North made one change to the side that defeated BBH in round one. Matt Wandel replaced Stuart Cresp. Craig Jaeschke was making his 200th A Grade appearance for North as was Tim Hart for RSMU.

RSMU Hawks had four changes to the line-up that tasted success the previous week. Jamie Williams, David Schulze, Patrick Browne and Frank McInerney were out. In came Don Williams, Kym Vandeleur, Chris Hill and Tom Ainslie.

The Hawks won the toss and kicked to the northern end in the first term with no advantage on a perfect day for football.

The North Clare Roosters went straight into attack from the opening bounce but a shot for goal by Scott Darmody went through off hands for a behind.

Tim Siv gathered the footy from a ball-up, passed to Shaun Ribbons who kicked inside fifty, Siv followed up, gathered, found Matt Ward who kicked forward, Josh Hollitt swooped on the loose ball and gave the locals a 7-point advantage with 3 minutes on the clock.

Two minutes later John Nicholas received a free kick 15 metres out from goal and made no mistake to give North the momentum early in the first quarter.

At the 8-minute mark Clayton Crabbe was given a free between wing and half-forward, kicked inside the fifty, Dale Schulz got one too high, accepted the free and converted from 40 metres out to give the Hawks their first goal for the game.

North began their next attacking move from the back pocket through Tyson Pawley but a snap for goal by Brendan Pudney missed the target. Craig Jaeschke had a chance to goal in the next passage of play but he missed his snap from 40 metres out.

Siv received a free from the kick-in, bombed to the hotspot resulting in a ball-up, Ben Wandel did the roving, kicked to full-forward, Damien Ellis gathered, handballed to Matt Ward and he popped it through the middle to give North a 15-point buffer with 12 minutes gone.

Two minutes later RSMU got one back. Crabbe marked a clearing kick out of defence by North, passed to Craig Mullins who marked on the scoreboard flank and steered it between the large uprights from 40 metres out.

The visitors went forward again from the re-start but James Vandeleur failed to convert his snap for goal. The locals made them pay.

Nicholas received a free on the broadcast wing, handballed to Ribbons who kicked inside fifty, Ellis marked and drilled his first goal for the day from 40 metres out. Ben Wandel had a snap at goal soon after but Hill thumped it through for a point.

Entering the time-on period Anthony Crouch had a snap at goal for the Hawks but he hit the post. One minute into time-on Sam Noack had another chance for the visitors but his shot went through off hands for a point.

At the 23-minute mark Mullins received a free in defence for the Hawks, kicked to the wing, Noack gathered, handballed to Hart who handballed to Ben Mitchell and he kicked to the scoreboard pocket. Tyson Willmott gathered and snapped truly from 30 metres out.

An entertaining quarter of footy came to an end with the Roosters 7 points in front.

QUARTER TIME: NORTH 4.4 (28), RSMU 3.3 (21)

The first few minutes of the second term was a bit of an arm-wrestle with neither side able to make inroads on the scoreboard until Ben Wandel had a snap for goal but it cannoned into the tall timber.

With 6 minutes on the clock Mullins gathered the footy from a boundary throw-in on the wing, handballed to Crabbe, back to Mullins with the handball who kicked to the hotspot, Bradley Koster roved the pack, snapped the major and the Hawks were only two points down.

North Clare answered.

Matt Wandel gathered the footy from a throw-in approaching the 10-minute mark and snapped a good goal from the scoreboard pocket. Ward cleared the ball out of the centre, Ben Wandel crumbed the footy and snapped truly off the left boot.

Following the re-start Grant Jaeschke kicked over the centre, Pudney gathered, handballed to Sam Pink who dribbled the footy forward, Matt Wandel got hold of it, handballed to Ben Wandel and he kicked to full-forward. Darmody marked, split the centre and all of a sudden the locals were 20 points up with 12 minutes gone in the second term.

The Roosters had two more chances to goal soon after but Pudney missed a set-shot from the scoreboard pocket and Ribbons failed to convert from 50 metres out after marking.

The Hawks desperately needed a goal and they got one at the 17-minute mark. Mullins found James Vandeleur in front of the cans bar who kicked deep inside fifty, Hart marked and booted his first major for the day.

Entering time-on Grant Jaeschke snapped for goal but it went through off hands for a minor score. R.S.M.U. transferred the footy down the other end of the ground from the kick-in but Brock Harrison missed a set-shot from 20 metres out.

North went back into their forward area but Ribbons missed a snap from 35 metres out. The Hawks took the footy back down their end but Craig Price won the clearance for the Roosters.

Price found Hollitt on the wing, he played on, kicked to centre-half-forward, Pudney gathered, dribbled the footy forward, Ellis picked it up, snapped successfully and the locals went to the long break 23 points in front.

HALF TIME: NORTH 8.9 (57), RSMU 5.4 (34)

Ward had the opportunity to stretch North’s lead by six points in the first minute of the second half but he shanked his kick from 35 metres out finishing with a point. RSMU had a chance to goal a few minutes later but a snap by Crabbe went through off hands for a point.

Approaching the 7-minute mark Hollitt gathered the footy on the wing, evaded a tackle, kicked inside fifty, Pudney read it well, handballed to Matt Wandel, he threaded through his second major for the day and the Roosters were 29 points up.

North were dominating now as they continued to attack with their aggression on the ball and the body taking its toll on their opponents but they wasted a couple of opportunities to reward their efforts.

Ben Wandel missed a set-shot from 40 metres out after receiving a free kick and Darmody was off line from the old tuck-shop pocket after the umpire paid a deliberate out of bounds by the Hawks defence.

At the 18-minute mark the Roosters were rewarded when Ribbons gathered the footy on the wing from a ball-up, kicked forward, Ben Wandel received a free, found Ellis on his own, he marked, nailed his third goal and the locals were 37 points up.

Nicholas cleared the footy out of the centre for North to the pocket, Ben Wandel gathered but missed his snap from 35 metres out.

Two minutes into the time-on period Tyson Willmott received a free kick, bombed to the hotspot, Don Williams marked unattended and slotted through a much-needed goal for the visitors.

The Hawks had another chance to goal late in the term but Mullins missed the target from the scoreboard flank after good work from Noack. A minor scuffle broke out in the meantime with the Hawks Mitchell receiving a yellow card.

North turned for home 31 points in front.

THREE QUARTER TIME: NORTH 10.13 (73), RSMU 6.6 (42)

If RSMU thought they had any chance of getting back into the game they were dashed at the start of the final quarter.

Hawks ruckman Harrison won the tap at the centre bounce but Grant Jaeschke soccered the footy forward for North, Ward gathered, kicked into attack, Ribbons snavelled the ball at the back of the pack, handballed to Ellis and he booted his fourth goal for the afternoon giving the locals a lead of over 6 goals.

Tom Swearse cleared the footy out of the centre for North at the re-start with a kick to the hotspot, no-one could mark, Damody soccered for goal but he missed the target. Ben Wandel had a snap from the scoreboard pocket following the kick-in but he missed too.

North could’ve been a lot further in front at the 7-minute mark but Siv missed a snap for goal after good work from Nicholas and Craig Jaeschke but the lead was now a very handy 40 points.

RSMU cleared the footy out of the danger zone from the kick-in, Hart gathered in the centre, kicked to half-forward, James Vandeleur did well not to fall over, handballed to Mullins, handball to Tyson Willmott and he poked through his second goal for the game.

James Vandeleur had a shot for goal from 55 metres out for the visitors in the next attacking move but it was rushed through for a behind.

Approaching the 12-minute mark Shayne Willmott gathered the footy in the centre, handballed to Kym Vandeleur who got it to Ainslie and he kicked to full-forward, Hart grabbed the ball, nailed his second goal and the margin was back to 27 points.

Ribbons won the centre clearance to half-forward, Pudney did well getting the footy to Nicholas who gave it to Hollitt and he nailed a steadying goal for North to stretch the deficit back out to 33 points with 14 minutes gone in the final term.

The locals went forward again from the re-start finishing with Ward but his snap for goal over the left shoulder missed the target.

With 18 minutes on the clock Hart shovelled the ball forward, Willmott gathered, handballed to Koster who lost it, Ainslie gathered, handballed to Schulz who kicked to the goal-square, James Vandeleur marked and split the centre.

North had the chance to answer following the re-start but Nicholas missed a snap for goal from close range. Ben Wandel also had a chance a couple of minutes later but he hit the post.

Harrison gathered the kick-in, handballed to Mullins who got decked after he kicked, James Vandeleur accepted the free down field, passed to Hart and he found Don Williams 35 metres out from goal who booted his second major for the game.

James Vandeleur finished off the game with a terrific goal for the Hawks but it was all too late as the Roosters were winners by 18 points in an impressive display of aggressive hard-running team football.

FINAL SCORE: NORTH CLARE 12.19 (91) d RSMU 11.7 (73)

North Clare coach Craig Jaeschke was rapt to get their second win on the board in as many starts.

“It was really good, we didn’t really know what to expect actually after last week, last week was a tough game and Riverton are obviously a good side and to come out and get a win against them it was really good work. J.J. and Josh again in the midfield were fantastic, Wardy was a good four-quarter effort and I thought some of our defenders worked really hard. Tyson, Simon and Puds were given roles today and they did those roles pretty well. Mouldsy stood Tyson Willmott and really cut him out of the game. We did some stats on it and he made nine tackles, Richard Moulds so it was fantastic,” Jaeschke said.

RSMU coach Shayne Willmott was disappointed with his team’s attack on the footy.

“At the start of the game they (North) hit the ball very very hard, our boys were second to the ball, first to bump and second to tackle. It just showed that the side that does chuck their nose over the ball, hit the ball hard and start games well are hard to catch. The League’s going to be such this year that you won’t want to give anyone a head start, you must start a game as you want to play it. As I say to the boys you can only start a game of football once, unfortunately today we started our game at about three-quarter-time,” said Willmott.