‘Five’ opens up
Bairnsdale is back in the “five”, Wonthaggi Power is on the rise and Sale looks to be “gone”.
They were the main messages from an intriguing Gippsland league round last Saturday.
Leongatha, Traralgon and Maffra look headed to finishing the home and away season in the top three places but the last two spots in the “five” could go right down to the wire.
Bairnsdale returned to the top group displacing the side it conquered on Saturday, Moe.
At home the Redlegs, even without key player James Gibbs, had Moe’s measure from the start scoring comfortably, 137 to 7-2, Link Robinson filling the Gibbs’ void with a bag of six goals.
The biggest winner, however, was Wonthaggi Power that has resurrected its season after winning only one of its first six games.
Maffra’s four straight goals had it seven points ahead of Power at half time but the second half was all Wonthaggi.
It restricted the usually high scoring Eagles to 13 to post a highly important 7-12 to 5-3 win.
Traralgon jumped to second place on percentage at Maffra’s expense.
Traralgon was able to hold out Warragul at Warragul but the Gulls cling to their spot in the “five”.
Final scores were 11-8 to 6-11, Warragul ruing a slow start.
Drouin had its best win of the year.
It was far too good for a disappointing Sale scoring by 51 points.
The win lifted Drouin from the bottom of the table to 8th while Sale with just two wins dropped to 9th.
Morwell is back at the foot of the ladder.
The Tigers’ breakthrough win a week earlier was a distant memory after it was crushed by the rampaging and undefeated Leongatha.
No side has even mounted a reasonable challenge to the Parrots that have a whopping percentage of 356.
On Saturday it was no contest, Leongatha ahead 12-7 to 0-2 by half time and kicking 25-18 to 3-6 by the final siren.
Leongatha forwards Chris Dunne and Aaron Hillberg enjoyed another feast, seven goals each.
Three of the five games next weekend could be telling come the end of the homeand-away rounds.
Heading the bill will be Bairnsdale, in the “five” on 16 points, and improving Wonthaggi just outside on 12.
Warragul, fighting to hold its place in the “five”, will head to Maffra where it has not won since the “old days” of the Gippsland Latrobe league in 1997. The Gulls aren’t without a chance, its defence a major key to their hopes.
Moe also needs to win at home against Sale to post its fourth win and reignite its claim for a pot in the “five”.
Drouin will be at long odds at home to Leongatha but if there’s some heavy rain during the week or on Saturday things may even up a bit.
Morwell, although at home, doesn’t look to be able to upset Traralgon in the now traditional Queen’s Birthday Monday clash.
Matches at grounds of first named clubs are:Saturday - Maffra v. Warragul. Drouin v. Leongatha. Bairnsdale v. Wonthaggi. Moe v. Sale.
Monday - Morwell v. Traralgon.