A game of Snakes and Animals, as the Hawks fly-high

Mitch Dyer

Round 4 of VAFA showcased some thrilling matches as teams competed to climb up the ladder and stamp just a little bit of authority on the comp. 

Hawthorn AFC has continued their impressive start to the season, taking care of Richmond with a 57-point victory in Round 4.

The game was evenly matched for three quarters, with Richmond keeping pace with the top-of-the-table Hawks. However, Hawthorn proved too strong in the final term, piling on 40 points to run away with the game.

Justin Raiti, Willy Meehan, and Ethan Harvey were instrumental in Hawthorn’s dominant final quarter, with the trio helping to anchor their side to an impressive win.

The Canterbury Cobras have secured their third win of the season with a hard-fought victory over Wattle Park.

Both sides came into the game with similar win-loss records, making for an intriguing contest. Canterbury held the upper hand for much of the match, but their inaccuracy in front of goal kept Wattle Park in the game.

In the end, the league-leading goal scorer Tommy Lowden kicked another four goals to help Canterbury over the line. For Wattle Park, Harry Davis put in a standout performance, while Newbegin Baxter continued his impressive form from the past two games.

The win sees Canterbury remain amongst the leading trio in the competition and sets them up nicely for the remainder of the season.

After the opening round loss, Elsternwick has put together three strong wins to the season with a commanding victory over Swinburne University.

Last years finalists wasted no time in putting the winless Swinburne to the sword, with Daniel Poletto running riot in the midfield. While Elsternwick could have easily won by a larger margin, their inaccuracy in front of goal kept Swinburne in the game.

The win sees Elsternwick cement their place as one of the teams to beat in the VAFA this season, while Swinburne remains the only team yet to register a win in the division.

Power House has continued their impressive run of form with a hard-fought victory over La Trobe University.

Despite trailing by just nine points at three-quarter time, La Trobe was unable to maintain their momentum, with Power House steamrolling to a 30-point victory in the final term.

Inaccuracy was not an issue for either side, but Power House’s superior finishing proved the difference in the end. The win sees the House join Canterbury, Elsternwick and Hawthorn as the leading trio in the competition, with all three sides sitting on three wins and one loss for the season.

The victory reinforces Power House’s status as one of the teams to beat this season, while La Trobe will be left to regroup ahead of their next match.

Round 4 has given us a glimpse of what the rest of the season holds. With several teams jostling for position, we can expect some fierce competition and intense matches in the weeks to come.