EAST Wagga-Kooringal coach Gavin McMahon is confident the Hawks can win in any conditions following a tough victory over Farrer League battler The Rock-Yerong Creek.

EWK would have been odds-on favourite to roll the Magpies heading into the round 14 clash at Gumly Oval but the home team found itself with a fight on its hands.

TRYC - unable to qualify for finals - played above itself as it produced one of the club's most impressive performances of the season.

The Magpies were arguably the better team for most of the game and smothered the opposition with their aggression and eagerness at every contest.

EWK maintained a slight lead up until midway through the third quarter when TRYC booted six straight goals and found itself 19 points clear.

In the end the difference was Hawks full forward Marc Geppert.

Geppert booted 10 for the game including four of the last six goals to get EWK home, winning 16.9 (105) to 13.5 (83).

In the dying stages, Geppert marked the ball just 30m out from his goal line but went back and banged it through from the 50m arc - just because he can.

"Gep was easily our best player today and probably the best player on the ground," McMahon said afterwards.

"He's done it for the last two or three weeks now, making something out of half-opportunities."

The Hawks snuck home with a man down in the last quarter after Trent Garner was yellow carded for an off-the-ball incident.

It was a thrilling clash considering the contrasting form of the two clubs - EWK being one of the premiership favourites and TRYC winning just three games to date.

McMahon later paid credit to the Magpies for giving the Hawks a mighty scare.

Rather than be disheartened by the performance of his team, McMahon was rapt with the result.

"The best thing about today (Saturday) was we found a way to win when things weren't going our way," he said.

"We take a hell of a lot of positives out of that win.

"We were probably flat, a bit slow, we were second to the footy all day.

"We would have liked to win a bit prettier but we got the four points so I'm happy."

Geppert was almost unstoppable up forward and was a clear standout for the Hawks.

For TRYC Aiden Ridley, Andrew Saddler, Todd Hannam, Harry White, Dale Hugo and Dennis Pedemont were all impressive.

The Magpies were dealt a huge blow in the first quarter when coach and gun midfielder Dave Pieper injured his shoulder and failed to return to the ground.

Pieper had his right arm in a sling after half time and, with two rounds left, would be lucky to play against this season.