SWFL: Eaton weather Hawks' storm

The Eaton Boomers tuned up for the finals with a 29-point victory over Augusta-Margaret River at a wet and wild Gloucester Park on Saturday night.

The Boomers dictated terms after quarter time and used the ball well despite atrocious conditions to claim a 9.13 (67) to 5.8 (38) triumph.

Chris Atthowe and Michael Battaglia both starred for the visitors and finished the game with three goals each.

The loss did not cause the Hawks to slip from third place however, after the Collie Eagles (fourth) and Bunbury (fifth) both suffered upset defeats.

Collie went down to last-placed Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault by five points in a thriller on Saturday afternoon, while the Harvey Bulls outlasted the Bulldogs by one straight kick on Sunday.

A severe weather warning hovered over Gloucester Park with the strong breeze and second half rain leaving their mark on the contest.

The visitors won the early clearances and scrapped their way forward with more numbers around the contests.

But when they had the ball, the home side used it better and led by four points at the first change.

The Boomers wrested the ascendancy in the second term and three quick goals – the pick of them an opportunistic running effort from Battaglia – opened up a 14-point lead.

Brandon Franz took several relieving marks at half-back for the Hawks who had their moments, but lacked a potency up forward.

Spearhead Tim Noakes was being pushed up the ground by WA Country defender William Barnes, and often found himself doubleteamed.

When Atthowe kicked his third, a rousing goal-on-the-run after a 50m dash from the centre, the margin was out to 19 points at the long break.

The game went up a notch early in the third quarter and after a quiet first half Leigh Kelly made the game his own with several strong marks and two goals.

Ruck contests juxtaposing the height of Eaton’s Josh Branchi and the bulk of Hawk Justin Simmonds injected entertainment in what was otherwise a dour arm-wrestle.

The game lost two of its biggest contributers early in the final term when Battaglia and Jeremy Humm were both shown yellow cards after an altercation at the Hawks half forward line.

AMR had some standouts. Franz turned in another strong performance while Enders continued his breakout season and Ben Noakes did plenty of good things in the middle of the ground.

For the Boomers, Barnes nullified Tim Noakes, and the Hawks struggled for an avenue to goal.

Scoreboard

Eaton Boomers 2.3 6.5 8.10 9.13 67 def Aug-Marg River 3.1 3.4 4.5 5.8 38

Goals:

EATON BOOMERS – M. Battaglia, C. Atthowe 3, L. Kelly 2, J. Ferrier.

AMR – M. Gerrans 2, B. Noakes, P. Travers, J. Simmonds.

Best:

EATON BOOMERS – M. Battaglia, C. Atthowe, W. Barnes, J. Bowe, J. Cormack, B. Piggott.

AMR – C. Enders, B. Franz, B. Noakes, M. Semini, J. Morgan, M. Gerrans.