FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
By LIAM DURKIN
THE sight of five dead rubbers in the last round of the Gippsland League meant the most intense action had either happened weeks before, or it is to come over the next month of finals.
While Round 18 games were largely inconsequential, there was still a number of talking points to come out of the weekend.
Morwell played the role of league villains yet again, defeating Warragul at home.
The result perhaps did more to raise concern about the Gulls’ chances heading into finals than it did about the Tigers’ otherwise disappointing season.
While Morwell has gone through a hellish season, losing VFL players and its senior coach, they have rallied late to defeat finals-bound teams Leongatha and Warragul.
The most recent upset was another low-scoring grind, the kind Morwell has become known for under expert coach Harmit Singh.
Singh has already been announced to be staying on in the yellow and black next season, again working closely with co-coach Aidan Quigley.
For Warragul however, the numbers are hard to ignore.
No matter how good a coach Gary Ayres might be, the Gulls are about to play an elimination final having lost four games in a row.
What’s more, they are playing Traralgon, who have just knocked off top-three side Wonthaggi.
Having been inside the top three for most of the season, the Gulls have not won a game in more than a month, and are at risk of bombing out of finals in the first week for a second consecutive season.
Given its losses in recent weeks have been against finalists Traralgon, Leongatha and Moe, the Gulls are looking very long odds of going past week one.
That being said, they don’t have to look far to find evidence that says poor runs to finals don’t necessarily spell the end.
Traralgon lost five games in a row heading into the 2023 finals series. The Maroons, under Jake Best, were largely written off, only to beat Sale in an elimination final, and then very nearly send Moe packing in straight sets the following week.
The Lions will take a week off this weekend, having finished on top of the ladder.
Leongatha meanwhile appears to have hit form at the right time.
Much as people are saying the Parrots have dropped off, the fact of the matter remains: they’ve still finished outright second.
Dyson Heppell got the last game he needed in to qualify for finals at the weekend, and all looks set for a classic South Gippsland Showdown against Wonthaggi in the qualifying final.
The Power have caught a few pundits by surprise this season, remaining inside the top three for most of the year despite attracting next to no market interest last March.
Some previously unheard of names however have been unearthed, while Wonthaggi’s unfortunately sodden home track has arguably provided a strong home ground advantage.
While the Gippsland League is generally a very strong and even competition, this year’s campaign unfortunately won’t be remembered with much fondness.
There was a clear gap between the top five and bottom five, much wider than what is usually seen.
Scoring rates were also much higher, given the weekly mismatches.
In previous seasons, if I wasn’t playing at a weekend or there was a Sunday game, I’d feel motivated to head along and watch, anticipating a good game. That was lacking this year. Looking at the fixture some weeks this season, you couldn’t help but think: “that’ll be 80 points, 100, 150,”
Finals positions were also largely known five weeks out from Round 18, where ordinarily, the season often remains live right up until the last home-and-away round.
Sixth-placed Maffra was the only team to really threaten to steal a finals spot.
The Eagles held the distinction of being the only side to roll Moe, and the general feeling around the traps is win your premierships over the next two or three years before Maffra starts its next dynasty.
Dragging down the competition unfortunately was Sale.
The Magpies did not get close to winning a game, and were among the worst teams on record in the league’s history.
The club however said from the outset that 2026 would be a “hard reset”.
It was a hard reset and a hard watch at times, as Sale was left with no choice but to play local kids in the seniors following the departure of just about its entire senior playing list.
Sale in fairness did well to get two teams on the park every week, with a number of ex-champions coming back to help the reserves at times.
In terms of ‘worst ever teams’, Gippsland League historian Paul Carter’s research shows there has been 17 teams in the league’s history that have gone winless through a season.
As far as ‘worst season’, looking at percentage, points conceded and average losing margins as determining factors, Sale is the fourth-worst since the league was established in 1954.
Sale’s percentage of 22.46 is better than Drouin 2014 (13.22), Bairnsdale 1998 (16.48) and Moe 1997 (18.30).
Sale’s average points conceded was 165 this year, which is fifth after Moe 1997 (210), Churchill 1985 (200), Newborough 1979 (172) and Moe 1996 (168).
Sale’s average losing margin this year of 128 points is also fourth after Moe 1997 (172), Churchill 1985 (140) and Drouin 2014 (134).
The Lions did not win a game for two years from 1996 to 1997. Morwell won four consecutive wooden spoons from 2000-03.
Morwell 7.6 (48) to Warragul 5.9 (39)
MORWELL finished its season on a high with a nine-point win over Warragul.
The Tigers prevailed at home 7.6 (48) to 5.9 (39).
Warragul may have thought a 0.6 (6) to 1.0 (6) opening term would see it bust the game open once it converted, however, the Gulls didn’t kick a goal until the third quarter.
Morwell by contrast was exceptional into the wind and even better with it, kicking five goals in the second quarter to take a 25-point lead into the sheds.
Given the blustery conditions, it was very much a more-than-handy lead.
Quigley was again best-on for the winners, while ace recruit Hugh Dunbar kicked three goals.
Others to play well were Cohen Campbell, Isaac Abas, Blake Couling and Goy Jiath.
The win gave departing club favourite Dan Musil plenty of smiles to go out.
Musil has been a key player for the Tigers, filling a number of big man roles across more than 150 games.
Very much a learned individual, he has well and truly disproved the ‘dumb footballers’ stereotype.
He has written university papers on climate change, and has proudly waved the Greens flag playing alongside teammates who work in coal-fired power stations. He even rides his bike to training and games.
By all accounts, he literally rolled in off the street one night in 2015 and just started training.
Ayres made a big call last Thursday night, leaving former senior captain Brad Hefford out of the side. Hefford was back by Saturday, although his omission might have been a classic old-school move by the veteran coach (very much in the mould of his Geelong predecessor, Malcolm Blight) to show that there are no sacred cows.
Rhys Galvin, Riley Sinini, Sam Grummish, Liam Serong, Caleb McIntosh and Patrick Mulqeen all got votes for the visitors.
Traralgon 9.9 (63) def Wonthaggi 8.13 (61)
LET’S get the hell out of here.
Traralgon channelled its inner Joliet Jake of The Blues Brothers after beating Wonthaggi by two points in South Gippsland.
The Maroons showed trademark character to overcome a 23-point three quarter time deficit to win 9.9 (63) to 8.13 (61).
Traralgon trailed at every change, but slammed on five goals to one in the last to win a somewhat confusing game given the Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve surface has been more sandpit than sandbelt green the last momth.
Liam Willaton kicked three goals for the winners, and was supported by Joel Scholtes, Luis D’Angelo, Mitch Mustoe, Frazar Brouns and Cooper Anderson.
Kyle Reid, Aiden Lindsay, Brodie Mabilia, Jai Williams, Shannon Bray and Josh Bates were best for the Power.
Moe 27.23 (185) def Sale 2.4 (16)
MOE won by 169 points against Sale.
The Lions could ill-afford to rest players, given it has a week off this for finishing on top of the ladder.
As such, the game turned into the mismatch most people saw coming for first versus last.
Riley D’Arcy kicked 13 goals up to three quarter time, and finished with 15, while Harry Pepper slotted four at a windy Ted Summerton Reserve going straight across the ground from the west.
Nathan Scagliarni was also productive, as was Max Woodall, Nick Prowse and Myles Poholke.
Sale had a bus ready to go after the game, and that was arguably where most attention was headed.
Kaden McKulloch, Thomas Glenn, Dean Feltis, Mitch Thacker, Cooper Rand and Finn Wilson battled hard for the Magpies.
Make of this what you will: Moe – 32 player points. Sale – 30.
IN other games, Bairnsdale held off Maffra by seven points in East Gippsland.
The Redlegs won a high-scoring match 15.18 (108) to 15.11 (101).
Leongatha easily accounted for Drouin 24.11 (155) to 10.13 (73) at Drouin.
The Hawks are set to host its first final in living memory this Sunday, following the redevelopment of its ground.
