FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
Traralgon 5.9 (39) def by Moe 6.7 (43)
NO guts, no glory.
Moe showed plenty of the former in the Gippsland League Qualifying Final, edging past Traralgon by four points.
The Lions won a dour affair 6.7 (43) to 5.9 (39); the scoreboard well and truly reflecting conditions at Maffra Recreation Reserve.
An insanely strong westerly breeze maintained its presence throughout the day, making each goal, and score in some cases, worth its weight in gold.
Moe Football-Netball Club joined kite manufacturers as the two happiest businesses in the state last Saturday, after winning their way through to the second semi-final.
What’s more, they defeated Traralgon for the first time this season.
It’s probably worth mentioning they did it without Declan Keilty playing in the second half as well.
Yes truly, this was a lionhearted effort.
Moe’s best finals win in the last decade even.
That Traralgon had beaten the Lions by 10 goals in their previous encounter had most favouring the Maroons leading into the game.
The wind however brought the equation back, and while Traralgon had four scoring shots to two in the opening term kicking with the advantage, Moe was able to go into the quarter time break ahead by three points.
The Lions were given the only goal for the quarter after Trent Baldi was walked to the goal square following an indiscretion, and with their noses in front at the first change kicking into the breeze, confidence was brimming.
With the wind playing a factor, both teams dropped numbers back in order to batten down the hatches.
Keilty played forward in the second term, moving from his natural posting at centre half back.
Moe added two goals before the main break, although the Maroons were up to the task, adding the same amount kicking into the cyclone.
The wind was such that most of the play was confined to the gumtree side of the Maffra ground.
Despite the preconceived advantage, there was challenges to overcome either way.
Those kicking into the breeze saw the ball literally travel backwards, while those kicking with it saw it swing more than a half-taped tennis ball in backyard cricket.
Traralgon’s want to run the ball in numbers was noticeable, however when the time came to kick, there remained the abovementioned issues.
Moe by contrast possibly benefitted from having more big men in key areas, as on a number of occasions players the likes of Chris Prowse, Nick Prowse and Keilty were able to take steadying contested marks.
Disaster struck for Keilty on the eve of halftime, after landing awkwardly in a marking contest.
The playing-coach was reduced to the latter, coaching from the bench on crutches in the second half, his task surely made more stressful by having a boom mic hovering over his head from camera operators.
Moe held firm in the third quarter, equalising in most areas, again most notably on the scoreboard.
Kicking into the gale, the Lions managed two goals, one of which gave them a huge lift.
Getting the ball to the attacking side had proven near impossible at times, however an opening presented itself for Moe young gun Max Woodall.
What better time for some Mirboo North magic.
Woodall, who joined the Lions from the sticks this season, accepted a lateral kick at centre wing.
He took one bounce, a second, and two more before kicking truly on the run at the netball court end, nailing what has easily topped the last four bounce running goal by a Moe player.
Traralgon coach and Mirboo North premiership player, Troy Hamilton may have been afforded the chance to smile wryly at that moment.
Fellow Mirboo North local, Tajh Eden was also playing for Moe, in what was a finals debut surrounded by undeniable inspiration.
The midfielder, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, came back into the senior side for the first time since Round 14, having worked his back from injury to begin with.
You just have to love the stories that finals produce.
That Round 14 game against Bairnsdale may have inadvertently helped Moe, as it was played in near identical conditions to what greeted them last Saturday.
The Lions struck a calming huddle at three quarter time, and were instructed to “come forward to defend” knowing Traralgon would need to work the ball mainly by hand going into the wind.
Fittingly, Moe captain Jacob Wood kicked the first goal of the last, guiding home a set shot at the eight minute mark.
That made the margin 10 points, which given the end Traralgon was kicking to, made their task all the more difficult.
To their credit, the Maroons adhered to one of the many great signs in their ‘change rooms’ and refused to surrender, getting one back at the 14 minute mark through Jordan Cuncio strolling in unattended.
Some very nervy moments followed, as the game pretty much became a case of ‘next goal wins’.
Traralgon had dispersed with being handball happy, and were able to cut their way through problems finding short targets.
Big man Max Jacobsen slammed a set shot into the goalpost at the 16 minute mark, and Sam Hallyburton had an opportunity denied by the wind late, marked by Lions defender Scott van Dyk.
Hallyburton found himself the beneficiary of one of the more unlikely goal assists during the second term from Dylan Loprese.
Perhaps ironically for Loprese given he supports Richmond, he was much like Matthew Richardson in making the hard part look easy and the easy part look impossible after taking a sliding one handed contested mark inside 50.
Looking to wheel on his right, the ball slipped from his grasp, forcing him to dish off a handball to Hallyburton, who mopped up and goaled.
Some frenetic final moments played out, highlighted by a goal saving tackle from Jackson McMahon on Woodall after he looked certain of kicking his second.
McMahon was busy for the Maroons, as was Tye Hourigan, D’Angelo, Tristen Waack, Cunico and Chance Doultree.
Van Dyk was prolific for Moe, especially in the absence of Keilty, along with fellow defenders Ben Maslen and Luke Mulqueen, who did a number on Traralgon key forward Dan McKenna.
Their work was praised by Keilty, who said it was a proud day to be their coach.
“I was getting a bit stressed out toward the backend of that game, we’d lost to them twice before, I was pretty proud of how the guys went about it and bit of relief as well,” he said.
“Scott van Dyk was just fantastic, was absolutely phenomenal, I think the job Luke did allowed Scott to play a little bit more freely.”
The finals stage also lent itself to Moe’s midfield twins in Riley and Trent Baldi, who were where the ball was more often than not.
The inclusion of Harry Pepper generated some discussion, as he had been under a fitness cloud, however, given he kicked two goals and set up others in a game decided by four points, Keilty believed his selection was justified.
“Someone who is as dangerous as Pep, what it does is makes the opposition accountable, they have to put a quality defender on him,” he said.
“Not only do we get an X-Factor in that but it also loosens up the chains of myself and Nick Prowse up forward.”
Addressing the elephant in the room, Keilty was brutally honest (appreciative) when discussing his injury with the Express on Sunday.
“The initial thought was my ACL, which I was shattered (about), but thankfully the first diagnosis is that I’m okay,” he said.
“It’s just the MCL. If the scans come all clear with the ACL there is potential that if we make the Grand Final I’ll be available.”
The injury was the only dampener to what was a great weekend for the Lions, who had five teams in finals action, all of which secured victory.
Now, the senior football and A Grade netball team are just one win away from a Grand Final. Yikes.
The next task for the football side will be taking on Leongatha, who by virtue of the finals draw, are also hosting the second semi-final this Saturday.
Looking at ways to beat Leongatha, apart from not kicking the ball in the vicinity of Cade Maskell, Keilty said the Lions would take confidence having beaten the Parrots during the season, and might actually look to take a leaf out of an enemy’s playbook.
“We’ve got some things that we learnt from last time we played them,” he said.
“I know they had a lot of key players out, but probably to be honest having a look at the way Morwell did it (beat Leongatha twice)… so see if we can pick up anything.”
Regardless of how this weekend’s semi-final plays out, the match is offering a good example of two clubs building from the ground up.
While Leongatha’s premiership success in the last decade is well documented, what is lost is just how far back they started from.
This time a decade ago, the Parrots finished seventh on the senior ladder (Moe eighth), while the under 18 team went through a season where they did not win a single game.
Jack Ginnane, Jackson Harry and Tim Sauvarin are just some of the names from that team who have since gone on to play in multiple senior premierships for Leongatha.
Moe’s pathway has been decidedly windier, but nonetheless, four of their top six players at the weekend had come through the club’s juniors, while a further 17 from the available 22 would be classed as ‘local’.
Wonthaggi 6.13 (49) def Sale 3.6 (24)
TRENT Cotchin would have only kicked one way if he won the toss in this elimination final.
Conditions at Bairnsdale City Oval last Sunday were some of the harshest in living memory, making for a very unattractive spectacle between Wonthaggi and Sale.
The Power however will not care in the slightest, after beating the Magpies 6.13 (49) to 3.6 (24).
Those looking for anything noteworthy to take out of the match would have been left disappointed, as the ball spent the best part of 90 per cent camped on the wing opposite the interchange gates.
The match may have set a record for most out of bounds on the full, with a number of balls needing to be retrieved from the carpark (one even getting stuck in a tree) such was the force of nature making the leather swing wildly after take-off.
Communication was also severely compromised, as players calling for rotations literally couldn’t be heard from the far side of the ground.
This could have contributed to Sale resembling the walking wounded by game’s end. It was carnage for the Magpies in the last quarter, as Cody Henness, Bohdi Walker and Hudson Holmes all hobbled off, adding to a casualty list that already included Mitch Dowse and Jack Leslie, who played on gamely.
Wonthaggi kicked with the end favouring the breeze to begin, and managed two goals.
Playing the percentages, Sale played Holmes as an extra in defence. Wonthaggi repeated the dose when it was their turn to kick into the wind, sending Isaac Chugg down.
The Power restricted the Magpies to one goal for the quarter, which came off the boot of Brad Dessent.
The sheer force of the wind was perhaps summed up when Wonthaggi vice captain Aidan Lindsay had a set shot from directly in front no more than 20 metres out.
Appearing to aim the ball straight on approach, the ball literally swung at a 45 degree angle and went out on the full the moment it touch his boot.
Just eight points was the difference at halftime, before Wonthaggi made their move.
The Power dominated most facets and peppered the goals, kicking 2.7 (17) to no score.
Some poor defence from Sale allowed two opportunistic goals out the back of stoppage.
Adding to frustration was the fact Magpies playing-coach Jack Johnstone started the third term on the bench, and bizarrely, did not get on until the 13-minute mark.
Down by 27 points at the final change, Johnstone instructed his players to take a risk and use the corridor no matter the situation.
Unfortunately for Sale, it took just one minute for their season to come to a close, after Wonthaggi scrambled the first goal for the day at the netball court end.
From there, the Power held firm, all the while the wind was still up to its tricks, resulting in a few ‘inside outside 50s’ recorded.
Cooper McInnes showed the lengths that were required to combat the breeze deep in the last term, kicking a set shot goal that swung violently from left to right.
Stan Urbanic would have been starting the ball at cover point and ending it at deep backward square in these conditions.
Conversely, Walker showed just what was possible kicking with the tailwind. The left footer launched a torpedo from full back that landed literally at centre half forward.
The bad news continued for Sale, who now hold the record for lowest score in an elimination final, ‘beating’ the 4.9 (33) scored by Drouin against Moe in 2019.
Strangely enough, the Magpies return of 5.6 (36) in last year’s elimination final against Traralgon was the second-lowest heading into the match.
Holmes battled hard, as did Shannen Lange, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, Andrew Campbell, Will Leslie and Patrick Tainsh.
Best for Wonthaggi was Ryan Sparkes, who was credited with 50 touches. Shannon Bray got off the chain due to Leslie’s injury, while Chugg, Josh Bates, Jarryd Blair and Fergus O’Connor all did well.
Blair was quite animated after the final siren, possibly knowing the trip to Bairnsdale will be the biggest hurdle to overcome these finals.
The win brings the Power’s winning streak to six games, to go with nine from their last 10.
Wonthaggi continue to keep the remaining finals teams nervous, and now have an assignment against Traralgon in a do-or-die semi.
