Panthers claw back ground with a win

Carey Park’s faint finals aspirations remain alive following Saturday’s superb 18-point victory over a lacklustre Augusta-Margaret River at Kelly Park. Do not let the final margin fool you into thinking that the Panthers faced serious adversity during the clash. Across all four quarters, the home side was first to the ball, ran in numbers and were more dangerous when in possession. In contrast, the Hawks appeared flat at times, overused the ball when inside their forward 50 and squandered a hatful of genuine goal opportunities. Despite their out-of-sorts performance, there were times in the opening quarter when the Hawks did look as though they could wake from their slumber, although some quick intervention from Panthers coach Richard Barnard at quarter time snuffed that out. With Jeremy Polich and Tyler Chalwell providing excellent service to their onballers, the Panthers booted four unanswered goals in 15 minutes, which extended their margin to 25 points by the long break. Clearly concerned with the uncharacteristic effort in the first half, Hawks coach Matt Jamieson could be heard urging his players in the dressing room to dig deep and find a way back. The Hawks formed a tight huddle prior to the start of the third term and for much of the quarter began to grab a vital foothold in the contest. Unfortunately for them, their inaccuracy in front of goal did not reward them for the effort they put in. After soaking up considerable pressure, the Panthers then grabbed a valuable steadier through Jeff Carter, with his majestic 55m roost at the 18-minute mark sailing through the middle post-high. Although the 21-point margin was theoretically possible to run down, it felt considerably greater, given how the game had ebbed and flowed. The Panthers sealed the win midway during the final term, following two exquisite passages of play from Aaron Holmes, which both resulted in goals. Jamieson and the Hawks players had a lengthy debrief in the rooms, as the loss could impact their finals chances. “We needed them to take a bit of ownership from the performance,” Jamieson said.