Butcher, Lachlan Channing, Dylan Alexander, Kade Renooy, Tom Thatcher and Hudson Holmes all played excellent games for Maffra.