Trevor Jackson
Hatherleigh 29.21 (195) d Nangwarry 4.2 (26)
Nangwarry was brought back to earth with a thud on Saturday in Round 11 of Mid South East football.
After breaking the drought last week and winning their first game for many years, the Saints faced the rebounding Hatherleigh and as expected, the Eagles brought their A-game.
The Eagles were on the rebound after going down to Mount Burr last round and were always going to come out hard, despite coach Jake Dowdy sitting the game out.
The Saints found that out in the opening term, as they kicked one straight goal while Hatherleigh banged on 10, plus five behinds to boot.
While the second term saw the Eagles add just five majors, they returned to true form in the third with a nine-goal quarter to take a 159-7 lead to the final break.
The Saints managed three majors in the final stanza to save some face but it was all about the Eagles as they romped home for a stinging victory.
Even with 12 individual goal scorers, Brad Mitchell managed to contribute eight in an impressive display up forward.
Mark Marriott contributed four, while a long list contributed two each.
Approaching the contest, Dowdy said there was plenty to be wary of, as the Saints would still have been riding the wave of last week’s drought-breaking victory.
“They had a pretty good win the week before so I told the boys they would be up and about and come out firing,” he said.
“We came off a loss and we touched on that pretty seriously.
“It is one of those things you learn from and you have to put it behind you but you still want it in the back of your mind.
“With any team, if you switch off anyone can really have a crack at you.”
As for bouncing back after that loss to Mount Burr the previous week, Dowdy said he was pleased with how it panned out.
“There are two ways you could go,” he said.
“You could play some ordinary football and plod along with a win or get back to the style you want to play and really put the foot down.
“That’s what we did and I was pretty happy with that.”
A 10-goal first term certainly settled any nerves and the Eagles simply rolled on from there, with 11 goals in the final term to run the game out.
As the season progresses there are no easy contests, with the Eagles up against it again this weekend when they face Robe.
Dowdy said he feels the attitude in the group is on target and they are ready for a big second half of the season.
“A little bit earlier before the Port Mac game we were getting over sides pretty easy,” he said.
“Now we have had two losses and teams are getting better, so every game is going to be hard.
“Robe is a pretty big rival with us and it is always a physical and heated game.
“They are fighting for fourth place with Mount Burr so they will be playing their absolute best.”
Dowdy likened the season to a roller coaster, with any side up on any given week.
He said while his side has suffered two losses, it appears there are no structural issues as such but more a mental approach.
“We beat Kalangadoo, so we know our best is good enough,” he said.
“We just have to make sure we bring that.
“It has been a roller-coaster ride, from the best football we have played to the worst.
“Mount Burr last week put us under a fair bit of pressure and we might have gone away from how we normally play because of that pressure.
“I think this week we switched off in the last quarter and took it a bit easy with the game well and truly over.
“We just need to get a bit better at staying switched on for four quarters.”
