RDFL: Woodend-Hesket’s Tom Gawthrop swings forward to ignite Hawks’ finals push

EARMARKED for a key defensive post, Tom Gawthrop could prove the key to Woodend-Hesket’s finals chances as a forward.

Tom Gawthrop has made a flying start to the season for Woodend-Hesket. Picture: Adam Elwood.

EARMARKED for a key defensive post, Tom Gawthrop could prove the key to Woodend-Hesket’s finals chances as a forward.

Gawthrop started the campaign in defence, but swung forward to kick four last-quarter goals in the Hawks’ Round 1 win over Lancefield.

Another five-goal haul followed in Round 2 against Melton Centrals before Gawthrop booted seven majors against Rockbank.

“I think I got that wrong,” first-year Woodend-Hesket coach Tom Carland said.

Gawthrop played as a key backman for Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup and had been slated to quell the influence of the Riddell District Football League’s best forwards this year.

He now finds himself among that company as one of the leading goalkickers in the competition, alongside the likes of Rupertswood’s Todd Podolczak and Melton Centrals’ Dylan Weir.

“He just takes the ball at such a high point,” Carland said.

“If he gets a good run and jump at it, defenders really can’t stop him. It’s a real bonus for us.”

Carland said Gawthrop was “one of the best footballers I have ever played with”.

“He hadn’t kicked a lot of goals for Woodend in previous years, so I thought with his marking ability … if he can go down and settle us across halfback, (he would) give our minds a bit more of a licence to attack,” he said.

Gawthrop has been a key figure in the Hawks’ brilliant start to the campaign, which has vindicated Carland’s pre-season expectation of a finals berth.

“He’s a young kid that’s a real leader,” Carland said.

“Still young in mind but everyone looks up to him and really sees him as a big part of the football club going forward.”

Wins over Lancefield, Melton Centrals and Rockbank left Woodend-Hesket top of the ladder after three rounds, but it dropped to third after an 11.9 (75) to 7.10 (52) defeat against Romsey on Saturday.

Gawthrop was the Hawks’ only multiple goalkicker in the 23-point defeat, finishing with two majors.

“At the start, we probably looked at the first four a fair bit,” Carland said.

“If we wanted to make finals, we were probably going to have to win the first four.”