Sport
8 July, 2025
Talbot take top spot on the ladder after 157-point victory
The Talbot Hawks have soared up to the top of the MCDFNL ladder after a remarkable 157-point victory over Campbells Creek.
After Carisbrook and Trentham’s clash ended in a draw, and Natte Bealiba was upset by Navarre over the weekend, The Hawks now have a two-point gap in first and percentage to boot.
In a massive boost to their finals push, star recruit Dean Limbach returned for the Hawks for the first time since their round four win over Carisbrook.
Entering the match as the clear favourites, Talbot wasted no time asserting their control on their home ground.
Their aggressive and team-oriented ball movement allowed Jamieson House, Jude McGuire and Jayson Atkins to carry the ball in the corridor and along the wings.
The trio used that space to deliver pinpoint passes to the likes of Jarrod Stephens and Zac Cicchini in the forward line.
Stephens took some brilliant one-on-one marks and kicked a couple of goals in the first quarter, helping the Hawks score 49 unanswered points in the first quarter.
The Magpies would get on the scoreboard in the second term, but Talbot remained relentless, only allowing one point while kicking six goals of their own to enter half time with an 88-point lead.
Talbot’s domination continued into the second half, with House and Stephens causing nightmares for the Magpies’ defence.
Seven unanswered goals in the third quarter extended the host’s lead to 130 points by three-quarter time.
Keen to fight until the very end, Campbells Creek kicked their first goals of the match in the final quarter through Dylan Stevens and James Haber.
However, those goals didn’t do much to change the result, as Talbot cruised home to victory.
After kicking 11 goals against Lexton the week prior, Jarrod Stephens once again reached double digits, booting 10 goals on Saturday.
He was an easy choice for Talbot’s best players, joined by House, who kicked five goals of his own, Atkins, Charles Aitken, McGuire and Kirk Lang.
Limbach completed his long-awaited return to the team by kicking two goals.