Sport
22 April, 2025
Good Friday clash sees Talbot take commanding win over home side Maldon
All roads led to the Bill Woodfull oval at Maldon on Good Friday in very warm conditions to witness what turned out to be a very one-sided game, which saw the Talbot Hawks defeat the home team by a comfortable 109 points.
However, it wasn’t all the Hawks' way in the opening term; in fact, the Bombers took advantage of the breeze, kicking five goals to one to lead at quarter time by twenty-five points.
Maldon’s Nat McLaren kicked the opening goal of the game, and the last goal of the first term. Damian Wust goaled after receiving a free kick from a brief melee when tempers flared, and the only Talbot goal was from a snapshot from Zac Ciccini, which was his first of seven goals for the game.
Another highlight was a Darcy Kelly high-flying grab.
It was one-way traffic in the second term as the Hawks went on an 11-goal spree, while keeping Maldon to just two goals for the term.
Ciccini kicked the first two goals
of the quarter to set the Hawks alight.
But it was the inspirational play of big man, Jarrod Stephens, when at the 16-minute mark he goaled to level the scores, and then a minute later he kicked an amazing left-foot snap across his body to take the lead.
The elusive and very agile Stephens played forward and also relieved the Hawks’ man mountain, Michael Sikora, in the ruck.
Sikora won the ruck battle all day and constantly set up the midfield led by Jamieson House, who again figured strongly after his best on ground the previous week.
Dean Limbach was providing a focal point up forward for the Hawks and followed his two goals in the second term with another four goals in the third term, including the first three goals.
The final quarter was a goal-kicking spree with the Hawks kicking twelve and Maldon two.
The Bombers had put the cue in the rack, but the likes of Billy Johns and Cal Buchanan fought it out to the end.
Other Maldon players to play well were Noah Thompson, Xavier Noy, Darcy Kelly, and Coby Bennett, with Nat McLaren kicking four goals for the home team.
Talbot named Dean Limbach as their
best with his nine goals straight, Jamieson House, Jayden Hind, Michael Sikora,
Charles Aitken, and Zac Ciccini with seven goals.
After kicking more than 25 goals in the first two games of the season, watch out for the Hawks.