2025 SENIOR GRAND FINAL REVIEW | Eaglehawk’s dare reaps ultimate prize
EAGLEHAWK’S daring final quarter fightback capped a dramatic Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy grand final on Saturday.
The Hawks overturned a four-goal deficit in the last quarter to soar to a 94-84 victory against Sandhurst at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Borough latest Bendigo Advertiser premiership cup win put it within a win of Sandhurst, 29, in the race for most flags.
An Eaglehawk team coached by Travis Matheson, non-playing, and Clayton Holmes, playing, almost doubled its score across the opening three quarters in the last.
The Hawks were down 49-71 at the start of the final term.
Within 20 seconds of the last term starting, Holmes marked and goaled.
The Dragons replied about a minute later through Cobi Maxted after co-coach and gun midfielder Lachlan Tardrew broke through two tackles and charged through the centre.
Consecutive goals by Holmes in the space of two minutes had cut the deficit to nine points as the Hawks turned the heat on the Dragons.
When Joel Mullen goaled on the run the Hawks’ fans on “One Eyed Hill” at the Barnard Street end and many others around the ground were in full cry.
The Hawks took the lead in the 13th minute when Jack O’Shannessy marked and goaled.
The chain of play included a brilliant mark by Jonty Neaves at centre half-forward and quickly playing on to hit O’Shannessy with a foot pass.
The Hawks’ ability to win contests at stoppages and also limit Sandhurst’s link and run through pressure was superb.
When Bailey Ilsley broke through a tackle and goaled the Hawks were up 87-77 at 12 minutes to go.
O’Shannessy marked at the top of the goalsquare and made no mistake to lead by 16 at nine minutes to play.
A Lachie Hood goal for Sandhurst at under 4 ½ minutes to play was to be the last goal of the contest.
The final term was in stark contrast to the start of the match where the Bryce Curnow and Lachlan Tardrew-coached Sandhurst raced to a 38-4 lead.
The Dragons had the breeze to the City end in the first term and put the Hawks under the pump after goals by co-captain Fergus Greene, Tardrew, Jack Keating, Lachie Hood, Tom Campbell and Lachlan Wright.
The Hawks were finally on the board after Holmes goaled.
In the ensuing celebrations after the Holmes goal he hit Sandhurst’s young defender Dayten Uerata.
It was to be the end of Uerata’s match as he was concussed and taken to hospital.
Holmes was reported for striking with the offence graded as intentional conduct, high contact and severe impact.
A yellow impact meant the Hawks had just 17 on field for most of the second quarter.
The Borough scored the first two goals of the term through Ben Thompson and Bailey Ilsley.
The skilful Jacob Austin was on target for the Dragons in the 16th minute.
A goal by Dragons’ co-captain Cooper Smith put the margin at five goals before Ilsley replied for the Two Blues.
Quarter three was to prove crucial to Eaglehawk’s chances.
Although playing into the breeze, Eaglehawk won the term, 19-17, as O’Shannessy kicked two goals and Ilsley the other.
Goals by Nick Stagg and Jacob Austin gave Sandhurst a 27-point buffer late in the term.
It was a buffer that the Hawks overcame.
For Hawks’ captain the premiership adds to an incredible season in which he was Michelsen medallist as league fairest and best.
Best for Eaglehawk were mid/on-ballers Joel Mullen and Ben Thompson, Bailey Ilsley, Charlie Langford and Dylan Hanley in defence, and ruckman Brayden Frost.
Sandhurst’s best were Lachie Hood, Lachlan Tardrew, Lachlan Wright, Jacob Austin, Cooper Smith and Jack Keating.
The 2025 seniors premiership team from Eaglehawk:
B: Sam Thompson, Charlie Langford, Jonty Neaves.
Hb: Jack Donat, Dylan Hanley, Tyh Evans.
C: Thomas Bennett, Ben Thompson, Jacob O’Brien.
Hf: Nick Hoare, Clayton Holmes, Jack O’Shannessy.
F: Nick Thompson, Pala Kuma, Blake McGregor.
Foll: Brayden Frost, Joel Mullen, Billy Evans.
Inter: Joel Budarick, Aydan Hanley, Bailey Ilsley, Jack Thompson.
Coaches: Travis Matheson, non-playing, Clayton Holmes, playing.
Off-field, Rani Madden capped her first season as club president with a premiership.
At the age of 25, Madden is the first female president in Eaglehawk’s lengthy history.
The executive team included Beck Mullen as vice-president, and Jess Tauelangi as treasurer
There have been many memorable final quarters to senior footy grand finals that Eaglehawk has featured in.
Hawks’ players and fans have been ecstatic at grand final time, or stung by the result.
There were the classic contests with Gisborne in ’03 and ’05 which went the way of the Dogs, before the Hawks claimed a two-point thriller against the red, white and blue in ’07.
A year later and Eaglehawk won the grand final against Goldne Square by a goal.
Saturday’s final quarter blitz was in stark contrast to 2017 when a Lachie Sharp-inspired Strathfieldsaye surged to a 32-point win against the Hawks.
A year later and the Hawks beat the Storm by 14 points.
It would be another six years until Eaglehawk was in the grand final again.
What a grand final it was.
