Rhett Mason’s four goals helped steer the Waroona Demons to their first win of the Peel Football and Netball League season in a comfortable victory over South Mandurah on Sunday afternoon.
The gun midfielder’s day out was the highlight of a well balanced performance from Waroona, that saw them snap a four-game losing streak with the 7.8 (50) to 12.9 (81) win at Falcon Oval.
The skies threatened rain yet failed to deliver all day, but the same couldn’t be said for the Demons who were emphatic in the midfield from the get-go.
Chad Wrigley had his prints on the ball for most of the day, and was up and about early helping Waroona secure the first goal through Brayden Sutton.
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The Falcons fired back through star forward Brad Holmes before Mason bagged his first of four to regain the lead for the Demons, but South Mandurah managed to make the most of a strong breeze late in the term to take a seven point lead into the first break.
They were out to a 13-point buffer when Mitch Morley scored early in the second term, but Waroona took control for the remainder of the half with a run of four straight majors.
Ben Wright was outstanding in the centre clearances and helped set up a goal for Mason before kicking one himself.
Sutton scored his second to put the Demons in front before Mason showed some poise with his third coming on the run to give the visitors a two-goal lead at half time.
The Falcons looked up and about early in the second half with Jarrod White continuing his strong work from the opening two quarters, but again it was Mason hitting the scoreboard to see the Demons out to the biggest lead of the game.
Things looked bleak with South Mandurah unable to capitalise on their inside 50s for a chunk of the quarter, but Mathew McMahen broke through with his second before Holmes followed suit to cut the margin to four points.
Waroona appeared to be on the back foot, but Wright and Zach Moody both kicked truly to restore the lead before Isaiah Della Franca increased it to 22 points when he got an inch of his boot to the ball just before the three quarter time siren sounded.
Star midfielder Andrew Haydon did his best to keep the Falcons in the contest but Sutton’s third came early in the final term, putting a halt to South Mandurah’s comeback hopes.
The crowd flared up when Nathan Hutchison was shown a red card while being helped from the ground after a heavy contest, but it did little to spark the home side as Adam Clancy kicked the sealer on Waroona’s first win of 2018.
The Falcons face another tough test when they travel to Pinjarra next week, while Waroona will look to make it two in a row when they shape up against Rockingham.