EAST Wagga-Kooringal confirmed their status as Farrer League premiership favourites with a 77-point annihilation of cross-town rivals North Wagga on Saturday.
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The Hawks are the only team to remain undefeated after the first three rounds of the competition after they spanked the Saints, 15.13 (103) to 4.2 (26) at Gumly Oval.
On the same weekend fellow Farrer heavyweight The Rock-Yerong Creek suffered their first loss, EWK asserted themselves on the competition to move to the top of the table and confirm their status as premiership favourite.
The Hawks worked much harder than the Saints and continually outnumbered them at the contest, and moved the ball efficiently into the forward 50.
The Hawks’ defensive unit was superb and kept North Wagga goalless for more than an hour of football.
EWK coach Gavin McMahon was playing down the Hawks’ premiership chances so early in the season.
“It’s really irrelevant until half way through the year and everyone has played each other once,” McMahon said.
“A lot of the other clubs, like The Rock, are similar to us last year and have a lot of new faces and it’s hard to gel straight away.
“Once we’ve played everyone that’s when we’ll start to consider where we sit against other teams.”
McMahon though could not be happier with the Hawks’ effort on Saturday.
“It was a four quarter team effort,” he said.
“I don’t think we had a bad player.
“It was more a confidence builder that the things we’ve been working on most of last season and through the pre-season are starting to work.
“We’ve showed glimpses in the past but now we’re starting to put it all together.”
Trent Garner was dominant at full-back and won the Anzac Day best-on-ground medal.
He was well supported by Jacob Tiernan down there, while Brocke Argus and Nathan Scott won plenty of the footy through the midfield.
Marc Geppert and Chris Jackson both finished off the good work up the ground with five goals each.
Chris Willis presented well all day for the Saints, in what was a disappointing effort.
Full-time
EWK (103)
6.4 9.5 12.10 15.13
NORTH WAGGA (26)
1.0 1.1 1.1 4.2
Goals: (EWK) M Geppert 5, C Jackson 4, R Campbell 2, N Scott, B Aichinger, N Hull, B Argus; (North Wagga) W Oakley, J May, K Hamblin, C Watt.
Best: (EWK) T Garner, J Tiernan, J Scott, S Smith, N Scott, B Argus; (North Wagga) H Grentell, C Willis, D Karlberg, J Luff, A Hay, M Mullins.