Coach Michael Quinn, Matt McLay, John Hill, Jayson Smith, Josh Quinn, Chris Mason, Charlie Butt, Andrew Jones, Rhett Foreman Luke ‘Fui’ Stanton, Jesse Acheson, Chris Salway, Tyson Astill, Luke Snedden, Front: Club President-Jason Pollard, Simon Snedden, Chris James, Adam Byrne, Daniel Drew, Nathan Schofield, Luke Brown, Riley Manwaring. Photo Julie Doolan.
Game Times, McLean Oval, Saturday September 10.
Youth League – 10:10am
Ladies League Tag Grand Final – 11:40am
George Tooke Shield Grand Final – 1:00pm
The Harden Hawks Rugby League Football Club are rejoicing after all 3 senior sides made it through to their respective Grand Finals after playing in Major Semi Finals The Youth league side travelled to the nation’s capital on Saturday August 27 and continued through to Queanbeyan to face the Tuggeranong Bushrangers at Sears Oval. The young Hawks took out the match 24-16 and went straight through to the Grand Final.
The Hawkettes hit the paddock on Sunday August 28 at Harden and took on the Bungendore Tigerettes, running out winners 13-12. Emma James kicked a field goal with seconds to spare in the match and they to went straight in to the Grand Final. With 2 out of 3 sides through to the big day the focus turned to the first grade fixture later that afternoon. The Hawks took on the North Canberra Bears at 3:15pm. If Harden won the match they would ensure their club counterparts the Hawkettes and the Youth League side would play their Grand Finals at Harden on September 10. The pressure was on for the men’s side to deliver. The George Tooke Shield is structured in a way that the winner of the Major Semi Final hosts the Grand Final day matches. Harden didn’t disappoint in a very physical match and ran out winners 18-14 securing the win with just minutes on the clock.
The Harden Hawks have not tasted Grand Final success since their 2009 win over Bungedore at Seiffert Oval in Queanbeyan. There are 6 players left over from the win and all of those players are now senior players within the Hawks club. The 2009 Harden Hawks Grand Final winning side included: Adam Byrne, Daniel Drew,Tyson Astill, Graham Moorby, Josh Glover, Brendan Ford, Nathan Muscat, Michael Stadtmiller, Matthew Stadtmiller, Matthew Stewart, Pete Williams, Michael Picker, Todd Beal, Joel Blundell, Duncan Stewart, Andrew Jones, Jason Pollard (Captain Coach), Abed Atallah, Graham Murray, Lewis Grange, Nathan Schofield, Luke Brown and Joe Dyball Adam Bryne, Daniel Drew, Tyson Astill, Andrew Jones, Nathan Schofield and Luke Brown will run out on Saturday September 10, 7 years after helping to guide the Hawks to their last premiership. We will be interviewing each of these gentlemen on their careers in next week’s issue dated September 8. The town is starting to get behind the Hawks with shops displaying streamers and jumpers. Kim Johnson will be making his way back to the twin towns this week to help paint shopfronts maroon and white and spread the Grand Final cheer. Contact Jodie Pollard on 0448 132 232.
McLean Oval will now host all 3 grades next Saturday, Hawks Hawks Hawks! Club President Jason Pollard said ” It’s good that all three grades have gone staright in to the Grand Final. The first grade side may have started as favourites, however, the Youth League and the Hawkettes may have been underdogs and have done well to get through to the Grand Final all in the same weekend.” After speaking with club legends none so far can recall Harden ever hosting a Grand Final at McLean Oval. The Harden Hawks Club will no doubt draw a record crowd to the Garnd Finals on September 10 and the club and the football community are calling on the township to rally behind the club and support all three grades.
Hawks Match Report The Harden Hawks first grade side came up against a determined North Canberra Bears outfit at McLean Oval on Sunday. The Bears have been on the receiving end of two losses out of two encounters this year against Harden and were looking to turn the tables. Luke Brown showed that persistance pays off when he was held up from a dummy half dive over from short range. He tried the same tactic minutes later for a different result and posted Harden’s first points. Nathan Schofield curved the ball around Andrew Johns style and it sailed between the sticks to make it 6-0. Harden continued on the attack before an incident brought the match to a stand still. Harden Five Eight Matt McLay was hit around the head after getting a pass away, he got to his feet and after a melee ensued the opposition player then ended up on the ground and was taken from the field suffering a suspected concussion. The penalty went against Harden after the touch judge was called in to assist the referee. The incident happened at such a rapid pace that the Twin Town Times video Camera missed part of what occured. The North Canberra Bears have now cited McLay regarding his involvment in the incident and the Hawks may also return the favour and cite the North Canberra Bears player who according to the footage appears to have hit McLay high and late. Members of both clubs have now appeared before the judiciary last night over the incident. The sides went in to the half time break at 6-6 after the Bears score and converted a try. In the second half McLay showed his class and directed the side around well. He stepped his opposition player in an individual contribution and went over the white line for a 4 pointer. Schofield stepped up and slotted the goal in his usual nonchalant fashion. The Bears kicked a penalty goal and crossed fo another converted try to make it 14 -12. The Bears looked to be piling on the pressure and had Harden pinned down on their own line for several minutes. They attempted to spin in wide, however, McLay sprinted through and took an intercept and ran 80 metres before handing it off to Riley Manwaring who followed in support and scored under the posts. to make it 16-14. Schofield added the extras and the Hawks were home 18-14 and Harden had secured a Grand Final for all 3 grades on September 10.
Youth League Match Report The first ten minutes of the Youth League match saw Harden under plenty of pressure. The lads were able to repel Tuggeranong and got down the other end to post the first 6 points when Craig Mason dived over and Hamish Bradford converted. The match turned in to a tussle before Harden took charge. Patrick Smith barged over to make it 10-0 at the break. 5 minutes after half time Harden scored another converted try to make it 16-0. Tuggeranong got over the line to post their first point to make it 16-4. This shocked the Hawks into action and they scored two quick tries to further their lead out to 24-4. With 5 mintes to go the Harden lads switched off and Tuggeranong scored twice to make the scoreline more respectable at 24-16. Coach Nathan Schofield was happy with the effort for the majority of the match but sent a warning to his team. “We cant afford to play good footy and then go to sleep and let sides back in. We have got to play for the full sixty minutes, we can’t switch off at any stage of the game. We must remain focused.
Hawkettes Match Report Captain Kate Menz, who loves a punt, and punt she did when she ‘preyed’ on an intercept in the dying minutes of the first half of the hawkettes match against their arch rivals Bungendore Tigerettes. With the majority of the first half in a defensive stalemate the Tigerettes were building momentum with some sweeping back line plays as a massive overlap loomed, Kate backed herself and hit the burners and snatched the well timed pass from the flying Tigerettes. This left the try line looming for Kate to place the ball over near the sticks, in true Christian fashion guided by her duties earlier the day Kate then lofted the ball high into the heavens and celebrated with her teammates. Emma James potted the conversion and the Hawkettes went to the break with a handy 6-0 lead. Coach Pollard christened the sheds with some very simple instructions to stay hungry for the ball and start this half 2nd well. Unfortunately from the kick off the tigerettes must have also got a ‘lift’ as they came out flying and within the first set of 6 they had raced the length of the field to even the score back to 6-6. Not an ideal start from the Hawkettes. To their credit though the match again see-sawed with advantages at times to both teams. Like last week some good dummy half running and safe hands saw the Hawkettes nestled down in their opponents quarter – enter Grace Smith in to the match who strode through some aggressive defence to end up over the try line with one of the tigerettes placing a complimentary coat hanger around her neck – the ref cautioned the opponent and then pointed to the spot for the home team, 12-6 Hawkettes with 6 minutes to go, but off course there was more excitement to come. The home town spectators were starting to dream but knowing the rivalry between these 2 teams there were certain to be more twists and turns to unfold, with only 3 minutes left on the clock, turn it did as Bungendore scored a fairly soft try in front of the posts , there was no chance they would miss the goal so we are now at 12all. With 2.40 mins on the clock all the Hawkettes could do was kick long and defend hard, that they did and it caused a handy turn over and then what seemed like organised chaos from the sideline with seconds remaining ‘twinny’ dummied and passed a floater to Emma James who calmly potted a field goal, the ref seemed to take an eternity to signal fulltime but when he did the players and the crowd went into an excited frenzy – spectators jumped the fence and Sandra Smith and Paula Butt were ‘Usain Bolt like’ in their race to celebrate with the girls. It would be unfair to signal out best performers as every player put in extra effort at times throughout the match. Hawkettes Report maryanne Fitzgerald.
