CHIDLOW had already cemented the 2026 minor premiership before their round 17 game against Pickering Brook.

The Hawks were aiming to follow up on their round 16 win against Gidgegannup.

The Cougars were having nothing of it even with several of their players away due to FIFO work commitment.

The Hawks needed someone to stand up in the ruck due to the absence of Pickering Brook’s Jackson Shilling.

He would be up against Chidlow’s Joshua Johnson and Jake Sharp who have both shown progressive improvement as the season has gone on.

Both teams were quick to score a behind each.

Cougars were the first to kick a goal after some slick coast to coast ball movement.

A penetrating kick out from a behind found Chidlow’s Reece Forbes on the wing.

He in turn moved the ball forward to a waiting Cougars player Kaden Bonsack who had no trouble in converting his kick at goal.

That was the first of the Cougars’ seven goals for the quarter.

Chidlow moved the ball from the centre ball ups with relative ease.

Chidlow’s Matt Mallaby worked in tandem with Lukaz Dymek pushing the ball forward.

Teammate Jake Forman found space to collect the ball and kick another goal.

Mallaby showed his desire for hard running which resulted in him scoring another Cougars goal.

If not for a late goal to Pickering Brook’s Mitchell Johnston they would have headed into the first break goalless.

As it was, they faced a deficit of 38 points.

The Hawks showed a lot more endeavour after the break outscoring Chidlow by 12 points in the second.

Pickering Brook’s Deklan Butterworth, John Lagare and Jared MacKay became more involved, offering more opportunities for their forwards, while also contributing on the scoreboard themselves.

Chidlow resumed control after the half time break, off the back of a bit of a shellacking from one of their senior players pointing out that they could never afford a similar lapse in the upcoming finals.

Cougars Cody Pomfret and Jack Langridge became more involved allowing teammate Reece Forbes to drift forward to kick a goal in his 250th game.

Chidlow’s Tahj Milne, Tim Huntley and Blake Offer filled the main defensive positions in the absence of Luke Elliott and Steven Schorer.

Pickering Brook players Ryan Lindley and Joshua Vellinga found themselves under constant pressure as the Cougars kept advancing on their forward line.

Cougars Bonsack, Mallaby and Forman each added a goal.

Pickering Brook were looking down the barrel of a heavy loss if they couldn’t find some drive in the last quarter with the Cougars holding a 51-point lead.

Pickering Brook’s Ben Bowness drew on all of his experience in an attempt to lift his team.

Several of his teammates lifted with him.

Hawks players Brendyn McLeish, Jacob Ouwendyk along with Tristan Lilleyman, who had recovered after a heavy bump earlier in the game, became more involved to move the ball forward to teammate Mitchell Johnston allowing him to kick his third goal for the game.

Although being outscored by three points for the last quarter, Pickering Brook dug deep enough to not capitulate.

In the end, it was the Cougars’ victory with a final score of 17.15 (117) against the Hawks’ 9.9 (63).