FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
FINALS-type weather greeted Gippsland League venues at the weekend.
With September only a few weeks away, players were given a good test run on conditions usually seen during Spring.
Round 15 results confirmed which teams will in fact be playing in that month.
It is now just a matter of who gets the double chance.
Traralgon is fifth, three wins and well clear on percentage from sixth-placed Maffra with three rounds to go.
The Maroons and Leongatha, grand finalists last season, are still in with a shot of finishing in the top three, but will need plenty of results to go its way.
Regardless, either team has plenty of finals experience, and has shown signs in recent years of going deep in September when faced with elimination.
Leongatha won the 2023 flag after going via the preliminary final, while Traralgon did likewise the following year after winning two sudden death finals.
Top side Moe looks to have the minor premiership secured.
The Lions are two games clear from Wonthaggi, and can claim its first minor premiership since 1972 with victory against Bairnsdale this weekend.
The Power, who finished top of the ladder in 2023, have taken many by surprise this season, after it was generally expected they’d be among the also rans.
Warragul has also impressed, and will be desperate to not undo all its good work by dropping out of the top three in the last few rounds.
The Gulls however play Leongatha and Moe in the next fortnight.
TRARALGON put a significant dent in Warragul’s top-three hopes after winning 15.8 (98) to 10.7 (67) last round.
The win reversed the earlier season result, and once again reaffirmed the Maroons’ standing as a team that tends to peak at the right time of year.
Conversely, the Gulls could be on the slide, after underwhelming wins against Bairnsdale (12 points) and Maffra (22 points) last month.
Traralgon started strongly at the weekend, putting up five goals to none in the first quarter at Terry Hunter Oval.
Warragul responded with six goals of its own in the second, but the fact Traralgon scored another five meant the visitors were always playing catch up.
The match was in the balance at three quarter time, with the Maroons holding a 20-point lead, but they finished with four goals to two in the last quarter.
Joel Scholtes made an excellent return from injury, and was best-on-ground for the winners.
Connor Ambler was also prominent, as was William Brent, Kade Thorley, Mitch Mustoe and Tom McMahon.
In another good sign, the Maroons had 10 individual goal-kickers, including Jordan Cunico.
Traralgon is clearly a better side when the former Geelong player is available. He has missed virtually all this season, while Scholtes has also missed large chunks.
Jordan Stewart, Kai MacLean, Jake Hughes, Tom Hobbs, Xavier Olsson and Sean Masterson got the nod as best players for the Gulls.
Hobbs and Masterson have been in the best just about every week, which may indicate Warragul still relies on too few.
Should Warragul lose the double chance, it could face a tame first-round finals exit given it will most likely play Leongatha or Traralgon.
SHOW TIME baby.
Ben Crocker returned with a bang for Moe.
The alpha forward kicked 10 goals in his first game back since Round 4.
His effort helped the Lions to a 26.14 (170) to 6.11 (47) win over Morwell at Ted Summerton Reserve.
Moe took full toll on an opposition that was likely banged up following a physical game against Leongatha in the mud the week before, and a team that was down to two on the bench in the second half at the weekend.
One had to feel sorry for Morwell player Zac Cheffers, who was forced to hobble himself on crutches from the visitors rooms all the way to the carpark on the opposite side of the ground given parts of Ted Summerton Reserve are still under construction.
One also had to feel sorry for Moe forward Jacob Balfour, who was forced to back up from the reserves after James Harmes did his hamstring in the warmup.
The Lions put up a typically huge score early and didn’t look back.
Even Harmit Singh can only do so much. There was simply no stopping Crocker, and if he wasn’t kicking them, Riley D’Arcy or Harry Pepper were. They each kicked four, while Alex Dijkstra kicked three to be among the best players.
Crocker smartly caught an opponent off guard in the last quarter, walking back to take a set shot, only to duck around on the mark and make use of the extra space available.
Myles Poholke joined the party with two goals, and is now part of history. Only thrice has a Gippsland League team had three players kick more than 50 goals in a season. Poholke, D’Arcy and Pepper belong in that category.
The margin fell just short of the record for Moe against Morwell – 134 points in 2018.
Pepper kicked five in that game. Current Lions Scott Van Dyk, Tom Long, Ben Morrow, Lachlan Rees, Harri Sim and Jacob Wood were also a part of the Moe team.
Ironically, current Morwell player Josh Galea was in the Moe team that day.
Hugh Dunbar was again in the best for Morwell at the weekend, as was Aidan Quigley. Campbell Blewett, Goy Jiath, Max Linton and Tyler Hillier battled hard. Hillier’s season may be over, after he was reported for striking Poholke.
Pending the outcome, given there is only three games left, there may not be any point coming back for one game.
IN other games, Drouin won a thriller against Bairnsdale.
A late goal to Vincent Kuol got the Hawks an 11.13 (79) to 9.11 (65) win at home.
Margins of just one and two points at half and three quarter time respectively showed how close the game was.
Campbell Bedford was best for the winners, followed by Brodie Atkins, Jack Walsh, Seb Amoroso, Caleb Kleeven and Zayne Atkins.
Best for Bairsndale on the long trip home was Cooper Vickery, Jamie Dore, Tyran Rees, Jonah Walker and Ryan Cullinan.
WONTHAGGI’S huge win over Maffra raised a number of eyebrows.
The Power won 17.21 (123) to 3.4 (22) in South Gippsland.
The actual score more so than the margin was most surprising – the Eagles only kicked one goal up to three quarter time, and a grand total of one behind for the entire first half.
Wonthaggi meanwhile piled on the pain, making something of a mockery of sluggish conditions.
Cooper McInnes booted five, Jaxon Foon four and Jackson Glen just as many.
Jai Williams was best, followed by Jasper Stone, Josh Bates, Aiden Lindsay, Isaac Chugg and Josh Schulz.
Darcy Scott, Seth Smith, Thomas Scott, Sam Anderson, Alex Carr and Elijh Berry tried hard for Maffra.
The Eagles have not won a game since handing Moe its only loss for the year in Round 11.
One of the best wins in the club’s history has arguably come at a cost, and shown just how close to peak performance a team will need to be to potentially roll one of the competition’s pacesetters.
LEONGATHA won as expected against Sale.
The Parrots led at every change and recorded a 24.18 (162) to 6.8 (44) win at Sale Oval.
Jenson Garnham reached double digits, and was supported by Tom Marriott, Kim Drew, Jack Sheridan, Tim Sauvarin and Patty Ireland (three goals).
Adam Wallace, Cooper Whitehill, Kaden McCulloch, Archer Gerrand, Thomas Glenn and Kane Cutler put in honest stints for the Magpies.
