FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
NOW the gap widens.
The Gippsland League ladder painted a clearer picture after Round 13 matches at the weekend.
Realistically, and virtually mathematically, only one team outside the top five can still make finals, given there is a three-game gap between six and seven.
The round was highlighted by Indigenous Round, and senior debutants making their mark across various games.
Leongatha 10.3 (63) def Moe 9.7 (61)
GLASS half empty or glass half full?
Half full: Moe only lost to Leongatha by two points.
Half empty: Leongatha still has at least four absolute guns to come back into the side – possibly five if Dyson Heppell is available.
The reaction from the Parrots bench on the final siren may well have told a story far greater than a scoreboard reading 10.3 (63) to 9.7 (61).
Never one to get too animated, Leongatha coach, Trent McMicking held both arms aloft as the result meant the Parrots took a huge stride toward the minor premiership.
Subconsciously perhaps, the reaction also carried some realisation.
If the Parrots can beat a fellow premiership contender with the team they had at the weekend, all could bode well once/if they get back to full strength.
The Lions were without a few key players as well, making seven changes to the team that defeated Maffra the previous week, yet given Moe coach, Leigh Poholke kept his charges out on the ground for a noticeable amount of time after the game suggests he wasn’t all that pleased with a few things.
Discipline may have been at the top of his list. The Lions gave away multiple 50-metre penalties that resulted in goals, and another free kick reversed that would have put them inside 50.
After most league pundits felt Moe had reached ‘one hand on the cup’ stage at the halfway mark of the season, the Lions seemingly have some work to do after losing to reigning grand finalists Traralgon and now Leongatha in the last three rounds.
Blustery conditions blowing toward the indoor cricket centre at Ted Summerton Reserve threatened to turn the game into a dour affair, yet the umpires, (presumably taking this into account) kept the game moving with a higher than average number of holding the ball decisions.
Leongatha kicked three goals to one in the opening term, mostly the result of Moe’s ill-discipline.
Both teams traded a pair of goals in the second, before kicking four each in the third.
The Parrots took a 10-point lead early in the third amid some confusion, after Moe defender Declan Keilty thought he’d juggled a mark.
There was no whistle however, and Leongatha’s Aaron Heppell took full advantage to run into an open goal.
Moe cut the margin back to three points after Alex Dijkstra took advantage of his own, drilling a left foot goal on the run underneath the scoreboard.
The scoreboard itself played havoc during the game, as a selection of the LED globes were missing, meaning some numbers were indecipherable.
The Lions got in front following a good build-up of play saw Jacob Wood hit Ben Crocker on the lead, who goaled during red time.
Leongatha immediately hit back through debutant Mitch De Kleuver via the very next centre clearance.
The game’s most telling moment however came shortly after, when Moe’s Luke Cheffers nailed Ben Harding holding the ball in the muddied cricket pitch section.
Cheffers was given 50 for a trip, yet had what would have been a set shot denied when teammate Myles Poholke came in to remonstrate, bumping Harding to the ground.
Rubbing salt into the wound, the Parrots scored a goal from the very next play, and Poholke, arguably best-on-ground to that point, was swamped by green and gold jumpers.
As the great Jack Dyer would say: “retaliate first”.
With nine points the difference at the last change, Leigh Poholke instructed his team to limit handball in the final term.
“This game is going to go deep,” he said.
Such a call was more prophetic than predictive, as the last quarter played out with Leongatha holding on for dear life.
There was no change on the scoreboard within the first five minutes, and the Parrots’ defensive efforts had to be applauded.
An insane rundown tackle from Jack Hume denied Scott van Dyk a certain forward entry, as the Lions threw bulk numbers forward to try and find an avenue.
Keilty went forward in the last, and after Cheffers broke through from a boundary throw in and goaled at the 12-minute mark, the margin was back to three points.
McMicking had his hands on his head after a couple of close calls at the other end, yet a free kick to Xavier Lamers and subsequent goal made him breathe a little easier.
Crocker goaled not long after at the 20-minute mark, once again making it a three-point ballgame.
Given the time, the conditions, and the way in which the game had played out, it was now a case of ‘next goal wins’.
The Lions missed their last chance at the 24-minute mark, after which time the Parrots locked it up until the siren sounded barely five minutes later.
Harding was best for the winners, followed by Hayden Lindsay, Heppell, Hume, Nick Argento and Ben Willis.
Moe’s younger brigade led the way, notably the Gippsland Power trio of Liam Masters, Luke Cheffers and Max Woodall.
Xavier Berquez, on debut up from the under 18s also had some very good moments, as did Dijkstra and Harry Pepper on what was a special day for him given the Lions were wearing their Indigenous jumpers.
Morwell 12.12 (84) def Wonthaggi 7.5 (47)
THE Tigers just about ended Wonthaggi’s season.
Morwell completed the first of two consecutive major assignments in South Gippsland, defeating the Power 12.12 (84) to 7.5 (47) in Round 13 of the Gippsland League.
The result saw the Tigers enter the top five at Wonthaggi’s expense, and for all intents and purposes, could well be enough to see them stay there.
Morwell is equal on points with the Power, but holds a more than 20 per cent advantage – equivalent to 200 points just about.
Wonthaggi finishes the season playing the top three teams between rounds 16 and 18 (Traralgon, Leongatha, Moe), and still has the road trip to Bairnsdale.
The ball is therefore well and truly in Morwell’s court provided the Tigers keep winning.
Morwell looked in danger of missing finals only three weeks ago, yet a Sunday victory over the Maroons and a Wonthaggi loss to bottom-side Drouin on the same weekend has suddenly breathed new life into the Tigers season.
Wonthaggi’s win over Traralgon in Round 7 has certainly come at a cost, with the Power winning just a single game since amid a mounting injury list.
Morwell however could not be accused of beating a weakened opposition at the weekend.
Wonthaggi recalled former AFL player Isaac Chugg, VFL player Jack Blair, seven-time senior best-and-fairest winner, Aiden Lindsay, 150 game Power veteran, Shannon Bray and playing-coach Jarryd Blair.
Lindsay came back after playing in the reserves the previous round – the first time he has ever featured in the early game.
His presence however wasn’t enough to stop the Tigers coming out after halftime and slamming on eight goals to one in the third term.
A strong wind blowing straight across Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve toward the scoreboard played havoc for much of the game, and saw the home side go into the sheds with a slender four-point lead.
With their season seemingly steady, the Power may have regretted ever entering the arena again, as Morwell put the result beyond all reasonable doubt.
Thirty-eight points up at three quarter time, the visitors played time in the last, getting through to win by more or less the exact same margin.
Josh Galea continued his goal-kicking ways, nabbing three for the winners after owning the goal square in the second half.
With much riding on the result, Morwell’s big guns in veteran Zac Anderson, skipper Aidan Quigley, young stars Sam Walsh and Blake Couling, playing-coach Boyd Bailey and midfield bull Anthony Rosato stood tall.
Such a sight reflected a possible changing of the guard given the quality of ins and experience for Wonthaggi.
Arguably, the apprentices defeated the masters.
That the Tigers nullified the influence of so many of the Power’s most prolific players was also seen in Wonthaggi’s best players.
Those honours went to Brodie Mabilia, Ethan Dickison, Jaxon Williams, Jye Gilmour, Kaj Patterson and Harry Dawson.
Morwell welcomed Burkeley Macfarlane and Tyler Hillier back at the weekend, and also unveiled Will Clark – ironically, from Dalyston.
Traralgon 23.19 (157) def Maffra 6.6 (42)
WELL, that’s one way to get revenge.
Traralgon made up for its earlier season loss to Maffra in the most brutal fashion possible.
The Maroons were clearly not taking any chances, and won 23.19 (157) to 6.6 (42) on Terry Hunter Oval.
The home side set the tone early with eight goals in the first quarter alone.
The margin was out beyond triple figures at three quarter time, and became a simple case of a top three side looking to finals against a bottom three side looking to see out the year.
Dylan Loprese kicked five goals for Traralgon on his return. He was ably assisted by familiar faces Tye Hourigan, Jordan Cunico, Harvey Neocleous, Tristen Waack and Matt Northe.
Dan McKenna and Jackson McMahon also helped their tallies with four goals each.
Incredibly, such a huge margin meant the Maroons’ percentage climbed by more than 10 digits.
Maffra needed some of its own experience to prevent the scoreboard blowing up even more.
Veterans Alex Carr, Danny Butcher and Dylan Alexander battled hard, as did Zack Felsbourg, Tom Phillips and Elijh Berry.
Sale 26.16 (172) def Drouin 9.9 (63)
YOU’RE only as good as your last game.
Drouin came crashing back down to Earth against Sale.
Heading into the match at Sale Oval with victory in their previous outing, the Hawks were completely wiped off the park, 26.16 (172) to 9.9 (63).
Seeking a win to snap a four-game losing streak, the Magpies made it an absolute certainty with 11 goals to two in the third quarter.
Such an avalanche of goals undoubtedly gave Sale supporters something to cheer about, in what has been a season that has fallen well short of expectation.
The Magpies will likely finish bottom three, and playing-coach Jack Johnstone has already informed the club he won’t be going around again.
Johnstone has put in a long stint in local footy years as Sale coach, guiding the team to finals, including a Grand Final in three of his four completed years (five including the cancelled 2021 season).
Winning by such a huge margin might just be enough to ensure the Magpies finish above Maffra when the home-and-away ladder is sorted.
While finals might be off the cards for both teams, make no mistake, the battle to finish above the other on the ladder will always be fierce.
Shannen Lange kicked five goals in a best afield display for Sale, while cult hero Tom Campbell snagged half-a-dozen.
Harry Tatterson also chipped in while on Gippsland Power break, and fellow youngster Jack Halligan did likewise coming up from the under 18s on senior debut.
Indigenous boys Bohdi Walker (three goals) and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith were also productive on what was a special day for them, wearing the Indigenous jumpers they designed for the league’s Indigenous Round.
Seb Amoroso, Kye Quirk, Max Williames, Caleb Kleeven, Blake Bibby and Zayne Atkins battled hard for Drouin.
Warragul 9.10 (64) def Bairnsdale 8.8 (56)
YOU can just imagine the smile on Sheebo’s face.
Warragul took another huge step toward finals, overcoming Bairnsdale in East Gippsland.
The Gulls had to survive a near-death experience, but drove home victors by eight points, 9.10 (64) to 8.8 (56).
The visitors looked to have the game wrapped up at three quarter time, leading by 27 points, before managing just two behinds in the last term.
Warragul got what they needed however, thanks mainly to the efforts of Jordan Stewart who bagged five goals.
Stewart looms as one to watch come finals.
The Pakenham recruit came into the Gulls’ line-up in Round 8, and has kicked 22 goals in his six games.
Warragul assistant-coach, Sean Masterson was also lively in defence, and could be a sneaky chance for the league medal.
He has been named in the best 10 times in 13 games and is fourth in the league’s MVP as voted by the coaches after each game.
Others to play well were Patrick Mulqueen, James Harrison, Liam Serong and Tom Stern.
Best players for the Redlegs were Ethan East, Tyran Rees, Will Mitchell, Nic Bulmer, Tom Blenheim and Lachlan Cloak.
