Live stream: Western Warriors v Hawks, Victorian Netball League, Round 20

The Hawks are coming home next week and they will do it on a wave of momentum after two big wins over a valiant Western Warriors. Watch the REPLAYS.

The Hawks are coming home, and their riding a wave of momentum to get there.

Hawks will take the court at their spiritual home, Stonnington Sport Centre, for the first time next week, and they will do it with finals on their mind after a dominant Round 20 win.

The Hawks went level with Geelong Cougars on the edge of the Victorian Netball League top four, after an empahtic performance against Western Warriors on Wednesday.

WATCH THE CHAMPIONSHIP REPLAY ABOVE, SCROLL DOWN FOR THE 23-AND-UNDER REPLAY

Kaylia Stanton shortened the gap to the competition’s leading goal scorer, Falcons’ Jane Cook, with a top shelf display in the shooting circle.

Stanton scored 53 goals from 58 attempts, while goaler Annabelle Gorman added 15 of her own, as the Hawks ran out 71-51 winners.

The Hawks used the second half of the clash to give important game time to their bench players with one eye already on the Championship finals in under a month’s time.

It was a tough night for Western Warriors veteran, and former Hawk, Kim Borger who only shot 23 goals for the Championship side before backing up in the coaches box for the 23-and-Under side who struggled agaisnt the top of the table Hawks.

A week on from the Hawks young guns’ shock first loss of the season, they made sure it was no more than a distant memory with a dominant 68-42 win over the Warriors.

Dominique Taylor continued her brilliant back half of the season with a second-straight 40 goal performance for the Hawks, while Hannah Keane added 13 goals for only one miss in an extended stint on the court.

PREVIEW

Western Warriors sharpshooter Kim Borger says her team will seek to “absolutely create chaos” in the final few weeks of the VNL regular season.

With the Warriors now out of championship finals contention, they do however, have some ability to shape the finals race in the final three rounds.

They threw a spanner in the works for top-four hopeful Melbourne University in Sunday’s regional round with a 61-51 win, with their round 20 fixture against fourth-placed Hawks on Wednesday another chance to do some damage

The double header will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV, with the Championship clash getting the action underway from 7pm.

The Hawks are yet to cement their spot in the finals, with Geelong Cougars among those hot on their heels.

Kim Borger in action for the Western Warriors this season. Photo: Grant Treeby/ NV

Borger, who will turn coach for the later 23-and-Under clash against ladder-leaders Hawks, said they’d attack Wednesday’s contest with a winning mindset.

“We know we can’t make finals but we could potentially change where people end up in finals as well,” Borger said.

“We’re just going to go in and absolutely create chaos for the other teams - we don’t want them to think we’re an easy win, there have been times we’ve let things blow out but there are sides in the top two we’ve only lost to by one or two.

“We’re more than capable of putting it to these higher sides.”

If Wednesday’s game is anything like the Western Warriors and Hawk’s first match-up, it’ll be a showcase after playing out a 58-all draw in round eight in what was the Warriors’ inaugural home game at Melton’s Cobblebank Stadium.

“As much as we would have loved to have won, we were still really happy with the draw because they are obviously a top three-four side,” Borger said.

Borger, who has enjoyed her time at the new franchise which is just 20 minutes from her Caroline Springs doorstep, felt the playing group had started to find their “groove” as the season progressed.

Armed with the experience of ex-Vixen Borger and Julia Woolley in their goal circle -Borger has 662 goals this season at an incredible clip of 92.7 per cent while Woolley is 215 at 88.8 per cent - as well as attacking midcourter Vanessa Augustini, the Warriors have also turned to youth in the form of emerging midcourters Ruby Shannon and Simona Di Filippo.

Jasmine Fraser in action for the Western Warriors this season. Photo: Grant Treeby/ NV

“It’s amazing to see those young girls step up and play in our championship division,” Borger said.

Meanwhile, Borger held high praise for defender Jasmine Fraser, who she said was having “a cracker of a year”.

“Her and I play in the GVL against each other, so we’ve had a couple tussles on court,” Borger said with a laugh.

“She’s really flourishing and doing a really good job leading down that (defence) end as well.”

Originally published as Live stream: Western Warriors v Hawks, Victorian Netball League, Round 20