After just two minutes, Hawks five-eighth Abed Atallah put up a high ball, to which Adam Byrne won the contest for the ball and scored in the left corner. The conversion was missed but the Hawks had drawn first blood.

The contest went from end to end and only minutes later, Brad Wylie with a classic dummy half try levelled the scores. Craig Irwin landed the conversion to put Binalong in front 6-4. The arm wrestle continued until the hosts put on a wide sweeping ball movement to find Dave Brown in for the first of his two tries for the day. The conversion was missed from wide out and the score went to 10-4.

Both sides continued to pound one another with strong hit-ups and heavy tackles. Tony Worthy and Ben Spencer were very busy in defence. However, some clever ball play by the Hawks breached the Brahmans line wide on the left and Hawks captain Luke Brown crossed the chalk in a handy position, Atallah converted and the scores were all locked-up.

As the halftime siren sounded, Atallah tried a kick down the ground into Binalong's territory but Johnny-on-the-spot, James Blair, managed to charge it down. With the ball rolling dangerously close to Harden's dead ball line, Blair followed it and flopped onto the ball for the try. Irwin couldn't convert but the Brahmans regained the lead 14-10.

When the players resumed to the field, bright sunlight was now in the eyes of the visitors but they did have the benefit of a slight breeze from the east. The Waldren Construction Brahmans wasted no time in laying on another try, this time initiated by Matt Lawrence. Dave Brown crossed wide out and with no conversion the score crept on to 18-10.

Harden weren't done with yet and after 12 minutes crossed against Binalong's left side defence. The try went unconverted and it was 18-14. With Brahman's captain, Chris Rawlinson, on the sidelines with a serious hand injury, there was one less threat to the Hawks. The visitors had managed to keep the dangerous Matt Cooke and Scott Naughton under control. But these players can be watched for only so long and suddenly the large crowd witnessed Naughton slice through the Hawks defence.

From a handy position, Craig Irwin slotted the extras to bring up a 10 point lead with 11 minutes remaining. To their credit, Harden didn't give up and replied a minute later with an unconverted try. All they needed then was another converted try to level the scores and enforce the extra time rule. Nine very tense minutes followed with repeated attacks on the Brahmans line.

Binalong resisted every attempt to cross their line. So the game finished with the minor premiers running out winners by 24-18 and booking their place in the George Tooke Grand Final at Binalong on Saturday August 30. The Hawks will meet the Yass Magpies at McLean Oval, Harden this Saturday. The winner of this match will meet Binalong in the decider. In the touch competition, the Girlpies will face off against the Hawkettes in the early game on Saturday.

Binalong 24 (Brown 2, Wylie, Blair and Naughton; Irwin 2 goals) defeated Harden 18 (Byrne 2, Brown and Beal; Atallah 1 goal). Referee: Mr Luke Barrow.

Bos indicus.     

(TOUCH FOOTBALL)

The major and minor semi-finals of the inaugural George Tooke Shield women's touch football competition were held last Saturday at Binalong.

In the major semi-final the Binalong Jersey Girls took on the Yass Girlpies.

The first half started very similar to the previous game with the Jersey Girls jumping out to an early lead with touchdowns to Lisa Smith, Jess Howard and Madaline Brayshaw. The Girlpies were able to get on the scorecard with a late touchdown to Casey Edwards which would see the Jersey Girls take a 3-1 lead into halftime.

The second half saw the Jersey Girls turn up the intensity and it wasn't long before they had jumped away to a convincing lead with a touchdown to Rachel Fisher and two touchdowns to Bronwyn Pollack. The Girlpies were able to withstand pressure from numerous attacks from the Jersey Girls, but unfortunately it was too much with Madaline Brayshaw and Lisa Smith both scoring their second touchdowns.

The Girlpies would not give up though and persistence paid off with a touchdown to Sartu Beck and Casey Edwards scoring her second touchdown. It would not be Yass' day with Bronwyn Pollack crossing the score line late to notch up her third touchdown for the afternoon and seal a 9-3 victory for the Jersey Girls.

With these results, Binalong will progress to the grand final and will wait to verse the winner of the Yass Girlpies and Harden Hawkettes who will play in the preliminary final on Saturday in Harden at 2pm.

Greg Richards-Riches (Competitons and events coordinator).