Bendigo Advertiser | THE biggest knock on Eaglehawk last year was its inability to beat the big guns of the Bendigo Football League and to string together consecutive wins.
While the Hawks eventually fought their way into the finals, they didn't defeat a side that finished in the top five until beating Sandhurst in round 18.
And the only time they strung together back-to-back wins was rounds 17 and 18.
On Sunday, the Hawks get an early opportunity to do what proved so difficult last year when they tackle Strathfieldsaye at Flight Centre Park, with the chance to not only knock off the reigning premiers, but to also start the season with back-to-back wins after belting South Bendigo last week.
"This is a new year and a new side, so we haven't spoken about last year, but if you want to be a legitimate finals side then you've got to be beating the sides that are up there. And the benchmark is Strathfieldsaye, so it's going to be a good test for us," Eaglehawk coach Luke Monaghan said.
"You look at the Strathfieldsaye side and there's stars across every line and plenty of depth. Their forward line looks particularly handy, so we'll have to work hard to maintain them."
