ANY doubts that the “G-Train” may have slowed down and become an old steam locomotive have been quickly quashed in Matt Gretgrix’s return to the goalsquare for Eaglehawk.

After a season at Mount Pleasant in the Heathcote District Football League last year, 31-year-old Gretgrix has returned to the Bendigo Football League with the Hawks.

And on Saturday against a woeful Kangaroo Flat, Gretgrix proved the “G-Train” is still providing an express service for his team-mates.

By half-time Gretgrix had already kicked more goals than Kangaroo Flat would for the match in what was a 26.14 (170) to 7.3 (45) victory for the Hawks at Canterbury Park.

Gretgrix finished the match with a bag of 12 goals, and already had nine of them by half-time.

The key forward - who has 22 goals after four rounds - feasted on the dominance of the Hawks’ midfield and with his strength and smart body work in one-on-one contests, was too much for the hapless Roos to handle.

Gretgrix kicked three goals in the first quarter, six in the second - including one from deep in the Simpsons Road pocket after the half-time siren - and three in the third before a quiet final term.

His bag of 12 goals featured nine from marks, two from general play and one when the recipient of a downfield free kick.

“It wasn’t just his goalkicking, but he set up a few others with his shepherding and bringing the ball to ground as well,” Hawks coach Luke Monaghan said.

“His kicking was excellent and it’s good for him to come back into the competition and show what he can still do.

“Overall, it was pleasing that we played four good quarters of footy.”

The Roos tried Isaac Douthie, Joel Osborough and Matt Wiegard in what was an unsuccessful effort to curtail Gretgrix.

As well as Gretgrix, the classy Jarrod Findlay was also sensational for the Hawks, cutting the Roos apart and kicking five goals.

While Gretgrix and Findlay combined for 17 goals, the Hawks also had seven other players hit the scoreboard.

Saturday’s game was only competitive for the first quarter.

The Hawks led by 13 points at quarter-time, 6.1 to 4.0, but with Gretgrix unstoppable in the second term, the game quickly became one-way traffic.

The Hawks - who now have two wins by more than 100 points in the first four rounds - owned the ball in the second quarter, with the game played almost exclusively in their half of the ground, as the lop-sided 17-2 inside-50 count for the term would attest to.

The Hawks slammed on 8.1 for the term, while Kangaroo Flat’s only score was a goal to Douthie.

Douthie’s goal was the only major the Roos kicked in the second and third quarters, while down the other end the Hawks piled on 15 in the middle two terms and by the last change were 100 points up.

Playing a solid brand of team-orientated football, the Hawks had winners all over the ground, with their standouts including Gretgrix, Findlay, midfielder Brodie Collins, Brodie Filo - who kicked 2.4 - and ruckman Cody West, who took the points in his duel with Nick Lang.

Going into the game off back-to-back wins, the Roos were outplayed in every aspect after quarter-time.

Their skills and decision-making were poor, they were outnumbered at the contest and lack of accountability constantly allowed the Hawks time and space.

So poor were the Roos, they could generate just 24 inside 50 entries for the game - less than what the Hawks had at half-time (28).

“It was a terrible performance from the side and there’s no hiding from that,” Kangaroo Flat coach Jason Stevens said.

“The failure to compete and intensity really hurt us today and it’s something we need to address if we’re going to get anything out of this season."

In his first senior game, the tenacious Nathan Newlan was the Roos’ best player, while Cameron Rinaldi kicked three of his side’s seven goals. 

• Match statistics:

Centre clearances: Eaglehawk 19; Kangaroo Flat 15.

Inside 50s: Eaglehawk 64; Kangaroo Flat 24.

Stoppages: Eaglehawk 27; Kangaroo Flat 19.

VOTES:

MATT GRETGRIX (Eaglehawk) 5

JARROD FINDLAY (Eaglehawk) 4

BRODIE COLLINS (Eaglehawk) 3

CODY WEST (Eaglehawk) 2

BRODIE FILO (Eaglehawk) 1