Kate Withers
FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
Sale learnt that teams outside the finals race are capable of providing a test after they posted their lowest score of the season in round 14 against Drouin, and Magpies coach Shane Fyfe has refused to bank on a win against Wonthaggi this weekend.
“We’ve spoken about teams out of the finals race that are going to come in with the mindset of nothing to lose, so that’s the way we’re treating it,” Fyfe said.
“They probably want to get a scalp before the season’s over and we don’t want to be that scalp.”
If the earlier round six match-up is anything to go by, then the Power are by no means out of contention.
They hosted the Magpies and were in the game for most of the day before being overrun by 19 points at the final siren.
Fyfe said the Magpies stocks were “looking good” and said there would be no changes to the side’s preparations ahead of Wonthaggi this weekend.
“We’ll assess … week how everyone’s travelling and continue with the same processes,” he said.
Sale sit third on the Gippsland league senior ladder and look to have it sewn up with four games to go and three games’ breathing room from Moe.
Leongatha v Warragul
Leongatha may face a somewhat unexpected test this weekend in the form Warragul.
The Gulls are one of the in-form sides in the competition and leap-frogged Traralgon for the highly-prized fifth spot on the weekend after defeating the Maroons in round 14.
They have won their last five consecutive games and have well and truly proven their worth as a finals contender.
However, no side is in better form than the defending premiers.
The Parrots have not lost a game since round four against Maffra – who they beat in the replay in round 13 – and are hitting their straps at just the right time.
Moe v Morwell
Moe can move one step closer to shoring up a finals berth this weekend with a win over inter-town rivals Morwell.
The Lions went with Leongatha until half-time in round 14 on Saturday but were overrun by the classy, well-oiled Parrots in the second half.
It was a tight tussle when the sides last met in round six and Moe emerged with the edge at the final siren and finished four-point winners.
Finals are well out of reach for the Tigers as they sit in eighth spot with just three wins to their name for the season.
Maffra v Bairnsdale
Bairnsdale will make the dreaded trip to Maffra this weekend in search of what seems like an unlikely win against the Eagles.
The league leaders romped to a 96-point win over Morwell in round 14 – their 12th for the season – but weren’t overly convincing against the Redlegs in their round six encounter.
The Eagles won by 30 points but let Bairnsdale off the hook by allowing them to win the final term, three goals to two.
Drouin v Traralgon
Drouin might just be a chance to score an upset over Traralgon this weekend.
The Hawks surprised Sale and pushed them to their lowest score of the 2018 season while the Maroons fell by the wayside against Warragul.
The loss dented Traralgon’s chances for a fifth-place finish as they drop a game off the pace and they will need to secure the points this weekend to etch back the deficit.
Finals are out of the picture for Drouin, but the Maroons face Moe, Maffra and Morwell in the run-home and all three games are pivotal to their chances of a post-season berth.
