AN outstanding third quarter when they shut down the opposition almost completely carried Sandgate to a second successive win in the AFLQ’s Premier division reserve grade grand final on Saturday.
By Terry Wilson
On a wild and windy day at Fisherman’s Road, the Hawks took back-to-back flags under player-coach Simon Cannan by 11.8 (74) to 7.9 (51) thanks to a superb effort against the howling south-westerly in the third term.
After kicking two precious goals running into the wind in the first quarter – the Hawks trailed 2.2 to 5.4 at the first break – Sandgate were ahead 7.5 to 5.5 at half-time.
It was the third term that the Magpies were expected to soar. But the reverse happened.
The tenacious Hawks somehow conjured up ways to keep the ball locked on the non-scoring eastern side of the ground, restricting the Magpies to just 1.3 when they had the advantage of a six-goal wind.
Ahead by eight points, all that remained for the Hawks to do in the fourth quarter was to play the percentages, which they did perfectly.
Sandgate had some outstanding players, none more so than half-back flankers Aidan Dineen and Mark Thomas, on-baller Scott Hines and veteran centre half-back Jason Anthonisz.
For the Magpies, their best were Steven Turner, Callum Carseldine, Dylan McDonald and Daniel Hope.
