Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault bring Augusta-Margaret River back to earth

It was a tale of two halves on Saturday as Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault out muscled Augusta-Margaret River with a comprehensive 63 point win at Gloucester Park.

The win moved the Lions to second spot on the SWFL ladder.

The Lions started well, kicking the first two goals of the match before the home team kicked into gear with goals to lively forward Braden Smith and mercurial midfielder Matthew Jukes.

The Hawks could not take advantage of the breeze in the second quarter with HBL starting to assert their dominance in the midfield with the game hanging in the balance.

After the main break, Lions centreman Jesse Crighton broke the match wide open with brilliant centre clearance work and hard running breaking the lines between half back and half forward.

The floodgates opened in the last quarter due to unrelenting Lions pressure and midfield dominance.

HBL spread from the contest quicker and used the ball better than an undisciplined Augusta-Margaret River who again broke down on the wings.

Lions coach John Baggetta said ruckman Jack Fletcher was “really good for us” and gave his midfield first use of the ball.

“The first half was a great game with both sides under pressure and both sides good with the ball in hand, it was a matter of who was going to use it better in transition,” he said.

“Both sides played a similar style of football and the game broke open in the second half because we used the ball better going forward.”

Augusta-Margaret River coach Matthew Jamieson said the Lions outran and outworked the Hawks in transition.

“They targeted a few of our better players and our boys just weren’t really up for that in the second half,” he said.

“We had a reasonable start but we just couldn’t get our hands on the ball and that was the difference, we were just second to the footy all day.”

HBL 17.14 (116) DEF AMR 8.5 (53)

GOALS — Harv-Bruns-Lesch: K. Thornton 5, T. Williams 3, T. Armitage 3, D. Newman 2, B. Musitano 2, S. Bradley, T. Anderson. Aug-Marg River: B. Smith 5, M. Jukes 2, Z. Dronow.

BEST — Harv-Bruns-Lesch: J. Crighton, C. Yarran, K. Thornton, J. Fletcher, T. Armitage. Aug-Marg River: B. Smith, M. Jukes, M. Gerrans, B. Morgan.