Border Mail | KIEWA-SANDY CREEK are through to the Tallangatta league grand final after giving Chiltern a fearsome touch-up on Saturday.
Tallangatta await the minor premiers in a semi-final rematch.
The Swans struggled to find answers against the Hawks, who looked a touch faster and stronger for much of the day.
Hawks star forward Guy Telford finished with 11 goals in a best afield display, with Chiltern’s Steven Phibbs handed the unenviable task of manning him.
Phibbs did well in a backline that was under siege for most of the game though, and had support in patches from Ash van Klaveren and Dane O’Neill.
Otherwise it was one-way traffic.
Tim Hallinan was prolific on the wing, while Jason Bartel troubled the Swans with his speed for much of the afternoon.
The Hawks finished with five multiple goal-kickers, with Andrew Carter and Ryan Wallace kicking two goals each alongside Hallinan and Bartel.
After being held goalless in the first quarter, the Swans kicked three in the second quarter to steady the ship.
But with playing coach Mark Doolan stationed in the backline, Chiltern lacked the kind of dominant forward target the Hawks boasted in Telford.
Brad Hibberson booted three goals for the third game in a row, but outside of the lively goalsneak, forward line options were few and far between.
Kiewa were equally impressive in the backline as they were moving forward, with Peter Winnett setting the standard for defensive pressure.
A disciplined forward press saw the footy locked in the Hawks forward half for lengthy periods of time, forcing the Swans to frequently kick wide and to a contest.
From there, Kiewa began to take control, booting seven goals to three in the third quarter to essentially put the game beyond doubt at the last change.
Two late goals for Chiltern kept the margin below 100 points, but the Hawks still got an 85-point win.
Kiewa co-coach Callum Turner couldn’t have been happier with his team’s response to last week’s loss to Tallangatta.
“We knew we had to come out strong, there was no margin for error,” Turner said.
“The interrupted lead-up to finals probably wasn’t ideal for us, so despite the loss we were better off for the run last week.
“We improved a lot over last week, we turned the ball over a lot and we tightened it up a lot.
“It’s good for us to be able to keep a bit of form going before the final.”
