EAST Wagga-Kooringal outclassed North Wagga winning 11.10 (76) to 5.6 (36) at McPherson Oval on Saturday.
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Eight nail-biting minutes passed before the Hawks made the first mark on the scoreboard.
North Wagga, quick to return with a goal, showed the Hawks they’d have to work for the win.
The Hawks spent a while in the attacking zone with little reward and soon realised their set shots would be few and far between.
“They played all of their players around the football, so it was always going to be a messy, ugly, contested game,” Hawks coach Gavin McMahon said.
The Hawks took more risks upfront, and made headway in the second quarter, bridging a 26 point gap by half time.
North Wagga were back in the game in the third quarter. Saints half forward Lachlan Gaffney scored two goals, both from scooping up a stray ball outside the 50m arc and driving it through.
North Wagga utility player Chad Hamblin was prominent in defence. Hamblin limited East Wagga-Kooringal’s opportunities, winning the lion’s share of contested marks, and running the ball forward.
Ultimately the Hawks were the class side, playing with more composure, effective delivery and applying a four quarter effort.
It was almost the Hawks’ lowest score of the season, however McMahon was anything but deflated.
“Whether you’re the bottom or the top team in the comp, you’re busting to try to improve individuals and team work,” he said.
“We’ve improved different parts of our game, we’re building a well rounded skill set.
“This week we improved our intensity, our aggression and our willingness to stay in the contest.”
The game was far from clean, with altercations breaking out in each quarter, the worst, in the fourth quarter, ending in a yellow card for a player on each team, and causing North Wagga to lose concentration, relinquishing two goals in quick succession to the Hawks.
Full time
East Wagga-Kooringal
2.1, 5.5, 8.7, 11.10 (76)
North Wagga
1.1, 1.3, 4.5, 5.6 (36)
Goals: (East Wagga Kooringal) Marc Geppert 5, Nathan Scott 2, Brenton Roberts, Nicholas Hull, Craig Pullen, Jake Robinson; (North Wagga) Lachlan Gaffney 2, Troy Curtis 2, Corey Watt
Best: (East Wagga Kooringal) Ben Absolum, Jake Robinson, Joe Scott, Trent Garner, Stuart Brierty, Marc Geppert; (North Wagga) Brayden Skeers, Angus McRae, Ben Lucas, Kirk Hamblin, Chad Hamblin, Matthew Thomas
