Hawks flying with tailwind into Lions prelim clash

Momentum’s a funny thing in sport. After managing to qualify for the finals from a weak position, North Wangaratta are on an incredible hot streak through the Ovens and King finals series. Without the safety net of the double chance, the Hawks have secured finals victories over Greta by 73 points and Moyhu by 14 points to find themselves in a preliminary final and on the cusp of a grand final berth. To reach the promised land and place one hand on the cup, North Wangaratta will need to knock over minor premiers Whorouly, who took the first week of finals off and lost their qualifying final. Momentum really is a funny thing in sport. North Wangaratta coach Corey Smith said the team had been building up to finals, and the growth from some of the established Hawks meant they would be a handful against any opponent. “We had some hiccups throughout the year with some key players missing, I think we had a four-week stint there where we were missing up to seven or eight players and it sort of hurt us,” he said. “We tested our depth out, got some good run into some blokes, and I think we’re starting to capture some of that free-flowing footy we like to play, and the excitement’s sky-high at the moment. “In the couple of weeks before finals, Moyhu jumped us with that 66-point drubbing on their home deck, and there were a few home truths as coach, a few tough conversations you’d rather have at that time of year than around this time of year. “But the response from the guys has been great, people have grown into it. “Guys like Tyler Schulze, Dave Killen, have been at the club for quite a while, and their body language and rapid improvement on that level has been great, it’s one of the best things about being a coach, just seeing the improvement and being able to respond when you ask for a response.” The Hawks will need to nail selection, with Smith one of several players needing to prove their fitness ahead of the match. Smith hopped/ran from the ground midway through the second quarter of their semi-final and did not retake the field, but even in his absence, the forward line was controlled by Eden White, who has kicked 17 goals in the last three matches. “We’ve got a few scans on a couple of blokes through the week, we’ll see how it all pans out,” Smith said. “Eden’s probably one of the big ones we’ve been working heavily with over the last four or five weeks - we all knew the ability was there, but we also knew the six-goal game wasn’t far off. “He’s really shown his presence, it takes a lot of pressure off everyone in that forward line, everyone’s capable of kicking goals, so it’s really good when you’ve got more than one string to your bow.” On the other side of the ledger, Whorouly faces an uphill battle but a simple equation: produce the kind of footy which saw them claim the minor premiership and halt the Hawks’ momentum this weekend, or be bundled out of finals in straight sets. Whorouly coach Michael Newton said his side would look to take the game by the scruff of the neck after a potentially passive semi-final. “We had some passages of good play, but we were not able to sustain it for long enough,” he said. “We played too safe, we need more run and carry and take the game on. “North Wangaratta can move the ball well, so we need to win the ball at the source and have better use going inside 50. “They have some guys in form, so we need to make sure that we defend really well and our pressure has to be up.” The Hawks and Lions take to the field at North Wangaratta for their preliminary final from 2pm, after the ressie’s prelim between Whorouly and Bright.

Hawks flying with tailwind into Lions prelim clash

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