EAST WAGGA-KOORINGAL are guaranteed the competition lead for another fortnight, at least, after scraping home against the Northern Jets at Gumly on Saturday, but they have plenty to think about over the bye weekend after a brutal assessment from coach Gavin McMahon.
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Twice in the final term the home side fought their way back from a deficit against a spirited Jets, clinging on for a 10.13 (73) to 9.9 (63) win.
Fittingly, it was Nathan Scott – in his 200th game for the Hawks – who put them in front at the 16-minute mark of the fourth quarter with a classic on-the-run goal.
It was the third and final time the lead changed hands in a see-sawing last quarter, which the Jets began with a three-point advantage.
They’d hit the front for the first time just before the last break, when Mark Kimball kicked their third goal of the quarter while the Hawks had managed only seven points since half-time.
It was enough to give a coach a heart attack and the Hawks mentor hadn’t cooled down much by full-time.
“Pretty disgusted all-round really,” McMahon said.
“Regardless of the opposition playing quite well, when you get under 10 level basics wrong consistently, any side can beat you… and that was pretty poor.
“I’m certainly not taking anything away from them. They’re going to win their share of footy when they’ve got the quality of players they have, and you’re going to have to scrap.
“But the things we had control of, we were very poor and that was the most annoying part.”
The first half had been a reasonably even affair with the Jets’ signalling their intent to run, and run, and run. But EWK proved a little better at taking the right option forward.
Marc Geppert kicked the Hawks’ 3.2 in the first term and in the second, he and Ben Absolum combined twice for a goal each before Joe Scott opened up their biggest lead of the game – 18 points.
But, with Mitch Haddrill sensational – in the middle, up forward, or in the ruck where he was needed in the fourth quarter – the Jets had more than their share of momentum. And they brought plenty of pressure which seemed to upset the Hawks’ rhythm, ensuring they didn’t get away.
They were also without ruckman Andrew Bonny for more than three-quarters after a dislocated finger that wouldn’t go back in, leaving them minus one tall up forward as Josh Plozza went into the ruck.
When the game was in the balance, the right Hawks took control, with the composure of Absolum, Chris Gordon and Nick Hull helping them home.
McMahon said the bye might be just what the doctor ordered.
“We’re ready for a break, by the time you’ve had an eight-game run with at least half of them in the slush,” he said.
“We’ve done pretty well still to manage the wins that we have but we’re certainly not playing our best footy at the moment.”
