By Nick Creely
Pressure, pressure, pressure, and more pressure.
That’s what faced both Monbulk and Doveton during a gruelling, relentless game of football on Saturday afternoon.
The undefeated Hawks rode the wave of mounting opposition momentum and some wayward kicking at goal to keep its undefeated start to the AFL Outer East Division 1 season alive, 7.16 (58) to 7.8 (50).
In a game filled with those little moments – whether being a crucial shepherd, crunching tackle or lunging spoil out of danger – the Hawks, in the end, had the answers, but it was an almighty scare from a Doves unit filled with plenty of pluck.
The Doves managed to get off to the perfect start away from home, and with the ground baked in sunshine, forward James Gascard slotted the opening major with an arrow-straight shot at goal.
But the home side picked up the pieces quickly and began to assert control in every area of the game, except its ability to convert on the scoreboard.
Simple set-shots being missed were denting, and the Doves made them pay.
Peppering the goals, and using the ball superbly going forward, the Hawks’ forward could only muster up six straight behinds, before the Doves once again found the goals in a major well and truly against the tide.
After seven behinds, the Hawks finally converted one of their many chances in front of goal to cut the margin to just 13 points nearing quarter time, lifting the home side and its vocal supporter base.
The physicality of the contest truly came to the fore in the second term with disposals and free space almost impossible to find, but the Hawks were coming hard and starting to utilise its class around the footy to find targets moving forward.
But holding firm – through the likes of Lachie Batten, who was playing a blinder – the Doves managed to hold the home side somewhat, and despite only registering one behind for the term, went in with scores level and plenty to play for.
Gascard’s hands and work-rate were also a particular highlight in the first half, causing plenty of headaches with his ability to clunk them but also work hard both ways. Matthew Boyd, after a slow start, also picked up his game and used the footy superbly, picking up 11 disposals for the term.
As the game wore on, the Hawks slowly got the scoreboard talking, and surged home after trailing by 10 at the final break to snag three late majors to take the points in one of the matches of the season.
Even in the dying moments – when it appeared the Hawks would hold on – the Doves continued to press, take the game on through the corridor and look to attack, but numbers around the ball proved golden for the Hawks who managed to force stoppage after stoppage until the final siren.
Monbulk coach Andrew Williams said that the inaccuracy in front of goals (the Hawks have scored 78.122 so far the season) almost cost his side the game in the end, and admitted they needed to get to work on that particular area of the game.
“It’s been a trend of ours, we were inaccurate early on, missed a few easy set-shots and just wasted a bit of our dominance,” he said.
“It’s been too much of a pattern to ignore, we will use this week to go to work on some of those things, and spend some time on our goal kicking.
“We’ll put some serious time into it.”
But the four-points are what matters the most, and the Hawks continue to find a way despite being challenged – this time from the Doves all day – something that leaves Williams in a strong position after they enjoy a week off.
“I said to the group after the game that it’s a good thing to not play at our best and still chalk out a win, so it’s one of those days where not a lot went right, but we were able to grind it out,” he said.
“Doveton was able to hit the scoreboard with their chances, and they were really good in the contest and really took it up to us.
“It was probably just a 15-minute patch in the last quarter that we gained some control and hit the scoreboard, and that was the difference. But it’s pleasing to walk away with the win.”
Big man Johnathon Hevern was simply sublime all across the ground for the Hawks, with Glenn Strachan and Shane Williams (two goals) all providing big moments, while for the Doves, James Gascard was dangerous in the air to finish with two goals, while Matthew Boyd and Lachie Batten – who copped a heavy knock in the third quarter before playing out the game – picked up plenty of the footy and had a big say on proceedings.
Williams said that the battle in the air was vital, with Doves big man Michael Sikora a real danger for the Hawks with his dominance as a ruckman.
“I put it on our talls before the game to take it up to a dominant big man of the competition, and it was always going to be a challenge, but I thought our talls were really competitive,” he said.
“Johnathon Hevern and Michael Langworthy were our two best players, and lifted when we needed them the most.”
With a perfect 7-0 record, Williams fired a warning, saying his Hawks have plenty of improvement left in the group.
“It’s good to keep winning, and being in this position at this point, and it’s a credit to the group, but we got out of jail against Mount Evelyn, Emerald had a dominant patch against us, and Belgrave was a great contest, so to be able to come away and win the games against those patches of dominance is pleasing,” he said.
“We review every game hard, and we’re looking at ways to keep improving, and we believe we can improve which is great for us.”
In the other Division 1 matches in this split round, Mount Evelyn flexed its muscles to gain some valuable percentage against Belgrave, 24.23 (167) to 8.7 (55).
The third-placed Rovers put the Magpies to the sword, with an unanswered seven-goal first term, before adding to their already impressive percentage by carrying on in a four-quarter effort.
The home side enjoyed 13 individual goal kickers, with Daimon Kift dominating with six and Jed Thompson with four, while for the Magpies, sharpshooter Josh Richmond continued his sublime season with a fighting five-goal haul in a heavy loss.
Rounding out the round on Saturday will be a massive clash between Emerald and Officer at Chandler Reserve, while Pakenham hosts Warburton Millgrove as it looks to stay in touch with top-spot.
