FOOTBALL

GIPPSLAND LEAGUE

By LIAM DURKIN

 

RINSE and repeat.

Traralgon set up a Grand Final rematch with Leongatha after defeating Moe in the Gippsland League preliminary final.

The Maroons progressed courtesy of a 13.16 (94) to 8.13 (61) victory, sending them to a second-straight decider, while condemning the Lions to another shortfall.

In summary, Traralgon was methodically effective and the Lions mercilessly picked apart.

While a 33-point margin often suggests the game was close until such time when one team kicked away, this was certainly not the case at the weekend.

Traralgon led by 20 points at quarter time, and Moe hardly ever looked like hitting the lead at any stage thereafter.

Kicking five goals in the first term toward the entrance at Sale Oval, the Maroons’ domination of centre clearance sent early alarm bells ringing in the Lions camp.

A rock hard Sale Oval track that just about wore the stops out of every player perhaps suited Traralgon’s run and gun style, but it wasn’t the sole reason (no pun intended) the Maroons won most facets of the game.

Moe had its turn with an easterly breeze favouring the entrance end, kicking four goals in the second term to make it a seven-point ballgame at the main break.

Even then however one sensed the Lions would need much to go right if they were to overhaul Traralgon, who played smartly to extend the margin to 19 points with a quarter to spare.

Moe never truly looked like winning in the last, as a three goal to one final term played out.

Traralgon playing-assistant, Dylan Loprese was mighty up forward, kicking three goals and having a say in others.

The Maroons had nine individual goal-kickers by the third quarter alone, continuing a strong trend of the season.

Moe’s ploy to tag Luis D’Angelo lasted all of five minutes, and he provided constant drive working in tandem with Liam Willaton and Jordan Cunico.

Sam Hallyburton played arguably his best final, kicking two goals, while Hugh Dunbar was again prominent in a final against Moe.

Moe meanwhile did not name any players in the best – a perhaps appropriate sentiment.

It would have been very hard to list a top six wearing a maroon and blue jumper.

The Lions brought in one Baldi for another, with Riley replacing twin brother Trent, who missed with a broken jaw sustained after a heavy collision with Morwell’s Anthony Rosato in the first semi-final.

Riley was available ‘thanks’ to his VFL club, Casey losing its final.

Had the Lions progressed, they would have also had all their Gippsland Power players available for the Grand Final after Power’s season was cut short.

That luxury however now lies with Traralgon, who could bring in excitement machine and Victoria Country representative, Marlon Neocleous for the big game.

The Grand Final is looming as an eerily similar affair to last season, with the Maroons coming in via the preliminary final.

Unlike last year however, Traralgon won’t be raging underdogs, and will have a full complement to choose from given its reserves are also in.

Some good stories are also in the works, notably rebounding defender Joel Scholtes, who missed last year’s premiership due to injury, and was looking unlikely to get back on the park this season.

Leongatha comes into an unbelievable ninth consecutive Grand Final, and will want to create a feel-good story of its own for favourite son, Dyson Heppell.

The former Essendon captain just made the four-game qualification for his home club, having spent the season with VFL club Port Melbourne.

Speaking facetiously, he now has the chance to do something it doesn’t look like Essendon is going to do any time soon.

While many thought this season would be the year Leongatha finally dropped off, the Parrots have shown just how finely tuned a football machine they are, devising a game plan to suit its ageing list.

Knowing it can no longer blow quality teams off the park, Leongatha now simply aims to have the most watertight defence in the competition.

The Parrots were the only team to concede less than 1000 points during the home-and-away season, all the while only averaging around 10 goals a game against fellow top-three sides Traralgon and Moe.

It’s worked in three out of five games Leongatha has played against the Maroons and Lions this season.

Despite veterans Tom Marriott, Cade Maskell and Sean Westaway all getting a year older, and missing large chunks of the season, their finals experience has to count for a great deal come Saturday.

A club like Leongatha doesn’t take losing grand finals well, and even as far back as the league launch, one could tell last year’s result really galled Parrots coach, Trent McKicking when he spoke.

Traralgon can therefore expect a fierce battle as it attempts to claim its first back-to-back title this century.

The Maroons have a very good record in grand finals, losing just once from its last five starts, and more often than not, discount regular season form and go to another level when there is a premiership on the line. Traralgon will have undoubtedly learnt a great deal from its semi-final defeat to Leongatha, and despite what transpired, were only a handful of points behind at three quarter time.

One expects a Grand Final to be even tighter, although just if the Maroons’ explosive style collides negatively with Leongatha’s suffocation tactic adds to the intrigue.

For Moe, its most recent finals performance was again another disappointing performance.

The Lions have now lost three consecutive preliminary finals, and four in five completed seasons.

The October period before preseason will surely look to address why the same thing keeps happening, as playing/coach Leigh Poholke heads into his second year at the helm.

Poholke is on record as saying this year’s Moe team was the best football side he’s ever seen, which therefore would include teams from his home in the highly touted Mornington Peninsula league.

So, either the Gippsland League is a stronger competition than it’s given credit for, or Leongatha and Traralgon would be top two in Mornington.

The Lions possibly peaked way too early, and had an eight-one win/loss record at the halfway mark of the season after beating predicted finalists Wonthaggi by 67 points.

Had the Grand Final been played then, Moe may well have won by 10 goals.

But it’s not – the Grand Final is this weekend, and the Lions will again be forced to watch on.