EAGLEHAWK continues to show early-season signs of improvement, forging its way to 2-1 in the win-loss ledger after a 21-goal win against Castlemaine at Canterbury Park on Saturday.
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The Hawks - powered by a robust 31-17 first half - jumped to third spot on the ladder, defeating the Magpies 54-33.
A crucial win in what is likely to be a tight battle for spots in the lower echelon on the top-five, it came on the heels of a narrow loss by the Hawks in a tightly-contested encounter against Strathfieldsaye in round three.
The Hawks opened the season impressively with an 11-goal win over Golden Square.
Eaglehawk coach Kylie Piercy praised a 'complete team effort' as the foundation to her team's success against the Magpies, who were without star defender Fiona Fowler on Saturday.
"The girls combined well all day, so it truly was a full team effort," she said.
"Everyone really did play their part and we used our rotations, which were seamless as well.
"Castlemaine had a few young players, but they produced some nice passages of play, especially in the last quarter.
"I felt we took the foot off the pedal a bit in the last quarter, but it was great to pull through for a nice win."
For Eaglehawk, Tiarni Baxter was awarded the Pat Cronin Foundation Medal as her side's best on court in a round dedicated to raising awareness of the dangers of violence.
The young goaler has started the season in impressive form, after also being the Hawks' best in their round one win over the Bulldogs.
"Tiarni has really upped her training regime and that has really boosted her confidence," Piercy said.
"Being her second season with us, like a lot of the girls, they are all starting to click nicely.
"It's a pretty settled squad from last year to this year. When you put in the hard yards in the first season, you get to build on that and I think we are slowly doing that.
"Last week (against the Storm) was one that got away from us, but as long as we live and learn from it, we'll be better off in the long run"
The Hawks came into the match with Lucy Morcom and Gracie Berryman having dealt with illness during the week, with Piercy saying the use of rolling subs had played their part in getting both players through the game.
Free-scoring Roos too strong for Bulldogs
At Wade Street, a less than full strength Kangaroo Flat scored a convincing 90-35 victory over Golden Square.
The Roos set up the win with a stunning 22-2 first quarter, before extending the margin to an unassailable 31 goals at half time.
They were even more dominant in the third quarter, piling on 26 goals in an awesome display of scoring power.
Making the win look even more impressive, the Roos were without midcourter Milly Wicks, who is dealing with a foot injury, and defender Ava Lowndes (overseas).
Recruit Chloe Langley played her best game for the season for the Roos, while Ash Ryan starred in her 50th game for the club.
The Roos moved to 2-1, backing up another strong win from the previous weekend against South Bendigo.
Both round four winners, Kangaroo Flat and Eaglehawk will clash next weekend at Dower Park.
Castlemaine will look to bounce back against Strathfieldsaye at Camp Reserve, while for Golden Square, a clash against the reigning premiers awaits at Gardiner Reserve.
Sandhurst returns to action for the first time since round two against South Bendigo at the QEO.
