The club’s sluggish start to the 2024 Goulburn Valley League season would have had Eagles players, coaches and fans concerned about how the year may play out.
But, after Saturday’s 113-point demolition of Tatura, Mansfield is back on level ground with two wins and two losses.
The Eagles started the round three match in a similar vein to their previous three games: attacking, dominant in the contest, but unable to convert into scoreboard pressure.
Inaccuracy in front of goal meant that at quarter-time, Mansfield had kicked 2.7 to Tatura’s 0.1.
The second quarter also seemed to follow the script of the Eagles’ previous three games as Tatura wrenched itself back into the contest, kicking five goals straight for the quarter thanks to Chaz Sargeant (two), Ryan Hatch, Tim Wilson and Ryan Young.
With the score set in Mansfield’s favour (31-45) at half-time, not many onlookers would have expected the third-quarter slaughter that was about to occur.
The Eagles took complete control of the match and kicked 10.9 (69) for the quarter alone.
From there, Mansfield’s style and game plan came together in perfect synchronicity for the first time this season as the Eagles kept the Bulldogs to three points for the second half.
The final score finishing 5.4 (34) to 21.21 (147).
Mansfield coach Jack Hutchins said he was happy his side finally got the monkey off the back in terms of making the most of its opportunities.
“Previous games, we kept other teams in the game because we couldn’t convert our opportunities, so we were really focused on trying to get that scoreboard pressure and trying to convert those,” Hutchins said.
“Then, in the third quarter, we just went ballistic.
“The scoreboard really just kept flowing from there.
“If in the first quarter we had kicked straight, we would have been seven or eight goals up.
“I think we have gained some confidence that we can do that to sides and that is what our best footy looks like.”
In the first two games of the season against Echuca and Shepparton, Mansfield started well before fading out across the game to finish disappointingly.
After Tatura kicked five goals in the second quarter, Hutchins did concede that he was briefly concerned over whether an Eagles fadeaway was about to happen for a third time in four games.
“It certainly crept through the mind,” he said.
“Because that is what has happened in the last few games, but it was a really different feel with the group as they kind of acknowledged that too and really put their best foot forward.
“We are really starting to gel with each other and what each role entails.
“We were finally able to capitalise with goals rather than just missed opportunities.”
The 113-point win is the biggest winning margin in the league this season.
Generally, in a thumping of this nature, one or two forwards tend to cash in and kick a bag, but the 21 goals were kicked by nine different players, an even spread that Hutchins said he loved to see.
“From a coaching point, that’s the best part as there wasn’t anyone that played a bad game, I don’t think,” he said.
“Everyone played their role to a tee.
“Brett Mahoney in the middle was phenomenal; he is ageing like a fine wine, as I keep telling him.
“Patrick Marks was playing his 100th game and he kicked a couple of great goals and really stood tall for us forward.”
Mansfield will be hoping to make it three wins on the trot this weekend when it hosts a winless Benalla at home.
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