The visitors had control of the contest for the majority of the quarter but only led by 3 points at the first huddle.

QUARTER TIME: MIN/MAN 2.3 (15), RSMU 2.0 (12)

RSMU went straight into attack in the second term getting the footy to Williams 50 metres out from goal but for some unknown reason he went short to Sandland who turned the footy over with his shot for goal and Min/Man made them pay.

At the 3-minute mark Currie marked an ordinary kick out of defence by the Hawks, played on, ran to within 40 metres of goal, snapped a major and the Eagles were 9 points up.

Two minutes later Currie got hold of the footy in defence, handballed to Piggott who handballed to Bevis and he kicked deep inside fifty, Winders roved the crumbs and dribbled the footy through the middle from 25 metres out.

Min/Man won the centre clearance finishing with Prince having a snap for goal from 30 metres out but he missed the target. A couple of minutes later Winders had a snap at goal from the caravan park pocket but the footy went through off hands for a behind.

At the 13-minute mark Baraglia roved the footy in the caravan park pocket from a throw-in, squared it up inside fifty, Winders gathered, snapped for goal over his left shoulder from 40 metres out and nailed his third major for the half.

Three and a half minutes later Stuart Pike had a shot at goal from 50 metres out but the footy rolled through for a behind. The Eagles were dominating proceedings and approaching the time-on period they extended their lead to 30 points.

Kerslake gathered the footy on the outer wing, handballed to Bevis who kicked to centre-half-forward, Leigh Milburn marked and split the centre from the 50-metre arc.

Entering time-on Williams had the opportunity to nail a major for RSMU after marking a pass from Willmott but his shocker of a kick went through for a behind from 35 metres out.

Two minutes into time-on Luke McDermid received a handball from Kerslake, shrugged a tackle but missed the target from 35 metres out.

A minute later Brad Ross gathered the footy after an errant handball by a Hawk, handballed to Bevis who found Baraglia who marked and completed a dominating term by the Eagles with a major to stretch the advantage out to 36 points at the long break.

HALF TIME: MIN/MAN 7.7 (49), RSMU 2.1 (13)

Brock Harrison had dominated the ruck in the first half of the game for the Hawks but he had little support from his on-ball brigade and the early stages of the third term was like the first half of the contest with the Eagles pressing forward.

At the 4-minute mark Bevis found Aaron Ackland 50 metres out from goal but his shot at the big sticks went through off hands for a point.

Ackland received a free following the kick-in, went short to the unattended Chris Hallion who also went short to Baraglia on his own and he pumped the footy into the danger zone.

Kerslake took a ripper mark, booted his second goal and the margin was out to 43 points with 6 minutes gone in the third term.

Approaching the 8-minute mark Prince was given a free for a high tackle 40 metres out from goal but his ping at the large uprights faded for a behind and the deficit was 44 points in favour of the visitors.

With 12 minutes on the clock Kimberley Hart received a free kick in the netball courts pocket, ran around to improve the angle but he missed.

The Eagles went forward following the kick-in but Baraglia missed a snap at goal from 40 metres out.

RSMU transferred the footy straight back down the other end of the ground from the kick-in with Williams trying to grab it and goal but it slipped out of his hands and went through for a point.

The clock was heading towards the 16-minute mark when Schulze had the opportunity to goal for the Hawks but he failed to convert from 45 metres out. Two minutes later Williams had the chance to goal but he missed as well from 40 metres out.

RSMU had lifted since halfway through the term but they were wasting opportunities to bridge the gap with goals before they finally hit the mark at the 19-minute mark.

Don Williams marked a wayward kick out of defence by the Eagles, went backwards to Schulze who bombed to full-forward, Jamie Williams received a free and kicked the Hawks first goal since the 14-minute mark of the first term.

Approaching the 22-minute mark Craig Mullins took a good mark deep in defence, went short to David Rowett who found Travis White in the centre, he played on, kicked to half-forward, Schulze gathered, handballed to Hart who delivered beautifully to Jamie Williams and he converted from 40 metres out.

Four minutes into the time-on period Willmott marked a pass from Don Williams after good work from Harrison, played on, delivered to Jamie Williams in the netball courts pocket and he pierced the large opening with a great kick from the boundary line 35 metres out.

The Hawks had lifted their work-rate considerably while the Eagles had slowed to a snails pace but they still had a 23-point lead turning for home.

THREE QUARTER TIME: MIN/MAN 8.10 (58), RSMU 5.5 (35)

If the locals had any chance of winning the game they needed to nail the first goal of the final term and they had their chances but they couldn’t get a score on the board until they finally broke through at the 7-minute mark.

Mullins swooped on a loose ball in defence, handballed to Don Williams who handballed to Harrison and he kicked towards the centre.

Ben Mitchell got hold of the footy, handballed to Tom Vater who found Sam Noack and he got it on quickly to Willmott who marked in an acre of space.

Willmott played on, delivered to Jamie Williams on the lead and he booted his fifth goal for the afternoon from 45 metres out to complete a great passage of play and cut the margin back to 17 points.

Harrison won the tap at the re-start, Noack soccered the footy forward, Harrison followed up, barged through a pack, gathered, bombed inside fifty, Schulze marked, passed to Mitchell on his own and he split the centre with an excellent kick to slice the deficit back to 11 points.

RSMU battled away for the next ten minutes but they had trouble finding an avenue to goal with Jamie Milburn, Daniel Fogden and Brad Bryksy defending well for Min/Man.

Entering the time-on period Jamie Williams had a snap at goal from the scoreboard pocket after good work from Noack but he missed the target.

The Hawks continued to attack during time-on but they just couldn’t get the footy over the goal-line before the siren blew with 22 and a half minutes on the clock.

RSMU had 85 percent of the footy in the final term but they couldn’t do the job and Min/Man held on for a 10-point victory.

FINAL SCORE: MIN/MAN 8.10 (58) d RSMU 7.6 (48)

Min/Man coach David Wood was happy with the start but disappointed with his team’s second half.

“We switched off a bit after half-time, RSMU played pretty well after the break and we just dropped our intensity and let them back in the game, it was disappointing, it’s something we’ve got to work on going forward,” he said.

“I was happy with the way we started, our intensity was very good in the first half, we probably just dropped off a bit in the second, we didn’t respond well when we were challenged, we went back to playing safe sort of footy and it nearly bit us on the bum,” Wood said.

RSMU coach Shayne Willmott said his team’s best footy is better than anyone’s but his team’s worst is as bad as it gets.

“The main thing with our football as I’ve said to the boys plenty of times is our best is better than anyone’s, I know that, they know that, they play like it, it’s just the fact that our worst is as bad as it gets,” Willmott said.

“Bundles drop, leaders don’t stand up, we let games go and we make our job so hard.

“We’ve done this probably three or four times for the year, started slow, tried to work back, got close and played some fantastic footy to get back there.

“The guys have to get together as a group, they have to realise the footy they’re playing in the last halves, good sides allow you to chase them but they don’t let you beat them.

“We need to be one of those sides that get a lead and start to fend off oppositions, not to let them manufacture a win which is all they did today which is credit to them.

“Woody managed to flood back, slow down our in-flow, we probably had 10 to 15 entries into our forward50 in the last quarter, we had our chances, at home you’d like to think four goals can happen, unfortunately only two of them did,” said Willmott.