The Augusta Margaret River Hawks showed a strong display of power against the Eaton Boomers on Saturday night as the teams met under lights at Gloucester Park for Round 12 of competition.
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From the first quarter the Hawks looked stronger than their visiting opponents, thriving in freezing and often wet conditions as the sun set and the chill took hold.
The Hawks scored the first goal of the game before Eaton responded quickly, but scrappy play and difficulty retaining possession and footing on the slippery ground proved troublesome for the Boomers, who could not manage to add to their two-goal score by the half time siren.
By comparison, the Hawks played a tight, calm but speedy game, ball handling skills allowing them the edge through the first half.
Difficulty retaining possession and footing on the slippery round proved troublesome for the Boomers. By comparison, the Hawks played a tight, calm but speedy game, ball handling skills allowing them the edge through the first half.
As the ball once again headed towards the AMR goal square and it seemed as though every Hawks player was there to guide it through, one Eaton player was overheard asking a teammate “What the hell is going on?”
Frustrations were apparent on both sides as Boomer Jay Walton confronted hawks Jake Rodgers and Lincoln Adams after a hard tackle.
Mitchell Payne again showed class and patience, racking up his impressive six goals while fellow Hawk Ben Gerrans worked hard to notch five majors for his efforts.
Mitch Lynn was Mr Everwhere thanks to his speed and willingness to put his body on the line, often taking on two or more opponents alone, and appearing out of the pack with the footy firmly in hand.
Eaton’s Jay Walton was the standout for the Boomers, kicking four goals and two behinds, but struggled to keep his side on the scoreboard with a number of poorly timed kicks and missed aim handing Jaice Benzie, Steven Jas and Haydn Gregory fifteen points between them.
As the rain moved in over a small crowd of dedicated Hawks supporters it was clear that the Boomers were losing the energy to sustain pressure on the home side.
A low game played around the feet saw energy expended on the ground while the Hawks kept the ball high, marking well and kicking cleanly.
Eaton players made a solid effort to shadow their targets well, at times flooding the Hawks scoring end in a sea of red and blue, but failed to keep the ball for long enough to make it count.
A romping second half saw the Hawks streak away with a 72 point lead, slotting seven goals in the third and serving up a near impossible task for the visitors in the cold dark closing minutes of the game.
Another four goals kept the Hawks’ lead at a healthy distance while Eaton made a gallant effort to level the board, kicking three in the last quarter.
Final Scores 18.11-119 to 6.3-39.
The Hawks remain at number eight on the ladder while the Boomers sit in sixth position. The Hawks travel to Busselton where they will face the Magpies next weekend while the Boomers will meet Donnybrook.