ALL eyes were on the return of former Jets, Sydney and Mariners player Andrew Hoole to Broadmeadow colours at Edgeworth, but it was Weston skipper Nathan Morris who was the man of the moment as the Bears went top of the league on Sunday.
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Morris came off the bench to score a hat-trick as Weston, who were ninth last year and wooden spooners in 2016 and 2017, defeated Hamilton 4-2 to rise to 22 points after 12 rounds of the Northern NSW NPL.
Broadmeadow (21) relinquished top spot with a scoreless draw against the Eagles (20) at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Hoole, who was cleared on Friday to register with Magic after the end of his Central Coast contract, started and played 59 minutes.
The 25-year-old, a veteran 137 A-League games, fired a shot over the crossbar in 17th minute but was otherwise kept quiet by the Eagles.
Former Jets teammate James Virgili (hamstring) and Josh Piddington (back) started for Magic despite injury concerns.
On a heavy pitch, neither side were able to create many clear-cut chances. Magic's Cody Carroll forced a diving save from Josh Low with a shot in the 65th minute.
Broadmeadow keeper Paul Bitz made a reflex save off Dylan Holz's shot in the 88th and he climbed to knock Jose Atayde's strike over the crossbar in injury time.
Hoole started his senior football at Magic before gaining a Jets youth deal which led to an A-League debut in January 2013.
His most recent match was on April 26 for Central Coast, and Broadmeadow coach Ruben Zadkovich said Hoole was "fantastic" given his limited preparation.
"It was a pretty good performance from my boys but we can definitely do better," Zadkovich said. "We've got another two or three more gears to get through once we get some boys fit and healthy.
"James Virgili has trained once in four weeks, Andrew Hoole hasn't trained in four weeks and was fantastic, Piddo hasn't trained this week and was on painkillers to play. It was a mammoth effort from the boys mentality wise."
Eagles coach Damian Zane was pleased with the effort from his side.
"I was pretty happy with how we went," Zane said. "We probably had some good chances to create chances, but the crosses and that last decision let us down."
At Darling Street Oval, Weston led 1-0 with a quality 39th-minute strike from Jason Tjien-Fooh.
Hamilton levelled in the 56th minute when Jarryd Sutherland squared a ball for a Rhys Cooper tap-in.
Substitute Morris, back from injury, scored from the spot in the 71st minute after goalkeeper Tyler Warren felled Chris Hurley. Hamilton equalised with a penalty from Kent Harrison in the 75th after Regan Lundy fouled Shinichi Kawachi.
Morris hit a stunning free kick for the go-ahead goal in the 87th minute and he scored from the spot again in the 96th after Kyle Hodges fouled Jackson Burston.
Valentine v Adamstown, Charlestown v Jets Youth and Lake Macquarie v Lambton Jaffas were washed out.