Hawthorn’s VFLW continue to impress, sealing another victory in its practice match against Carlton this Saturday at Chirnside Park.
In a match warred by harsh weather conditions, the girls pushed through to claim a 61-point victory.
The Hawks were off to a strong start, predominantly keeping the ball inside 50 for most of the first quarter. Strong winds and rain made it tough to gain clean possession, however, consistent pressure helped to hold momentum and efficiency in our forward line. Olivia Flanagan was impressive, booting two important goals before the quarter siren.
Read: VFL match report - Round 2
“Really happy with Liv Flanagan who played on ball, and kicked two goals in the first quarter,” said Senior Coach Patrick Hill.
“She’s probably one of the players that really straightened us up going forward.”
The second quarter proved to be a challenge, as the tough breeze worked against pushing the ball forward. Despite not managing any goals, our impressive mid and back lines maintained composure, keeping the Blues goalless at halftime.
The Hawks delivered an impressive third term, covering more ground and looking more controlled. They were more efficient and were able to capitalise on goal opportunities. Emily Gilder was a standout, kicking a significant four goals.
“Emily Gilder went forward in the second half and kicked four goals and one behind in that third quarter,” said Hill.
“It just shows why she’s special and why we rate her as one of the best forwards going around.”
Despite a slow final term, Rosie Dillon completed the afternoon with a goal for the Hawks, as they finished with the 9.15(69) to 1.2(8) win.
Patrick Hill shared plenty of positive signs on the women’s efforts this pre-season, but is looking to fine-tune and improve as the side inches closer to Round 1.
“We made plenty of mistakes with our system today and we need to be better if we are going to play better sides and hope to play finals sometime this year,” said Hill.
“As happy as I was today, we can’t leave today thinking we got it all sorted.
“They got all the pieces of the puzzle now, they just need to put them together more regularly.”
The Hawks take on Richmond at Punt Road next week for their final practice match before Round 1.
