FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
PAUL Carter is going to be a busy man at this rate.
Just three rounds into the Gippsland League season, and scoring rates are already reaching quite farcical levels.
Two teams went past 150 points at the weekend, while another broke the double ton.
Such an avalanche of goals has broken a number of records, and unfortunately, is doing nothing to promote the standing of a ‘premier’ competition.
Moe 14.9 (93) def Traralgon 5.9 (39)
HAROLD Larwood is mostly remembered as the chief executor of Bodyline.
His role in the series led him to walk away from Test cricket at just 29-years-of-age.
What is less well known is that he was coaxed into playing league cricket later in life, where he was simply too good for mere amateurs.
The same parallels can be drawn for Moe and James Harmes.
Harmes helped the Lions to a 14.9 (93) to 5.9 (39) win over Traralgon under lights on Saturday night.
For a player who was still in the AFL at the start of the year, one can take an educated guess at just how many levels down local footy would be.
For a team that has now beaten both of last year’s grand finalists in the first three rounds, the most recent by 54 points, one can also get a pretty good read on just how strong this Moe team is.
Again borrowing from cricket, this time Marnus Labuschagne, who has said Australia is a team that “should never lose a game”, the same can be argued for Moe.
Really, let’s be honest – they shouldn’t – they have six AFL players in the team for starters.
That quality rose to the occasion in Traralgon at the weekend, as Moe slammed on 7.2 (44) to 0.1 (1) in the final quarter.
Up until then, it had been a back-and-forth affair, played mostly as a kick-mark game.
Moe was slow out of the blocks, giving Traralgon a two goal to none start.
The visitors were beaten by what they knew, continually kicking the ball to Maroons interceptor Tye Hourigan.
Lions coach Leigh Poholke exploded on this at quarter time, delivering an old-fashioned “we’re not switched on” tune up.
From there the game tightened, with both teams cracking in to make scoring difficult.
Liam Willaton snapped Traralgon’s only goal for the quarter, coming after a strong mark going back with the flight.
Moe lost Jaryn Makepeace and Liam Masters in the second half. The former was engaged in some niggle with Maroons playing-coach Dylan Loprese at times.
The Lions led by 11 points at three quarter time, before a final term not many could have predicted unfolded.
Perhaps fittingly given Harmes’ presence, Moe played a quarter similar to the third term of the 2021 grand final.
Harmes got the ball rolling, stealing the Sherrin from a pack and snapping truly, before Nick Prowse recovered from a spilled mark to send through a running checkside.
Traralgon went for broke and put Hourigan in the middle, yet a neat set shot from Lions midfielder Alex Dijkstra at the 16 minute mark made it a five goal game.
As the game neared its end, the Traralgon youth among the crowd underneath the scoreboard were clearly getting agitated, and started chanting “Crocker’s a wanker”.
The man himself did well not to front the crowd after kicking one of his three goals. Riley D’Arcy on the other hand ran straight for them after nailing a banana from the opposite pocket.
Willaton had a moment late, getting Harmes holding the ball, reminiscent perhaps of what Caleb Daniel may have done during match sim over the years.
Mitch Mustoe was best for Traralgon, followed by Hourigan, Joel Scholtes, Mitch Membrey, and TTU recruits Frazar Brouns and Jye Neilsen.
The Maroons were without Jordan Cunico, while the absence of Jackson McMahon certainly hurt efficiency at either end.
Ben Maslen was sublime for the winners, as was Scott van Dyk, D’Arcy (four goals), Harmes, Myles Poholke and Jordan Shields.
Much as the senior match became one-sided, both clubs would have extracted positives from the day.
Moe further solidified its credentials as it seeks to end a near 60-year premiership drought.
Traralgon meanwhile may look at the performance of its fourths and thirds from earlier in the day as reason to justifiably feel its future is in good hands.
Bairnsdale 17.14 (116) def Morwell 14.11 (95)
I’VE been around the league for a while.
Morwell has senior players who have also been around the league for a while.
Both would have to agree Morwell’s skill level wasn’t up to standard last Sunday.
The Tigers lost a game that could end up costing them later in the year, going down to Bairnsdale 17.14 (116) to 14.11 (95).
In the quest for finals, these are the games you simply cannot afford to lose.
That the game was so high-scoring and yet at times so painful to watch only highlighted just how shoddy the skills were.
On countless occasions, handball chains fell below the knees or uncontested marks were dropped, seemingly inexplicably.
While the sun was out, it was hardly an excuse. The kicks weren’t exactly coming in with a great deal of pressure.
Morwell’s more experienced players were able to mop up, but at this level, even half-a-second can be enough to cause significant delay.
The Tigers’ last premiership coach, Harmit Singh, was spotted at the game. Even he, usually so calm in a crisis, threw his arms up at times at how much the ball was being turned over.
Disposal was not Morwell’s only issue.
Two things stood out.
The Tigers were unable to compete aerially, and, for whatever reason, just seemed to lack a bit of spark.
Sunday games can do that, but still, when you’ve got a game against a team that’s travelled two hours just to play, you should be at an advantage straight away.
It’s plausible Morwell thought it was ‘just going to happen’, but as Tigers coach Shaun Mooney rightly pointed out at quarter time, Bairnsdale had played Leongatha and Traralgon in the first two rounds.
“Their intent is there,” he said as scores were virtually level, before demanding players come forward to defend after the Redlegs recorded 18 uncontested marks for the term.
The second quarter was disastrous for the home side, as Bairnsdale slammed on seven goals to two.
The most alarming moment came early, when a high ball landed in the goal square, bobbled around three Morwell players, and still ended in a Bairnsdale goal.
New Redleg Oscar Morrison ran amok with seven goals, and marked just about everything that came his way.
Morwell’s day was perhaps summed up when a boundary line call was deemed in play. Bairnsdale had free players lined up and took the ball from end-to-end to goal.
The sealing goal came in similar circumstances, after a Russian Roulette style holding the ball was paid.
Up by five goals at the main break, the final margin of 21 points told the story.
Morwell had momentum going into three quarter time, and the chance to make it three goals in just as many minutes to cut the margin back to eight points during the last, yet any such result would have been viewed as Bairnsdale losing it more than the Tigers winning it.
As ridiculous as it sounds, sometimes two goals is a big lead. This was one of those games.
Morwell skipper Aidan Quigley was by far the best player for his team.
One had to feel sorry for him, as at one stage he was heard to say “where are we? Talk to me” as he sat under a high ball.
It was unsurprising then that Morwell’s four best players were four of its most experienced in Quigley, Hugh Dunbar, Zac Anderson and Burkeley Macfarlane. Lachie Cloak and Lachlan Ainsworth also played well.
Morrison and Ethan East were best for Bairnsdale. East provided a strange highlight, looking like he was going to take a hanger in the last quarter, only to spoil the ball once he got up.
Tyran Rees, Cooper Harvey, Hamish Dawson and Damon O’Connor were also productive.
The result would have stung in more ways than one for Mooney, who previously coached Bairnsdale.
Warragul 33.23 (221) def Sale 6.3 (39)
S&M doesn’t stand for Sale Magpies after that.
We knew Sale was going to struggle this year, but seriously …
The Magpies lost by 182 points against Warragul, 33.23 (221) to 6.3 (39).
The story isn’t that Sale lost by so much – it’s who they lost to.
The Gulls were without leading forward Jed Lamb, or key position player Rhys Galvin.
Had either of those two played, then … yep.
And Morwell beat Sale by 130 points. The Tigers looked less than average from what I saw on Sunday.
Warragul had 98 points on the board by halftime, and were well over 100 points in front at three quarter time at Western Park.
Just about every Gulls player (15 of them) kicked a goal.
Tom Hobbs was best, followed by Riley Senini, Brad Hefford, Levi Moore, Sam Grummisch and Lucas Carter.
Tom Wrigglesworth, Finn Wilson, Mason Annear, Tyson House, Kaden McCulloch and Ben Hall were honest for Sale.
Perhaps the only philosophical point worth pondering is that of new Gulls coach Gary Ayres.
Coaches of his vintage do tend to put a very high premium on attacking play.
Ayres played in a high-scoring era, and was coached by an ultra-attacking coach in Malcolm Blight.
This has undoubtedly rubbed off on Ayres.
Warragul would have won this game regardless, but there can be little doubt Ayres would have wanted a triple figure score with a two next to it more than anyone.
Maffra coaching legend Wayne Butcher is around the same age as Ayres, and shared a similar outlook during his time, as did Stratford premiership coach Peter Morrison.
Butcher had a simple game plan – get to 15 goals first.
Morrison loved midfielders who could impact the scoreboard.
When Ayres retired in 1993, there was three players who kicked a century of goals in the AFL.
Granted team defence was nowhere near the level it is now, looking at scores from that era, it is obvious lockdown football was only an absolute last resort.
“You had to play to win, we couldn’t lockdown on Carey and Dunstall,” Fitzroy coach at the time Robert Shaw told The Greatest Season That Was podcast.
Wonthaggi 23.20 (158) def Drouin 4.4 (28)
DOES this say more about Drouin or Traralgon?
The Hawks lost to Wonthaggi by 130 points, 23.20 (158) to 4.4 (28) just a week after running close against the Maroons.
Travelling to South Gippsland on Saturday, the visitors were quickly staring down the barrel – 59 points down at the main break.
Who are these blokes from Wonthaggi?
Daniel Bourke was best for the winners, along with Nathan Muratore. More familiar names in Blake Cornelis, Bryce Joyce, Kay Patterson and Brodie Mabilia found plenty of the leather.
Zayne Atkins, Seb Amoroso, Riley Wierzbicki, Tommy Trist, Max Williames and Jack Walsh tried hard for Drouin.
The result sets up a tantalising clash between Wonthaggi and Moe this weekend.
Leongatha 25. 11 (161) def Maffra 11.6 (72)
LEONGATHA doing Leongatha things.
The Parrots showed a young Maffra side just how far off they are, winning by 89 points on Sunday.
The visitors slammed on seven goals in the first quarter, which was virtually all she wrote.
Maffra showed good signs in the second term, but were unable to keep up over the distance.
Jenson Garnham had another day out, booting eight goals a week after kicking seven.
Tallin Brill got among the scorers with five, while Curtis Murfett nabbed a couple.
The old stagers however are still hard to deny for Leongatha: Aaron Heppell, Tom Marriott and Sam Forrester, along with Ben Harding, led the way yet again.
Jett Killoran was a huge positive for Maffra, kicking seven goals (any danger boys). His effort will surely attract league votes – amazing when you consider his team lost by 89 points.
Macualey Pendergast, Sam Anderson, Danny Butcher, Jack McQuillen and Jack Armstrong were also manful.
The Eagles continue to build for the future. A previous count noted 45 of the club’s senior listed players had come through its junior ranks.
