Bendigo Advertiser | AT the nine-minute mark of the second quarter of Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Oval clash against Eaglehawk, Sandhurst was staring down the barrel.
Matt Gretgrix had just kicked Eaglehawk’s eighth goal of the game to hand the Hawks a 35-point lead.
At that stage the Hawks had kicked eight of the game’s 11 goals and had 14 scoring shots to four on the board as they led 8.6 to 3.1 in a battle where a spot in the Bendigo Football League top three at the halfway mark of the season was up for grabs.
But from 35 points down, the Dragons orchestrated a 62-point turnaround over the remainder of the match as they kicked 13 of the last 18 goals to win by 27 points, 16.17 (113) to 13.8 (86).
The Dragons’ revival was inspired by a dominant midfield performance as captain Blair Holmes, Adam Parry, Lee Coghlan, Nick Stagg, Zac East and Alex Pollock were all influential.
And up forward, Joel Wharton’s superb season continued with a career-best haul of five goals as he continues to enhance his reputation as a player who doesn’t need many touches to make his mark on a game.
From 35 points down nine minutes into the second quarter, the Dragons had hit the front by half-time after a scintillating run of six-consecutive goals to Ben Anderson, Parry, Alex Wharton, Matt Thornton and Joel Wharton (two).
It was a dramatic shift of momentum after the Hawks had earlier burst out of the blocks in a first quarter in which they belted the Dragons out of the middle, moved the ball well and threatened to score every time they went inside 50 at the city end.
The Hawks kicked 6.5 to 2.0 to lead by 29 points at quarter-time - Sandhurst’s biggest deficit at the first break since trailing Gisborne by 41 points in round 11, 2012.
While the Hawks were playing a slick brand of football, the Dragons were let down by poor disposal as too often they gifted the ball back to the Hawks, who made them pay.
But that all changed over the last 20 minutes of the second quarter as the Dragons began to generate their renowned brand of skilful, running play, while the Hawks fell away to just a shell of the team that dominated the first term as their pressure dropped off.
The Dragons smashed the Hawks 9-1 out of the centre for the second quarter, in which they kicked 7.5 to 2.1 to lead by five points at half-time, 9.5 to 8.6.
The centre clearance count ended 22-11 in favour of the Dragons, including 19-5 after quarter-time.
As well as the second quarter-burst, the other defining period of play for the Dragons was the first 10 minutes of the final quarter.
The game had been up for grabs at the last change when the Dragons led by nine points, 11.11 to 10.8.
But the Dragons were quick to kill off the contest when in the first 10 minutes of the final term they kicked 4.2 to no score to lead by 35 points - the same margin as they had trailed by only an hour earlier.
The Dragons’ best players were dominated by midfielders, with Pollock, Parry, Coghlan and Stagg all among them.
Parry accumulated possessions all game, while Pollock provided plenty of drive with his penetrating kicking in his bright yellow boots.
“It was a good challenge for the midfield to step up after the start we had,” Sandhurst coach Brett Fitzpatrick said.
“Eaglehawk embarrassed us in that first quarter, but the team as a collective knuckled down, worked hard and got the reward.”
Joel Wharton’s five goals - one in the first quarter, two in the second and two in the third - took his season tally to 26.
Swingman Thornton, who started in defence before being sent forward, provided a strong marking target across half-forward and kicked two goals.
Among Sandhurst’s 16 goals was a beauty from East 43 seconds into the second quarter after he put the after-burners on, had three bounces and kicked truly.
Play was stopped for four minutes midway through the first quarter after Eaglehawk tall Chris Hudson - who had started well across half-forward - was stretchered off in a neck brace after landing heavily in a marking contest.
Hudson was taken to hospital, but coach Luke Monaghan said he was clear of any serious injury.
The Hawks were also forced to play with 17 on the field for 15 minutes in the second quarter and early in the third after defender Brenton Conforti was reported for striking and yellow carded.
Sandhurst kicked 2.3 to 0.1 in the 15 minutes the Hawks were one player down.
“We were obviously happy with the way we started, but we spoke at quarter-time that at some stage they would get some momentum and we have to stand up and limit their scoreboard impact,” Monaghan said.
“They got some confidence and momentum in that second quarter and we couldn’t stop it.
“Losing Conforti in those 15 minutes gave Sandhurst the extra player on the field and they are one of the best sides at utilising the extra.”
Full-forward Gretgrix kicked five goals without a miss for the Hawks, already having the first two on the board inside the opening three minutes of the game.
The Hawks kicked eight goals from their first 18 inside 50 entries, but just five from their next 31.
Glenn Daly on the wing and in defence was his usual consistent self for the Hawks, while others in the best included defender Tim Hill, onballer Brodie Collins, Damian Wust and Brock Rogers.
The Hawks’ Brodie Filo provided two highlights with his two first-half goals - one a 45m snap, one tucked up tight on the boundary.
Meanwhile, after Mitch Dole's knee injury suffered against Golden Square last week was initially only believed by Sandhurst to be minor, the Dragons will now be without the X-factor small forward for the rest of the season after it has been confirmed he requires a knee reconstruction for a torn ACL.
• Match statistics:
Centre clearances: Sandhurst 22; Eaglehawk 11.
Inside 50s: Sandhurst 59; Eaglehawk 49.
Stoppages: Sandhurst 13; Eaglehawk 21.
