Morwell remains in the hunt for the Gippsland League minor premiership, despite a shock loss to Bairnsdale on Saturday.
The Tigers’ latest string of three consecutive victories ended during Saturday’s trip east, with the visitors falling short by 12 points.
However, Morwell remains in second on the ladder behind Sale, while the Redlegs are just a game and significant percentage outside the five.
Bairnsdale got off to the better start and led by 13 points at the first change.
Morwell outscored the Redlegs in the second quarter and by half-time was back within 10 points.
By the last change the margin was just four points, and after a low scoring, and for Bairnsdale, an inaccurate third term, it added only seven points to its tally.
It was a similar story in the last.
The Redlegs kicked one goal and five behinds to Morwell’s three behinds to run out two-goal winners.
Brayden Mitchell booted three for the home team while Boyd Bailey was the visitor’s best.
Maffra v Drouin
Maffra’s annihilation of Drouin was a record-breaking victory for the club, which has been the yardstick of the Gippsland League for the best part of a decade.
The Eagles’ score of 39.17 (251) is an all-time record for the club, two points higher than Maffra’s previous best against Churchill in 1985.
The winning 213-point margin equals Maffra’s biggest, the same as that of the 1985 Churchill game.
The score equalled the eighth highest in league history, but one that has not been seen since 1980 when Traralgon scored 251 against Newborough.
Darren Sheen’s 17 goals equalled the club record, which was set by Adrian Burgiel, also against Drouin, in 2006.
Sheen now sits seventh on the list of the league’s biggest individual goal-kicking tally.
Adrian Burgiel’s six majors for the day also saw the forward celebrate his 600th career goal.
Moe v Traralgon
Six goals from Lee Stockdale and a bag of five from Tim Aitkin in his second game back at Traralgon helped the Maroons to a big win over Moe.
Traralgon has now jumped to fourth on the ladder ahead of Wonthaggi on percentage.
A more accurate Maroons outfit had the early advantage over the much improved Lions, who trailed by just eight points at the first change.
The visitor added seven majors to its tally in a tightly contested second quarter, which also saw Moe add five majors to its total to trail by 25 points at half-time.
The Maroons edged their way further in front in the third and by three quarter time led by 45 points.
Traralgon came out firing in the last with eight unanswered goals to run out winners by 94 points.
Captain Jaime Aitkin was named best on ground for the Maroons in a list which also featured former Port Adelaide and Carlton player, now Gippsland Power coach, Nick Stevens, who played his third game for the club. Moe’s consistent trio of James Blaser, Leigh Sheehan and Ben Morrow were the standouts for the Lions.
Warragul v Sale
It was a similar story in the west, where Sale and Warragul booted almost the same score as that seen in the Moe and Traralgon game.
Six goals from Jacob Schuback and five each from Kane Fraser and Mitch Davis helped the ladder leaders to a convincing win.
The visiting Magpies booted seven unanswered goals in a dominant first quarter to lead the Gulls by 46 points at the change.
The Magpies had a break in momentum in the second, adding two goals six to maintain its 46-point lead at the half.
A six-goal-to-three third term saw Sale stretch its lead out to 76 points.
The Magpies added another eight majors in the last to run out a 93-point winner.
Wonthaggi v Leongatha
It has taken until the second half of the home and away season, but Leongatha has finally found some consistent form.
The seventh-placed Parrots produced a second upset in as many weeks, beating the now fifth-placed and favourable finals contender, Wonthaggi in yesterday’s South Gippsland blockbuster.
At home, the Power got off to a slow start and was without a first-quarter major.
Wonthaggi won the second quarter with four goals to the visiting Leongatha’s three.
The margin was four points at the main change.
The visitor held the Power goalless for a second term in the third, while adding three majors of its own.
Wonthaggi came out firing in the last, however in the end it was inaccuracy that cost the home team.
It booted two goals eight to Leongatha’s two straight majors, to go down by just six points.
