FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
NO great surprises came to hand during Round 10 of the Gippsland League.
The round marked the start of the return fixture from the first half of the season.
As it was in April, the same teams won the rematches at the weekend.
Fortunately at least, there was only one game in the Latrobe Valley, which was hit hardest by the weather.
While conditions changed during the course of all matches, most were spared the heavy rain that bucketed down during the match between Moe and Leongatha at Traralgon.
The Lions are still off Ted Summerton Reserve, but are hopeful of a return for the Round 12 match against Traralgon on July 11.
This weekend sees the last round before a league-wide bye.
Moe 19.8 (122) def Leongatha 11.10 (76)
GOOD day to be a duck.
An even greater day to be a wood duck.
While rain fell across the Gippsland League last Saturday, there was at least one Moe player who was at home in the conditions.
Lions veteran Jacob Wood celebrated his 250th senior game in appropriate style, as Moe secured its biggest statement-making win of the season, defeating Leongatha 19.8 (122) to 11.10 (76).
Capping it off was a goal in the second term, after Wood steered through a set shot from the pocket following a trademark eyes-only-for-the-ball mark amid congestion.
It is often said rain is the only thing stopping some teams during finals.
Well, it rained for most of the game at Terry Hunter Oval at the weekend, and Moe still kicked 19 goals.
The Lions remain unbeaten after 10 rounds, and after disposing of the reigning premier and league powerhouse of the last decade by 46 points, it only further solidified the thoughts most league pundits have about Moe and season 2026.
Even Parrots coach Trent McMicking reportedly confided to his opposite number Leigh Poholke that he didn’t have an answer to what Moe threw at them.
In one sense, it is easy to see why.
Nine other clubs in the league would surely love to have James Harmes in their line-up.
There are probably even some AFL club supporters who would still love to have him in their team.
Harmes took the proverbial at the weekend, handling the wet footy like he was back playing at Marvel Stadium.
He kicked four goals from 10 times as many possessions, while Myles Poholke continued his blistering form in front of goal with five.
Incredibly, the former Adelaide Crow already has more than 50 goals for the season just past the halfway mark (he couldn’t could he? He’s a halfback for crying out loud).
Poholke was similarly classy with ball in hand, kicking an insane snap from a standing start 50 metres out.
It would have been a serious goal on a dry day, let alone while rain was falling sideways.
Spectators were at least given one quarter to enjoy two quality teams playing in relatively dry conditions.
The second term was high-scoring and fast-moving.
“The best we’ve had in a long, long time,” TRFM head commentator Daryl Couling surmised after the halftime siren.
Moe kicked 10 goals – the first time Leongatha has conceded that many goals in a quarter since 2012.
Of those 10, three came right on the eve of halftime, and just as the Parrots looked like mounting a comeback.
The margin had bled out to 44 points, yet a run of five goals in 10 minutes saw Leongatha back to within 24 points.
What followed was a somewhat zany period, where the Lions answered with three goals after the clock had ticked past 30 minutes.
Jacob Balfour, who like the milestone man, was at home in the conditions, perhaps fitting given he too hails from tough terrain up in Willow Grove, slid in to take a smart chest mark, before finding Harmes in the pocket next to the Deck.
Harmes was equally clever to thread a low ball through the middle, before Poholke snapped truly a short time later, thanks to another smart passage of play when Riley D’Arcy used his right foot as a nine-iron to set the ball up from a set shot.
D’Arcy then benefitted from a 50 metre penalty on the halftime siren, after being walked to the top of the goal square.
He firstly took a mark just outside 50, and immediately pointed to goal as the siren sounded.
Shaping to unload a barrel, he was escorted after the kick, as Leongatha player Ben Harding failed to leave the protected zone.
Harding, the reigning league medallist, appeared dumbfounded, although the match vision clearly shows umpire Steve Esler making the ‘clear out’ signal before D’Arcy took his kick.
The moment handed Moe all momentum, while Leongatha players held a lengthy pep talk before heading into the rooms.
For all their work during the second quarter, the Parrots had seen a manageable 24-point deficit get back out to 42 points in less than 10 minutes.
Moe coach Leigh Poholke wasn’t prepared to take anything for granted, and asked for “players only” in the rooms at the main break.
Unfortunately, any hopes of a spectacle as good as the second quarter, or indeed, a Leongatha comeback, were dashed when players returned to the field, and were greeted with not heavy, but constant rain.
Naturally, the third quarter became a classic battle of attrition.
Moe still managed four goals, but had to play the percentages.
“Grind this out for 10 minutes,” was Leigh Poholke’s message halfway through the quarter.
While Lions players like Jordan Shields (who was in the best) and Taj Eden were playing to conditions, coming in with flying spoils and smothers, Leongatha players were (bafflingly) still playing as if it was autumn.
Parrot players were flying for hangers in the wet, only to give away free kicks, while on other occasions, seemed hesitant to pick up any ground balls.
Moe went past 100 points after midfielder Alex Dijkstra kicked truly, meaning it was the first time Leongatha conceded triple figures in three quarters since 2013.
The floodlights were turned on during the third quarter, by which time the Lions had more than doubled their opponents score.
Leigh Poholke delivered the good-old ‘grind them into the ground’ speech at three quarter time, evoking some memories of a similar approach used by Central Gippsland cricketers during the era when teams were permitted to pointlessly bat on in one dayers after the score was passed.
Evidently, the ground became impossible to grind into, and sinking was the only real possibility given the amount of rain.
Kicks off the deck became common, although Moe’s Max Woodall still found time to show off his basketball skills, dancing around an opponent while guiding the ball at ground level.
The Lions kicked only the one goal. Leongatha got some respectability back with four, but with each score came some degree of dread, as it meant an extension to the quarter.
As 5pm neared, it became so dark it was literally impossible to tell who belonged to which team on the far side of the ground opposite the club rooms.
Having grown up in Thorpdale, I know what cold is – I’d say last Saturday was the coldest day at the footy since the 2024 Mid Gippy grand final.
By the last quarter, players waiting to come onto the field huddled in the interchange box just to get out of the rain.
The young boundary umpires certainly earnt their pocket money for braving the elements.
Just how Traralgon go about training this week on an oval that resembled a lake by the end of the game might cast some doubt as to any future use of neutral venues.
As poor as conditions were, they did highlight a glaring difference between the two sides. Moe’s work post-stoppage far outdid that of Leongatha’s, adding a third layer of what has arguably been missing the last few years for the Lions.
Moe has traditionally been a strong contested ball team. Last year they were a strong intercept team. Adding explosive midfielders such as Harmes and Blake Mullane to work with Trent Baldi and Nathan Scagliarini on the outside this year now adds to the repertoire.
Baldi was among the best players, as was Scagliarini and Mullane. Baldi had a good tussle with Aaron Heppell, who collected equal plaudits for his team.
Aaron’s brother Dyson did not play, but one suspects he will be whisked back in time for finals.
Him aside though, the Parrots were at just about full strength.
Conditions were ideal for Tom Marriott, and he stood out for Leongatha, as did Curtis Murfett, Jackson Harry, Sam Bradley and Tallin Brill.
Interestingly, Murfett and Bradley both started the season in the reserves.
Clubs have until June 30 to bring players in, and given recent history (Noah Gown, who incidentally kicked the winning goal in the VFL at the weekend) the Parrots hierarchy will likely put the feelers out.
Trent Baldi’s twin brother Riley meanwhile was back home for the weekend, owing to a week off in the SANFL. It was interesting to hear him compare the VFL to South Australian football, where possessions seem to carry a higher premium – 25 touches in the SANFL supposedly equates to 35 in the VFL.
Once again, statistics, relative, standard was better back then, best players from any era, Michael Tuck never won a best-and-fairest (fact), Bradman hated Catholics (true) etc.
Someone who has seen Moe standards at either end of the scale across more than 15 seasons is Wood.
He was chaired from the ground, and given a guard of honour by players of both clubs.
In reaching 250 senior games, he became just the fourth Moe player to reach the landmark, joining former teammate Peter ‘Jibba’ Ainsworth and fellow club greats Chris Smogavec and Reno Fusinato on the list.
The man known as Frank surely sits atop one list however, as Rawson’s greatest footballer.
Traralgon 12.12 (84) def Bairnsdale 6.10 (46)
TRARALGON took three quarters to shake off a persistent Bairnsdale.
The trip to East Gippsland is never easy, and the Maroons got out with the result it craved, 12.12 (84) to 6.10 (46).
The visitors kicked as many goals in the last quarter as it managed in the three before, all the while keeping the Redlegs goalless during the final stanza.
East Gippsland was bathed in sunshine to start the game, although a low-scoring grind ensued for most of the afternoon.
Traralgon is well below full strength at present, and seems to be negotiating what is traditionally the trickiest part of the season availability-wise. The Maroons only had 18 named in the reserves at the weekend – the trip to Bairnsdale to play a game of twos evidently not high on some peoples list of desirables (gone to Bairnsdale with 14 before).
The Maroons’ senior leaders stood up when counted, and were acknowledged for doing so.
Liam Willaton was best, as was Matt Northe. Tom Hamilton continued his strong season, and was assisted by Connor Ambler, Cooper Anderson and Mitch Mustoe.
Best for Bairnsdale was Tyran Rees, Oscar Baylis, Randall Stewart, Jonah Walker, Lachlan Byrne-Jones and Rex Hargreaves. You don’t see too many Rexes these days.
The win keeps Traralgon a game clear of Maffra in fifth.
Wonthaggi 9.9 (63) def Morwell 3.11 (29)
EIGHT to go.
Morwell was kept to just three goals against Wonthaggi, going down 9.9 (63) to 3.11 (29).
The Tigers faced strong opposition and choppy conditions on a Wonthaggi oval that resembled a horse racing track by fulltime.
The home side sowed the seed of doubt early with 5.3 (33) to 0.1 (1) in the first quarter.
Morwell to their credit fought back, and had seven scoring shots to three in the second term.
Down by three goals at the main break, the visitors quickly saw its hopes dashed after Wonthaggi kicked 3.3 (21) to 0.3 (3).
The last quarter might as well not have been played, as neither side managed to kick a goal.
Both teams were at least only out there for 26 minutes (Milhouse voice), which provides a fair indication into how scrappy the game was.
Josh Bates played well for the winners, along with Isaac Chugg, Jasper Stone, Hunter Tiziani, Reeve Moresco and Thomas Glen.
Morwell at least now has a chance to blood some younger players, as it did at the weekend. Jack Mooney and Eric Porigneaux made their senior debut, sure to be a moment they won’t forget.
Lachlan Ainsworth was adjudged Morwell’s best player.
Others to stand out were Zac Anderson, Tyler Hillier, Aidan Quigley, Campbell Blewett and Maclan McInnes.
Club favourite Hillier played his 150th senior game. His loyalty deserves mentioning, especially given Morwell’s up-and-down performances and the fact minor league clubs have reportedly made big plays to try and entice him across.
The Yinnar premiership player has certainly been on a rollercoaster ride in yellow and black, and could quite possibly hold the league record for most number of games decided by less than 10 points.
Granted Morwell made finals last year and Wonthaggi didn’t, it seems a little odd the Power has 44 player points compared to the Tigers’ 40.
Wonthaggi finished top three in 2022, made a grand final the next year and finals the year after.
Last year, they beat the three top teams (Leongatha, Traralgon, Moe) in the last three weeks before finals.
On that basis, one finals miss in four years automatically gives you four extra points.
Warragul 14.11 (95) def Drouin 10.11 (71)
IN the two Sunday games, Warragul defeated Drouin, and Maffra won as expected against Sale.
The Gulls had to recover from an uninspiring first half, to kick five goals to one in the third quarter, before grounding out a 14.11 (95) to 10.11 (71) win.
Tom Hobbs was best for the winning visitors, along with Sam Whibley, Cooper Leighton, likely rookie of the year Riley Senini, Tom Stern and Levi Moore.
Brodie Atkins, Tommy Trist, Tom Mapleson, Seb Amoroso, Campbell Bedford and Lane Ward contributed for the Hawks.
Maffra 25.16 (166) def Sale 6.4 (40)
MAFFRA won by 126 points at Sale Oval.
The Eagles kicked eight goals in the second quarter to bust the game open.
Jack McQuillen and Seth Smith kicked five goals each in the 25.16 (166) to 6.4 (40) score.
Others to play well for the winners were Thomas Scott, Zac O’Keefe, Danny Butcher, Leo Stephenson and Sam Anderson.
Ashton Wright battled hard against his old club, while Adam Wallace, Ben Hall, Cooper Rand, Darcy Van der Voort and Mason Annear were similarly manful.
On a positive, both teams have plenty of wriggle room with player points.
Sale only used 31 out of 45, while Maffra (remarkably) used just 26.
