Sport
14 April, 2026
Lions impress in 35-point victory versus Hawks
The Harcourt Lions roared out of their preseason cage with a statement victory to begin their 2026 campaign, overcoming the highly-touted Talbot Hawks by 35 points.
On a day where points came at a premium, Harcourt superstar Jack Threlfall and promising youngster Mitchell McKnight combined for seven goals as the Lions clawed down the Hawks at their nest.
With both teams suffering straight-sets defeats during last season’s enthralling finals series, Talbot and Harcourt were striving to begin another premiership push with a key win over a potential title rival.
Despite having one less scoring shot, Talbot’s forward line, led by former AFL player Dean Limbach, Jarrod Stephens and Charles Aitken, made the most of the service from Dylan Tarczon and Victor Micallef by kicking three goals straight.
That deadly kicking allowed the hosts to take a nine-point advantage into quarter time.
With Billy Quirk and Jordan Gartside taking some brilliant intercept marks in the contest and Mark Noonan, Threlfall and Braydon Vaz sparking attacks with their bursting speed and pinpoint passing, the Lions pulled within touching distance of the Hawks with three second-quarter goals.
However, Talbot kept their noses in front with two goals of their own, entering half time leading by five points.
After both teams combined to kick nine majors in the first half, Harcourt’s forward line exploded during the third quarter, with McKnight, Nathan Anderson and Luke Burns helping the visitors kick a staggering seven goals for the term.
Talbot’s attempts at a comeback after trailing by four goals at three-quarter time routinely hit a brick wall, as the Lions persistently trapped the football in their forward half for the majority of the quarter, thanks to some brilliant Quirk contested marks.
With the visitors conceding just a point in the final term, Baxter Gurd kicked the sealer for Harcourt with the only goal of the fourth quarter.
Quirk and Gartside were instrumental in Harcourt conceding just 48 points in their season-opener, both earning a deserved mention in the best players alongside Noonan, Threlfall, who finished with a game-high four goals, Vaz and McKnight.
Darcy Osborne also delivered a brilliant performance in defence for Talbot, listed among the Hawks’ best players alongside Aitken, Micallef, Luke Kemp, Alex Marshall, and Tarczon.
Aitken, Limbach and Stephens all finished with two goals each.