The Eagles had one change to their team from the previous week. Jake Nicholls replaced Kane Robb. The Cats had two changes. Matthew Noble and Rhys Baxter were in. Nick Humphrys and Maclean Edwards were out.

Troy Stirling was making his 200th senior appearance for the Cats while Jason Agnew and Gareth Ottens were playing their 100th games.

Blyth-Snowtown won the toss and didn’t have any hesitation in kicking to the south with a three-goal wind at their backs. They were quickly into attack but Shay Clifford missed a snap at goal from 20 metres out.

With three minutes on the clock there was a ball-up deep in the Eagles attacking zone, Troy Rantanen ended up with the footy and snapped a very good goal from the Telstra-tower pocket.

Three minutes later the Cats went forward with Ryan Darling bouncing through the centre but his bomb from 60 metres out to the unguarded goal went the wrong side of the large upright.

Following the kick-in Min-Man failed to clear the area with the footy being kicked out on the full. Glen Hayes bombed it back into the danger zone, Darling received a free and kicked the locals first goal for the game with 8 minutes on the clock.

A few minutes later Hayes had the chance to goal after marking a pass from Noble but he just missed the target from 50 metres out. Following the kick-in Gareth Ottens missed a snap at goal off the left boot.

At the 14-minute mark Shay Clifford received a free in the entrance pocket on the boundary line and split the centre with a clever check-side kick.

Blyth-Snowtown went forward again from the re-start getting the footy to Nathan Zweck but he failed to convert from 30 metres out.

Nick McCormack gathered the wayward kick-in, snapped the major from 30 metres out and the Cats were 17 points up with sixteen minutes gone in the opening term.

The Eagles won the centre clearance through Todd Miles with Mick Young marking a pass from Ryan McDermid but his shot at goal drifted in the wind finishing with a behind.

Alex Brackstone marked the kick-in, found Nick McCormack in the centre who kicked to the scoreboard flank, Ottens gathered, kicked to the hotspot, Noble marked, played on, gave the footy to Jason Agnew and he popped through the Cats fourth goal for the term.

Entering the time-on period Rob Wandel gathered the footy in the centre, handballed to Ottens, handball to Simon McCormack who centred the footy to half-forward, Darling read the crumbs and delivered an excellent pass to Brackstone.

Brackstone made no mistake from 30 metres out and Blyth-Snowtown was 28 points in front.

Min-Man had the opportunity to get a goal back two minutes into time-on but Young missed the target from the pocket 25 metres out.

Ash Winders gathered the footy after the Cats failed to clear the area from the kick-in, kicked forward, Troy Camilleri got hold of it, bombed to full-forward, Young marked and this time he didn’t miss from 20 metres out.

Young had another chance to goal after taking his fourth mark for the term but he failed to convert as the siren blew for quarter time with the locals 20 points up.

QUARTER TIME: BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 5.5 (35), MIN-MAN 2.3 (15)

The visitors didn’t waste any time clicking into gear with the wind at their backs in the second term.

Luke McDermid won the footy at the opening bounce, handballed to brother Ryan who kicked to the hotspot, Ben Kerslake gathered the crumbs, handballed to Young and he nailed his second major with 25 seconds on the clock.

Min-Man continued to put pressure on the Blyth-Snowtown defenders but they stood tall with Ashley Hentschke leading the way. They only conceded a rushed behind around the 5-minute mark.

Shortly after the kick-in Camilleri was given a free kick directly in front of goal 20 metres out and made no mistake to break the deadlock for the Eagles with seven minutes gone.

At the 12-minute mark Steve Baraglia cleared the footy from a ball-up to centre-half-forward, Kerslake gathered, handballed back to Michael Prince who kicked inside fifty, Young gathered, handballed to Brad Ross who handballed to the goal-square and Camilleri toe-poked through his second major.

Ryan McDermid won the centre clearance with a kick to centre-half-forward, was decked after he kicked, Miles accepted the free, kicked forward, Nicholls marked, kicked truly from 35 metres out and Min-Man was 5 points in front approaching the 15-minute mark of the second term.

As the clock ticked into time-on Nicholls gathered a shocking kick out of defence by the Cats, kicked inside fifty, Baraglia marked and stretched the Eagles lead with a goal from 35 metres out.

Ryan McDermid had the opportunity to nail another major for the visitors approaching siren time but his snap from 40 metres out missed the target.

A dominating quarter of footy by the Eagles had them 2 goals up at the long break. The Cats failed to score in the term which is something that wouldn’t have happened for a very long time.

HALF TIME: MIN-MAN 7.5 (47), BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 5.5 (35)

The breeze had dropped off a bit after half-time but it was still worth a goal or two. Blyth-Snowtown was first to get the scoreboard ticking over but a snap at goal by Josh Growden dribbled through for a point with 3 minutes gone.

Noble marked the kick-in, bombed the footy high back into the hotspot, Nick McCormack did the roving and snapped the opening goal of the second half.

The Eagles replied immediately.

Kerslake received a free at the re-start, went short to Miles who found Prince on the Telstra-tower flank, he played on, bombed to full-forward, Young took another strong mark, kicked into the player on the mark, the umpire reckoned the Cat went over the mark so he got a second chance and banged home his third major from point blank range.

Simon McCormack nearly got the answering goal for Blyth-Snowtown following the re-start but his snap went straight over the top of one of the large uprights.

With nine minutes on the clock Ryan McDermid gathered a clearing kick out of defence by the Cats, kicked to the hotspot, Young read the ball over the back of the pack, poked home his fourth goal and Min-Man was 16 points up.

It could’ve been a 22-point advantage a couple of minutes later but Baraglia was off target with his snap at goal. They had another chance to goal a minute later but the footy was rushed through for a behind.

At the 15-minute mark Miles won the tap at a boundary throw-in, the footy was kicked forward, Baraglia gathered the loose ball, snapped successfully and the visitors were in complete control.

One major blow for Min-Man around this time was a nasty shoulder injury to Jake Nicholls forcing him from the ground.

Blyth-Snowtown should’ve nailed their second major for the term approaching the time-on period but Brackstone failed to covert from 35 metres out straight in front of goal.

Three minutes into time-on Young had a snap at goal from close range but he missed the target. Kerslake had a snap at the large opening a minute later but he missed too.

Kerslake marked the kick-in, found Baraglia who went short to Miles, the siren blew, he put it through and the Eagles turned for home 31 points in front.

THREE QUARTER TIME: MIN-MAN 11.9 (75), BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 6.8 (44)

The Eagles made the early running in the final term with Luke McDermid having a snap at goal off the left boot from the scoreboard pocket but it was off line with 2 minutes gone.

Two minutes later Camilleri had another chance to goal for the visitors after marking in the scoreboard pocket but he too was off line after playing on.

Min-Man continued to attack for the next four or five minutes but they couldn’t penetrate the Cats defence. The biggest highlight for the period was a screamer of a mark over the pack by Clifford deep in defence.

Blyth-Snowtown lifted following the big mark from Clifford and started to get a bit of the footy with Simon McCormack having a shot at goal from 45 metres out but it was rushed through for a behind.

Ryan McDermid marked the kick-in, to Jamie Milburn, to Winders who kicked to half-forward, Brad Ross received a free, handballed to Miles who kicked to the hotspot, Kerslake gathered, handballed to Baraglia and he snapped his third goal for the day.

The Eagles were now 38 points up with 11 minutes gone in the final term.

Four minutes later Luke McDermid marked an attacking kick by the Cats, found Baraglia in the centre and he fired a long pass to Young on the lead. Young sailed it home from 55 metres out and the make-shift forward had five for the afternoon.

The Cats had two opportunities to goal approaching the time-on period but Simon McCormack missed from 15 metres out and Growden missed a set-shot from 25 metres out in the Telstra-tower pocket.

One minute into time-on Milburn gathered a clearing kick out of defence by the Cats, handballed to Jerry Hackett who kicked to the hotspot, Ryan McDermid marked and drilled the major from 25 metres out.

Simon McCormack got hold of the footy following the re-start, handballed to Zweck who kicked forward, Darling gathered, handballed to Brackstone who handballed to Nick McCormack and he nailed a belated major for the Cats giving him 3 for the day.

The Eagles had the final chance to goal but Ryan McDermid missed a set-shot from the scoreboard pocket. It didn’t matter, they were far too good for the Cats winning by 43 points to fly two wins clear on top of the premiership ladder.

FINAL SCORE: MIN-MAN 14.12 (96) d BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 7.11 (53)

Min-Man coach David Wood was happy with the result and thought Mick Young was great.

“Our back six have been good all year, they got away to a flyer, the Cats, but we kept working at it, got our hands on the ball first and worked back into it and had a good result in the end.

“We were looking at their back six, we couldn’t find a good match-up for him so we thought he’d have a good run back there and it worked out, he leads very well, presents well so yeah he was great Youngy,” Wood said.

Blyth-Snowtown coach Bugsy Thomson admitted his side wasted the footy and thought the opposition would play in the grand final.

“We had 21 out there that could play footy and we were just a little bit wasteful with the ball. We turned it over and we know that after the game where we’ve got to improve and we’ll work at that over the next couple of weeks until we take on BBH.

“I think that they’re (Min-Man) one grand finalist, I think it’s out of the other seven who’s going to play them, they’re the best team by far in this association and it’s up to us other seven to try and play them on the last day in September,” said Thomson.