Star Kookaburras striker Blake Govers has marked his 100-game milestone with a sweetly-struck goal to help inspire his team to a 3-0 win over New Zealand in Palmerston North.
Nathan Ephraums opened the scoring for Australia in the dying minutes of the opening term of Friday's match when he pounced on his blocked shot and sneaked it under the goalkeeper.
The score was 2-0 when Govers powered home from a penalty corner in the second term, marking his 86th goal in international matches.
And it was a case of brother v brother in the final quarter when Kookaburras forward Jeremy Hayward's powerful shot from a penalty corner deflected off goalkeeper Leon Hayward and in for a goal.
Australia dominated long periods of the match and were deserved winners.
It was a step up from a day earlier, when the Kookaburras scored two goals in the final four minutes to secure a 3-1 win over the Black Sticks.
The Kookaburras lead the four-match series 2-0, with the final two clashes to be held on Sunday and Tuesday.
The series marks the Kookaburras' first taste of international action in almost 15 months, and shapes as a key part of the team's Olympic preparations.
"We got three goals and more pleasing we got the clean sheet," Kookaburras skipper Eddie Ockenden told Sky Sports.
"We're working on things and trying to get better. It's great to play another game.
"It's been (15) months of training. So when you get to the game, it's heaps of fun. We're pretty enthusiastic when we get out there.
"We definitely want to work on some things. We want to improve every game. There's heaps to learn."
NZ entered Friday's match without skipper Blair Tarrant, who was left nursing a black eye after being struck by the ball in the face during Thursday's loss.
Stand-in skipper Nic Woods lasted just several minutes on Friday before he too was forced off after being clobbered on the head by a rising ball.
The Kookaburras were the slicker of the two teams, creating numerous chances to put the heat on the visitors throughout the contest.
