SWFL 2023: Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault dominate depleted reigning premiers at Gloucester Park

Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault’s shock 14.8 (92) to 9.8 (62) victory over reigning premiers Augusta-Margaret River on Saturday at Gloucester Park was summed up by a moment of brilliance from Jarrod Humphries.

On a day where all Lions stood tall in the face of adversity, Humphries kicked arguably one of the greatest goals you could ever hope to see at the six-minute mark of the third term.

Keen for his side to put the reigning premiers out of business once and for good, the livewire forward stole the ball from a nearby Hawks defender deep in the right forward pocket at the Walcliffe Road end of the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Humphries (seven goals) cleverly dummied to evade multiple defenders, before coolly snapping a beautiful goal, much to the delight of his teammates.

This magic further spurred on the Lions, who led by more than 50 points at one stage during their memorable away trip.

The Hawks were hit hard selection-wise prior to the clash, with several players — including dual Hayward medallist Simon Moore — unavailable.

From the opening bounce, the Lions made it clear they would fight for the ball at every contest, routinely thumping the ball away and forcing the home side to reassess at every turn.

Aside from their defensive accountability, pressure from the visitors resulted in the reigning premiers routinely overusing the ball in traffic by hand, which resulted in multiple turnovers.

Additionally, the Lions benefitted from the return of Ty Anderson — a former Fremantle Dockers COVID top-up player — who slotted seamlessly into the midfield.

Anderson, who has worked hard for Peel Thunder in the WAFL throughout his career to date, showcased the wares of playing at the next level.

With his blistering speed and quality delivery, Anderson helped his teammates provide silver service to Humphries and company, who were always a step ahead of the Hawks throughout the afternoon.

The Lions’ final margin could have been significantly greater, had it not been for Hawks skipper Lincoln Adams on the last line of defence.

Subjected to wave after wave of pressure, Adams worked tirelessly in a bid to stem the flow, racking up several intercept marks.