The Tyrepower Manjimup League 2nd Semi Final has produced a 9 point win for Deanmill, sending the Hawks directly to the Grand Final. While a 9 point win over Kojonup was the result of the 14.10.94 to 13.7.85 scoreline, the twists and turns it took to get there, not to mention the various permutations it throws up for the next two weeks, require some unpacking.
In Friday’s preview, it was highlighted that as evenly matched as these two sides appear to be – both clashes in 2025 had been relatively comfortable margins. In Sunday’s 2nd Semi Final, we got the classic game of two halves, that ultimately conspired to dish up a tight end result. The first quarter was a tough and tight affair, one that belied the respective teams’ status as the two highest scoring teams in the competition. Both sides sized each other up, well aware of the size of the prize on the line, and it took a moment of quick thinking from Harry Taylor to break the deadlock with a soccered goal out of mid air in the goal square. Brettney East replied for Deanmill and courtesy of a few behinds, the Hawks went to the first change with a narrow lead, 1.5.11 to 1.1.7. Deanmill hadn’t been able to find a path to Jordan Strahan as McKenzie Greene took on one of the least wanted roles in the Lower South West, while the talented Kojonup forward line had seen some chances but been unable to do any real scoreboard damage.
The second quarter started to look like the game we perhaps expected, at least in terms of scoring patterns, with 8 goals for the quarter. Concerningly for Hawks fans, 6 of these were Kojonup’s, as they pushed out to a 23 point margin at half time. Of most concern for Deanmill, the 23 point margin had seemingly been built in the blink of an eye, after the Hawks led at quarter time and still only trailed by 5 points midway through the quarter. Taylor had 4 for the half and was set for a big day, Kyron Hayden was showing his class in the middle of the ground and Matt Marinoni continuing his outstanding 2025 form that saw him finish as Runner Up in Friday’s Tyrepower Medal vote count.
Another big tick for the Cougars’, was the limited influence of Strahan, who had just the one goal, while for the most part, they were on top in the midfield. Kojonup Coach, Travis Abbott was cutting everything off, as Deanmill weren’t able to get any real speed on the ball and his positioning got him to multiple contests. Given the way the second quarter panned out, one could have been forgiven for believing that the game would mirror the Round 13 clash, where Kojonup weathered an early storm, then eased to a comfortable 35 point win after they went to half time 15 points up on that occasion.
Josh Crook had a fantastic outing in defence and contributed a goal for Kojonup.
Image courtesy of Red Dog Moore Media.
The start of the second half saw Archie Hall head to the centre square to resume his ruck battle with Brad Ashton, while he was joined by Harley Sparks, Cooper Sparks and Joshua Reeve. For Kojonup, the trio that had done much of the heavy lifting in the first half remained, with Hayden and Marinoni joined by Lachlan O’Shea. One of the intriguing points of the first half was the rotation method of both teams, with Kojonup’s interchange area resembling Grand Central Station as their midfield players and wings rotated heavily, while Deanmill swung the changes far less regularly. Given the margin as they lined up, it seemed all was going to plan. When Hall connected with Sparks (Cooper), who hit Blake East on the 50, it was just the positive break the Hawks needed. East found Ethan Dimitriou, who kicked truly from 35 metres out. 53 seconds into the second half, one goal on the board for Deanmill without Kojonup touching the footy. It was the clean and quick ball movement the Hawks had craved for in the opening hour, but still felt like a goal against the run of play, rather than the start of a MASSIVE momentum swing.
Cooper Sparks again got the centre break, this time courtesy of a free kick, and once again he hit East up around the 50. After a few minutes of sustained pressure from Deanmill, Jared Edgar had a set shot, which drifted across the face, before Cooper Sparks missed Strahan’s fingertips by the barest of margins with yet another inside entry inside 50. The warning signs were starting to appear and got louder when Dimitriou took another mark inside 50. Kojonup supporters breathed a sigh of relief when the shot missed, but the pressure was adding up and Kojonup had yet to go forward of centre.
A kick from Abbott sat in the air a little long and allowed a big punch forward over Marinoni, with Kojonup’s defence scattered from the unexpected turnover. The resulting inside 50 again went through East’s hands, who found Strahan in front of a late arriving Jamie Marinoni. The minor flash point that followed, ended with a Strahan goal and now Kojonup had a couple of problems. The margin had narrowed to 9, the Deanmill midfield was on top, Matt Marinoni had a constant companion in Reeve, and now the Hawks had a fired up Strahan set to explode.
Explode he did! After a potential Kyle Smith circuit breaking goal at the other end narrowly missed, Deanmill went forward and again via Dimitriou. The well weighted kick allowed Strahan to protect space at the back of the contest and kick a second in 4 minutes. The next centre break resulted in a Harley Sparks bullet hitting Strahan on the chest, who again put his precise kicking to the test from 50 for another goal. A free kick for Clancy Tonkin in the goal square put a temporary end to the carnage before an Archie Hall free kick sent another one Strahan’s way, who took a power mark against three Kojonup players. Two minutes later he had 5 goals in 10 minutes and while the margin was 8 points at the final change, the state of the game needed another huge momentum swing if Kojonup were going to come over the top. Abbott had started to swing the changes, taking himself back to stand Strahan himself, while Lee Lucev had moved up the ground to get more involved in proceedings. The rest of the term turned into an arm wrestle as Kojonup looked to limit the damage.
Kojonup kicked the opening goal of the final term, before Deanmill added the next three, to take a 21 point lead midway through the quarter. Kojonup again tried to respond, through Josh Crook, who capped an excellent display with a goal, but the Hawks again had the answers and booted the next two, to leave the margin at 27. Kojonup did kick three late, bringing the margin back to 9 at the finish, two of them to Lucev.
For the Hawks, Kester Decke was superb throughout, while the Sparks brothers dominated proceedings during the third term along with Strahan. Hall had the edge in the ruck, while Dimitriou gave them plenty of energy across half forward, especially during the third quarter patch and Blake East led from the front as always.
Matt Marinoni worked tirelessly for the Cougars, while Kyle Smith had a positive return to the side. Taylor, for his part, was the dominant forward on the ground in the first half before he was starved of opportunity in the second and Crook had a fantastic outing in defence. Leon van Voorthuizen was full of enterprise on his wing throughout and his match up in the Preliminary Final with Tayten Smith will be an important battle.
The Hawks now get the week off before the Grand Final in the heart of Manjimup, while Kojonup head to Pemberton to face Southerners in the last chance Preliminary Final.
For all the latest scores, goal kickers and best players – the Lower South West Football League has it’s home on PlayHQ HERE.
