The 39-year-old showed he has lost none of his trademark skill with some precision passing out of defence as the Hoppers stormed to a 17.18 (120) to 12.11 (83) victory against the Hawks.

North Albury is the only team in the competition to have scored more than 100 points in each of the first four rounds of the season.

While the Hoppers’ biggest test is yet to come against a rampant Albury on Anzac Day, what’s beyond dispute is they have serious scoring power.

Dan Leslie turned in a best-on-ground performance for the Hoppers, booting four goals while rotating between the midfield and forward.

Lachie Taylor-Nugent also kicked four majors, including three in a barnstorming six-goal-to-two third quarter which set up the victory for the Hoppers.

While Leslie and Taylor-Nugent were instrumental in kicking a winner score for the Hoppers with Ricky Whitehead held goalless, Akermanis played a pivotal role in defence in his first game in almost two years.

The Brownlow medallist and triple Brisbane premiership player didn’t waste a possession after the Rovers started the stronger of the teams at the Hoppers’ home ground, kicking the first two goals of the match inside two minutes.

The Hoppers steadied to hold a handy buffer for most of the first half before Stuart Booth reduced the margin to five points at the main break with a goal after the siren.

Rovers led by a point when Dan McCullough snapped a wonderful goal at the nine-minute mark of the third quarter but from that moment on, it was all North Albury.

The Hoppers piled on five goals in 15 minutes to set up an unassailable lead and move to 3-1 ahead of their date with the Tigers in round five.

Akermanis, who said the Hoppers still had plenty of work to do with their voice, paid tribute to Leslie and Taylor-Nugent after the match.

“We missed ‘Smoothy’ (Taylor-Nugent) last week so it was important to have him today because of our rotations. It was a hot day and our midfielders didn’t get as tired,” he said.

“Rovers have got a really good midfield and they’re a young team like us.

“(Shane) Gaston is a super player in there for them so it was important we got on top in the midfield. I was super proud of ‘Les’, Cal Butler and Johnny Willis.

“Our pressure early was really what set up the win and then we outran them.”

Wangaratta Rovers co-coach Sam Carpenter, who was his side’s best player, said the Hawks would learn from the defeat.

“I thought the game was a real arm wrestle, especially in the first half, and we went into half-time feeling confident that we could assert ourselves onto the game in the second half,” he said.

“Unfortunately they had too many winners, particularly in the third quarter, and they’re a hard side to beat at home.”