Sport
23 June, 2026
Second half surge sees Hawks soar over Swans
A sensational second half performance has allowed Talbot to cruise past a fightful Natte Bealiba, winning by 55 points.
After key forward Jarrod Stephens gave them a 25-point lead at half time with five first-half goals, the Hawks dominated the Swans in the third and fourth quarters, outscoring the hosts 46-16.
Stephens had already put the Hawks in front a mere 20 seconds after the opening siren, producing a classy string of handpasses with Jude McGuire before snapping through the game’s opening goal.
Stephens’ blink and you miss it opener began a cascading start for the Hawks, with Stephens and Dean Galea combining to give Talbot a 19-point lead four minutes in.
Thanks to some quick positional adjustments around the contest, Natte Bealiba managed to stop the onslaught, resulting in Jai Howell scoring their first goal with a beautiful set-shot from just inside 50.
A free-kick reversal and a 100-metre penalty from the ensuing centre bounce allowed Kyen Burrill-Grinton to bring the Swans back to within seven points, but a pair of late goals from Stephens restored Talbot’s 19-point lead at quarter time.
The second quarter was a major contrast to the free-flowing high-scoring affair that preceded it, as both teams looked to clog up their defensive 50.
After Trent Mortlock, who was celebrating his 200th senior game for Natte Bealiba, opened the scoring with a well-taken set shot, the two sides combined for just four scoring shots for the remainder of the term.
With his fifth goal of the match on the eve of half time, Stephens boosted the visitors’ advantage to 25 points at the main break.
Similar to the first half, Talbot immediately took control at the restart, producing nine consecutive scoring shots.
However, the Hawks may have started wondering if a curse had been put on them at half time after kicking eight straight behinds before Victor Micallef broke the rut with a sharp snap.
The Swans did finish the quarter strongly, resulting in Burrill-Grinton’s second goal of the match, but the Hawks had already flown to a six-goal lead at three-quarter time.
Four unanswered goals to start the fourth quarter provided the exclamation point for Talbot, who secured their sixth win of the season.
McGuire seemingly covered every blade of grass at CHS Broadbent Oval on Saturday, selected for Talbot’s best players alongside Dylan Tarczon, Stephens, Charles Aitken, Tommy Alkemade and Alex Marshall.
Natte listed Burrill-Grinton, Jake Postle, Aidan Medlyn, Thomas Ross, Kurt Mortlock and Stephen Ross as their standout performers.