Wangaratta's class ended Wangaratta Rovers' season on Sunday.
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The exquisite finishing of Brad Melville summed up the gap between the premiership fancies and a team on the fringe of the top five.
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Melville kicked four goals in the 16.18 (114) to 10.8 (68) home win.
"It was probably a true result of where we're at and where they're at," Rovers' coach Daryn Cresswell said candidly.
Rovers posted the upset of the season when they edged out the grand finalists with a spectacular comeback in round eight.
But the injury-hit Pies of early June are a long way from the team which has now racked up eight straight wins.
The Hawks needed another shock result to keep their finals hopes alive, but the match was realistically over at quarter-time.
Kicking against the breeze, which was worth at least two goals, Rovers made the ideal start when the composed Ky Williamson slotted a clever goal after five minutes.
But the Pies kicked the next five of the term to race to a 28-point lead at the first break.
Tom McCaffrey kicked two terrific goals in the first six minutes to cut the margin to 22, but that was as close as the Hawks got.
"It was a solid performance, a four-quarter performance," Wangaratta coach Luke Morgan said.
"I thought there were consistent efforts across the board, Rovers play a brand of footy and we tried to eliminate that and work to our strengths as best we could and I think for the majority of the game we did that."
Rovers had to scrap for every goal, while the Pies didn't have that problem.
Melville was brilliant.
He kicked a 45m set shot from the boundary line in the first stanza and followed it with another clever effort later in the quarter.
When the impressive Joe Richards kicked a belter from 55m early in the third term, the margin had blown out to 43 points and a 12-goal hiding looked possible, but Rovers steadied, although their lack of finish and the Pies' pressure didn't allow them to build scoreboard pressure.
"I thought after half-time we played with a bit more flair and a bit more risk," Cresswell said.
Pies' on-baller Daniel Boyle, defender Michael Bordignon and the classy Ben Speight (two goals) also performed.
Williamson was outstanding, while defenders Will Nolan, Cody Schutt and Nathan Cooper also played well.