The Eagles made two changes to the team that defeated the Cats in round 2. Steve Baraglia and Michael Prince replaced Nathan Forrest and Jamie Milburn.

The Hawks had five changes to the line-up that lost to North Clare. Anthony Crouch, Shayne Willmott, Vinny Pyke, Kym and Ryan Vandeleur were out. In came Jamie Williams, David Schulze, Scott Griffiths, Josh Vater and Patrick Clark. Vater and Clark were making their debut at A Grade level.

Port Power players Brett Ebert and Jacob Surjan were in attendance for Community Week which is part of this year’s 150 years of Aussie Rules football celebrations. Surjan tossed the coin, Min-Man won it and kicked south in calm conditions with not a cloud in the sky.

RSMU got off to the perfect start. Don Williams received a free at the opening bounce, kicked forward, Tim Hart gathered, kicked to the hotspot, Jamie Williams took a good grab and made no mistake from 30 metres out.

Approaching the 6-minute mark Troy Camilleri had a snap at goal for the visitors but he missed the target. Following the kick-in Brad Currie had a snap for goal but he missed too.

With 8 minutes on the clock Nick Williams received a free for a good tackle in defence, he found Ben Mitchell who passed to Craig Mullins on the broadcast wing, Mullins bombed inside fifty, Josh Vater took a strong mark and nailed the Hawks second goal from 35 metres out.

Todd Miles won the tap at the re-start down to Currie who kicked inside fifty, Daniel Fogden gathered, handballed back to Currie and he kicked to full-forward. Travis Mouldsdale swooped on the loose ball and booted the Eagles first goal for the game with 9 minutes gone.

Halfway through the quarter Tyson Willmott had the chance to nail the locals third major but he missed a snap off the left boot. The visitors made them pay.

Camilleri was given a free kick from a ball-up in the pocket and split the centre from a tight angle 25 metres out. Luke McDermid cleared the footy out of the centre to half-forward, Baraglia received a free, kicked to the pocket, Mouldsdale roved the ball beautifully, snapped his second goal and the Eagles were 7 points up.

RSMU had three chances to wrestle back the lead in the time-on period but a set-shot by Willmott from 45 went through off hands for a point, a shot by Clark from the boundary line in the scoreboard pocket was rushed through for a behind and Jamie Williams missed a snap from close range as the siren blew for quarter time.

Min-Man led by 4 points at the first huddle.

QUARTERTIME: MIN-MAN 3.2 (20), RSMU 2.4 (16)

Min-Man stretched their lead early in the second term.

Mouldsdale gathered the footy from a ball-up, handballed to Currie who kicked to half-forward, Baraglia got hold of the ball, kicked forward, Ryan McDermid gathered, got a shove as he kicked, accepted the free and made no mistake from 15 metres out with 2 minutes on the clock.

The Eagles went back into attack soon after but Ryan McDermid missed a snap for goal.

Approaching the 6-minute mark James Vandeleur received a free on the outer wing, kicked towards centre-half-forward, Sam Noack gathered, kicked inside fifty, Willmott ran onto the loose ball and nailed the reply for the Hawks.

The locals should’ve been in front at the 9-minute mark but Griffiths missed a set-shot from 35 metres out after good work from Don Williams. Once again the visitors made them pay.

Ben Kerslake gathered the footy from a boundary throw-in, handballed to Currie who kicked to the scoreboard flank, Mouldsdale marked, squared it up to Luke McDermid and he went short to Fogden who marked all on his own. Fogden kicked truly from 40 metres out and the margin was back out to 10 points with 11 minutes gone.

A minute later Currie a marked a clearing kick out of defence by the Hawks, found Baraglia who marked, received a fifty-metre penalty and banged it home from the goal-line to give Min-Man a 16-point advantage.

The advantage could’ve been 22 points at the 16-minute mark but Brad Ross missed a snap for goal over the left shoulder.

Brad Ross gathered the kick-in from full-back, handballed to Miles who kicked across centre-half-forward, Mick Young gathered, kicked to the hotspot, Fogden roved the footy and snapped his second goal for the term.

Min-Man had another opportunity to goal during time-on but a snap by Ashley Winders went through off hands for a point. The siren blew soon after with the Eagles 4 goals up at the long break.

HALFTIME: MIN-MAN 7.5 (47), RSMU 3.5 (23)

The visitors made the early running in the second half but a shot at goal by Winders fell short going through off hands for a point and Luke McDermid missed the target following the kick-in.

At the 4-minute mark Noack gathered the footy from a throw-in, kicked to half-forward and Hart marked 60 metres from goal. Hart bombed to the hotspot, Jamie Williams marked, played on and kicked a much-needed goal for the Hawks.

Two minutes later Don Williams received a free, went short to Mullins who marked on the broadcast wing, played on, kicked to the flank, Vandeleur marked, was given a fifty-metre-penalty and popped through another goal for the locals.

The visitors answered.

Ryan McDermid gathered the footy following the re-start, kicked to the fifty, Shane Ross pounced on the lose ball, kicked to the hotspot, Fogden marked and sent home his third major from 25 metres out.

Winders had a snap for goal in the next passage of play but he missed the target. Min-Man kept the footy in the area from the kick-in but Currie missed a snap at goal.

The Eagles were dominating proceedings at this stage of the game and the Hawks were becoming frustrated. Their frustration boiled over at the 14-minute mark when Clayton Crabbe was removed from the oval after giving Aaron Ackland a forearm jolt to the throat.

Fogden took the free kick, plus a fifty-metre-penalty, followed by another fifty but he failed to make the Hawks pay by missing from 25 metres out directly in front.

Baraglia marked the kick-in 60 metres out from goal, bombed to the hotspot, Fogden took a very good mark at the back of the pack, this time he didn’t miss and Min-Man was 29 points up with 16 minutes gone in the third term.

Winders gathered the footy from the re-start, handballed back to Trent Nicholls who found Jake Nicholls forward of the wing, he kicked to the flank, Fogden gathered, went short to Mouldsdale who dropped the mark, fell over, got back up, picked the ball up and snapped truly from 25 metres out.

RSMU had a chance to get one back as the clock ticked into time-on but Willmott hit the post from 35 metres out on a 45 degree angle.

Two minutes into time-on Baraglia gathered the footy from a throw-in on the wing, kicked forward, Chris Hallion ran onto it, kicked inside fifty, Hallion kept running, gathered, handballed to Fogden and he snapped his third goal for the term.

Two minutes later the Hawks made a major blunder in defence kicking the footy back into the corridor 30 metres out from goal, Kerslake said thank you very much as he got hold of it and banged it straight through the high diddle diddle.

A very good quarter by the Eagles had them 46 points in front rounding the home turn.

THREE QUARTER TIME: MIN-MAN 12.10 (82), RSMU 5.6 (36)

Min-Man made sure they were going to win this one when Mouldsdale gathered the footy, handballed to Winders who kicked forward, Ryan McDermid gathered, handballed back to Trent Nicholls who kicked inside fifty and Mouldsdale nailed his fourth goal for the day with a minute on the clock.

RSMU went forward from the re-start but Vandeleur missed a set-shot from 25 metres out after taking a big grab. Vandeleur had another chance from 55 metres out soon after but it went through of hands for a behind.

At the 8-minute mark Miles did very well cleaning up in defence with the footy ending up with Kerslake from Hallion at centre-half-forward. Kerslake passed to Fogden and he slotted through his sixth major from 35 metres out.

Miles thumped the footy forward from the re-start, Prince gathered, handballed to Luke McDermid, handball to Kerslake, handball to Fogden and he finished off with his seventh goal for the afternoon giving the Eagles a 62-point lead with 10 minutes gone in the final term.

Miles could’ve blown the margin out to 68 points 3 minutes later but he missed the target from 45 metres out.

At the 16-minute mark Schulze received a free deep in the pocket and threaded it through the middle with a terrific kick to put a bit of life into the locals.

Min-Man cleared the footy out of the centre but Tom Vater did well to gather for RSMU, handballed to Hart who kicked to the outer wing, Noack gathered, handballed forward, Willmott ran onto it and nailed his second goal for the day.

Approaching the time-on period Shane Ross was given a free kick for the Eagles plus a fifty-metre penalty and poked it home from point blank range.

One minute into time-on Chris Hill marked in defence for the Hawks, kicked to the outer wing, Mullins marked, played on, handballed to Noack who kicked to the flank, Schulze tapped the footy forward to Jamie Williams who kicked it closer to goal, Koster gathered and snapped truly.

Mullins took a top mark 25 metres out from goal straight in front, the siren blew and his shot for goal typified the day for the locals as it cannoned into the large upright.

Min-Man won by 50 points in a convincing four-quarter performance.

FINAL SCORE: MIN-MAN 16.11 (107) d RSMU 8.9 (57)

Min-Man coach David Wood was happy to get a win over their arch-rival.

“I’m very happy, it’s always a tough game when you come down here and the boys were great today. We were a bit undermanned, one of our aims this year is to develop first and we’ve had to do that through necessity a bit at the moment but the boys are going along quite nicely. Our focus on the ball was fantastic and we made them pay as the game went on so it was good,” said Wood.

Once again RSMU coach Shayne Willmott was disappointed with his side’s attack on the footy.

“After last week’s effort I thought the boys would’ve come out and hit the ball a bit harder, do a few of the hard things, unfortunately today once again we were beaten for desire at the ball.

“Our runners had negating jobs to try and do, they were certainly able to negate but they certainly weren’t able to develop our game, that’s where I expected probably a bit more of a lift. You can only negate for so long, you’ve got to manufacture some play yourself and unfortunately when you’re being a bit negative you drop out of the contest and sides that are progressive are running over us,” Willmott said.