THERE have been many highs across Travis Matheson’s time in footy as a player and coach.
In the minutes after Saturday’s senior grand final win the Eaglehawk co-coach reflected on an incredible match and rise to be number one in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL again.
The Hawks’ stunning final quarter fightback to beat Sandhurst will be talked about for many seasons.
“My message earlier in the week and before the match was about being within three or four goals of Sandhurst at three quarter-time,” Matheson said.
“I always believed we could overrun them and outwork them and we did,” Matheson said.
Many at the ground had their doubts about the Hawks overcoming a four-goal deficit, but they did and then some.
The Hawks Army marvelled at an incredible run of six unanswered goals to turn a 22-point deficit into a 10-point triumph.
A lot of what the Hawks’ coaches and players had talked about and worked on during the season was to the fore.
The Hawks’ pressure forced turnovers from which they capitalised and the dare to run and work into space resulted in a goalkicking frenzy.
Winning premierships is what Matheson had done many times – three as a player, and three as playing coach at Kerang.
He took on Eaglehawk’s senior coaching role in 2019 and on Saturday marked a first premiership as non-playing coach.
The victory capped the first year of Matheson teaming with Clayton Holmes, playing, to coach the Borough’s line-up.
From the presentation dais, Matheson said Sandhurst again set the benchmark across all grades.
He said the roar from the Hawks fans on “One Eyed Hill” at the Barnard Street end lifted the team all match.
“The Eaglehawk community is so supportive,” Matheson said.
“It’s support we have all season and on a day like today it means so much.”
Another premiership capped thousands of hours work, on and off the field.
Injuries and unavailability also tested the club in a season where more than 35 played at senior level.
A club that has aimed to do did just that once again.
As they bask in premiership glory the Hawks’ coaches and players know the build-up to the ’26 campaign will soon start.
“We go from hunter to being hunted,” Matheson said.
Courage, Resilience, Commitment, Brotherhood were written on signs in the Hawks’ rooms at the Faith Leech Aquatic Centre adjacent to the QEO.
On a day where so many words are spoken and deeds played out, those four words summed up Eaglehawk’s team.