FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
THE first half of the Gippsland League’s first split round for the season was completed at the weekend.
Three games saw three visiting teams depart with the points to start Round 6.
Moe and Warragul remain the only two unbeaten sides, while Wonthaggi has started to show signs of why it will keep the competition on notice.
Warragul 11.12 (78) def Traralgon 9.7 (61)
THE wheels on the bus go round and round.
The football at Traralgon also goes up and down, all day long.
The ball stayed in motion between the Maroons and Warragul at the weekend, so much so no quarter went for longer than 30 minutes.
Scoreboard management enabled the Gulls to hold on for a credible win on the road, defeating Traralgon 11.12 (78) to 9.7 (61).
Management came by way of three consecutive goals in the first quarter, which meant the home side was chasing tail the rest of the way home.
Warragul never surrendered the lead, but had to hold off the Maroons, who got the margin back to eight points at three quarter time.
In an at times confusing game that saw a lot of off the ball free kicks paid, both teams looked to play the same gung-ho style, loading up from the back half and launching from outside the arc.
The difference arguably was Warragul’s half forwards lengthening the ground.
On a number of occasions, a Gull was found unopposed between the centre and half forward. He then kicked deep inside 50 where either Jed Lamb or Jordan Stewart were isolated deep.
Warragul looks a different proposition with Lamb, Stewart, Rhys Galvin, Tom Stern and Liam Serong all on the park.
As they say, big men are a huge commodity in local footy, and the Gulls are certainly blessed with some size.
Their evolution under Gary Ayres is also evident.
In previous years, Warragul was a typical crash-and-bash team, but now, they certainly look dangerous on any fast breaks, changing lanes and taking the ball to the open side.
There was still some crash and possible bash late in the game, after Zac Stewart was yellow carded for allegedly giving Traralgon’s Tom Hamilton one to the chest.
The Maroons were down a rotation in the second half, after luckless rebounding defender Joel Scholtes broke his collarbone.
Scholtes may have taken mark of the year in the second quarter, leaping sideways on the car park side of the ground. His crash landing however meant he fell straight on his shoulder from some height and reinjured his same troublesome left collarbone.
Traralgon favourite son Matt Northe played a lone hand as far as scoring went, kicking all three of his team’s goals in the first half.
The Maroons trailed by 20 points at the main break, but truthfully, never really looked like hitting the front at any stage thereafter.
Warragul’s Sam Grummisch took goal of the day honours, after sending through a checkside from a standing start near the Deck to give the Gulls a perfect start to the third quarter.
Riley Senini, much touted by Ayres in the preseason and already senior vice captain despite only being a year out of thirds, displayed all his skill, with an incredible pass across his body to weight the ball perfectly to Jordan Stewart close to goal.
Traralgon playing-coach Dylan Loprese pulled off an equal kick to Northe in the final term as the Maroons kept pressing.
The coach showed exactly what gut-running is in the third quarter, after accepting a pass in the centre circle from Jackson McMahon.
Loprese then found Hamilton just inside 50. Hamilton waited for someone to present, and hit the coach full stretch on the lead after he’d worked back to hit up.
His subsequent goal again made it a 20 point ballgame.
Warragul’s first real signs of danger came when Traralgon was gifted a goal from back-to-back 50s, and kicked another after a moment of madness saw four holding the ball appeals eventually land in favour of Liam Willaton, who goaled at the 17 minute mark.
His effort made it three consecutive goals for the Maroons, and cut the margin back to eight points.
The home side however missed some chances – one straight in front from an approach that seemed to lack a bit of care, while around the ground, there was a number of field kicks that rolled along the ground.
Such was the rate of turnover, the third quarter only went for 26 minutes.
Warragul had a dream start to the final term, with Grummisch kicking truly barely a minute in.
When he snapped his third and Serong goaled to take the lead back out to 21 points, it was very hard to see Traralgon winning.
The Maroons only had two inside 50s in the first 15 minutes, and by then, had pushed just about every player forward to try and go for broke.
Traralgon’s defence was kept busy. Tye Hougian and Jye Neilson were two players who stood tall under duress.
Northe was also outstanding, as was Willaton, who pulled off some trademark spins out of traffic.
Cooper Brown used the ball well, while Alex Lovison played his best game for the year.
The winners passed what many league pundits considered its first real test, taking down one of the big three (Traralgon, Moe, Leongatha).
Zac Stewart attracted votes, as did Caleb McIntosh, Senini, Masterson, Stern and James Harrison.
Moe 31.16 (202) def Drouin 13.6 (84)
THE thing about Bazball is, the game usually ends very quickly.
Drouin tried to beat Moe simply by outscoring them.
Before anyone says of course games of football are won by outscoring the opposition, the Hawks’ modus operandi was to forget about defence and focus purely on kicking as big a score as possible.
Whenever a team decides to play that way, it means they can get scored against very, very easily.
So it proved at Drouin Recreation Reserve last Saturday.
Drouin kicked 11.5 (71) – which in ordinary circumstances is a competitive total.
The Lions however kicked 33.16 (214) and won by 143 points.
In a somewhat farcical game where nearly 45 goals were kicked, the match was virtually over by quarter time.
By that stage, the visitors had 10 goals on the board.
They had 20 by the main break.
In what would have left the previous Moe coaching group of Declan Keilty and Shane Paynter having a fit – there was absolutely zero defence.
The weight of scoring also extended the game. The second quarter alone went for nearly 40 minutes.
While conditions were akin to keeping the ball off the deck; Drouin’s new surface combined with sunshine beating down was not the reason Moe broke through for its first double ton since 1994.
It was also the first time ever the Lions had scored 20 goals in a half.
If one Poholke doesn’t kick them, the other one will.
Myles Poholke joined the exclusive Moe nine club after kicking a personal best. His nine-goal effort fell a few short of his older brother and Lions coach Leigh’s PB of 12.
The former Adelaide Crow and Moe-born local (yes, he was born in Moe before people freak out about Moe imports) has had a sublime start to the season.
Poholke, who has been off the beers since last season, was named the league’s player of the month for his performances across April.
Teammate Riley D’Arcy kicked eight goals and just as many behinds, while Jordan Shields was voted best-on-ground.
The youngster kicked two goals, and took the team’s score to 200 late in the day.
Alex Dijkstra was also productive, as was Blake Mullane and Nathan Scagliarini on return.
Best players for Drouin were Max Williames, Seb Amoroso, Zayne Atkins, Noah Lafrantz, Ben Braiser and Vincent Kuol, who kicked four goals, including a clever soccer out of congestion in the second term.
Both teams paid tribute to the late Geoff Ablett. The two-time Hawthorn premiership player and 200 gamer had connections to Drouin and Moe.
He grew up in Drouin as part of the famous Ablett family, and coached Moe between 1989 and 1990.
Drouin has the long trip to Bairnsdale coming up this weekend, while Moe makes the short journey to Morwell.
The Lions will be wary the Tigers are coming off the bye and have a new coach following the departure of Shaun Mooney.
Historically, teams tend to enjoy a sugar hit in the first game after a new coach is appointed.
Morwell used part of its bye week for a wellbeing session hosted by professional consultants. The session was organised by senior leader Josh Galea and facilitated by SALT (Sport and Life Training).
Wonthaggi 15.15 (105) def 10.11 (71)
ELSEWHERE, Wonthaggi led at every break to defeat Maffra.
The Power turned a precarious 22-point three quarter time lead into a convincing 34 point victory at the final siren.
Wonthaggi kicked three goals to one in the last quarter to win 15.15 (105) to 10.11 (71).
Jarryd Blair showed all his class with five goals, and was well-supported by Kyle Reid, Jakeb Thomas, skipper Josh Bates, Jai Williams and Shannon Bray.
Thomas has returned strongly after a broken leg curtailed his 2025 campaign, while usual defender Bray has been effective at the other end of the ground.
Best players for Maffra were Thomas Phillips, Max Stobie, Archer Watt, Henry Anderson and the Butcher brothers, John and Danny.
