Only centimetres decided it, on the last kick of the game, but the Northern Jets kept their finals dream alive on Saturday, hanging on in a heart-stopper against East Wagga-Kooringal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Jets held a 17-point lead in the final quarter at Gumly before back-to-back goals to Hawks forward James Hodges saw the home side close to within five points, with minutes to play.
EWK star Brocke Argus then strolled out of a contest near the boundary, around 25 metres out, and aimed a low kick at goal, only to see the potential match-winner bounce into the post as the siren sounded.
The 10.8 (68) to 9.10 (64) victory was the Jets’ third in nine games, and certainly the sweetest, keeping them just four points behind fifth-placed CSU.
“It was massive for us to get that and hopefully it gets a bit of confidence into the boys,” Jets coach Mitch Robinson said. “Go back six weeks or so and if the game was on the line, we probably would’ve lost that one. After half-time, they come out firing, East Wagga, but to our boys’ credit, we didn’t drop our heads at all.”
After a low-scoring first quarter, the Jets kicked four goals to one in the second to open up an 18-point lead at half-time, with Hayden Leary (on Chris Gordon) and Matt Carroll (on Nick Hull) helping contain the danger.
The Hawks’ response came in the third quarter but they kicked 3.5 to trail by four points with a quarter to play.
The teams traded goals early before the Jets kicked two to open up that almost-three-goal margin.
Almost is rarely enough. This time for the Jets, it was.
“It was a bit of relief when the siren went and that kick hit the post,” Robinson said.
“We’ve been working hard to get a win like this and they’re the games you want to win. They’re the games you have to win if we’re a chance to get that fifth spot.”
Robinson said in the lead-up that the Jets needed to play smart as well as fast. There’s still a bit to learn on that front, given a crucial kick infield rather than forward in the final quarter might have been the mistake to cost them the game.
While the Jets got away with it, the Hawks fell short. Twice in recent weeks they’ve pulled a win out of the fire, but their third loss of the season finally caught up with them, as they face a three-week road trip against the top three teams.
Worryingly, Chris Gordon went off in the third quarter with an Achilles problem and didn’t return.
The Jets’ Andrew Bonny injured a groin, while Mitch Haddrill copped a knock in the third term but went to full-forward where he proved more than a headache.
Alex Rogers was superb across half-back in his second game back from injury.
But Jack Fisher had an oustanding game, through the middle, up forward and dropping back in the last 10 minutes to help see them over the line.
“Jack Fisher was sensational,” Robinson said. “When the game was really on the line, he really stood tall and took a couple of strong marks, which he really needed to do.”
For the Hawks, midfielders Luke Cuthbert and Harry Fitzsimmons had strong games while Hodges kicked five goals in his first senior game for the year.
