HAWKS claimed their third Hampden under 14 premiership in six years with a 41-point victory against Warrnambool.
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The 7.12 (54) to 2.1 (13) victory was the club’s first under its new name and in its new jumpers since winning back-to-back flags as Emmanuel Hawks in 2009-10.
Co-coach Ashley Zanker said the result was a triumph for team work.
“It was a great team effort,” he said.
Zanker said he and co-coach Paul McLaren had focused on developing each of the club’s 27 players in a season that included 11 wins out of 12 home-and-away matches.
“You are only as strong as your bottom five,” he said.
“All our bottom-age guys played 62 per cent of game time and only missed two weeks. We gave them as much game time as we could.
“In a grand final you need to know each of the boys can do their job. We had confidence in all our boys.”
He said the victory came a year after a majority of the side were part of an elimination final victory and then a first semi-final loss.
“The really important thing was we’ve really developed our bottom- age guys and they never let us down once, they were fantastic. I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
Yesterday Hawks raced to a 22-point lead at quarter-time, setting up the result.
Ruckman Jack Zanker was awarded the Danny O’Leary Medal for best on the ground while Connor Hinkley led the goalscoring with two up forward.