Autumnal weather helps teams cash in

Keith Anderson

There were some big scores and sharp-shooting for goal and some thrilling finishes in ideal football conditions in the region’s four leagues at the weekend. After two rounds of the Ellinbank and District League Neerim Neerim South, Warragul Industrials and Ellinbank are the only sides with a pair of wins. Ellinbank celebrated the official opening of its new changerooms with a big win over NilmaDarnum adding eight goals in the last quarter to romp home 23-6 to 7-9. Matt Barrand got a bag of eight goals for the winners. Longwarry and Poowong had a close game for a half until the speed of Longwarry’s young players took it to a 23-24 to 13-6 victory. Neerim Neerim South had 17 goals on the board by half time on its way to a big 29-6 to 6-5 win against Catani, Tyssen Morrow (seven goals) and Chris Urie (five) doing the bulk of the damage. At Western Park, Warragul Industrials dominated the second half to take the points 13-10 to 6-3 over Lang Lang and Buln Buln, only 13 points up at threequarter time, ran home strongly at Nyora to kick 17-12 to 9-7. In the West Gippsland competition Bunyip’s trip to the seaside at Inverloch was no holiday. The Bulldogs couldn’t manage a goal, just five behinds, against an Inverloch-Kongwak side that kicked 22-18 to stamp itself, even early in the year, as “the team to beat” for the flag. The day was only marginally better for Garfield than Bunyip. The Stars had few answers to Cora Lynn that had a commanding 22-8 to 8-7 victory. Dalyston was also an easy winner, by 72 points over Korumburra-Bena, while it was left to neighbours Kilcunda-Bass and Phillip Island to fight out the round’s “thriller” at Bass, the home side scraping in 8-13 to 8-8. Journeyman Jason Wells kicked five goals and ex-Collingwood player Brent Macaffer was a key influence for Killy-Bass. In a Saturday night game Koo wee rup kicked four last quarter goals while keeping Nar Nar Goon scoreless to claim a come from behind two-goal win. Three games completed round two of Gippsland League. Traralgon had to pull out all stops in the second half to edge out a much-improved Moe 15-16 to 12-15 while, at Bairnsdale, Maffra held sway all game to win 18-17 to 8-6. Drouin was missing in action for a half at Sale. But the Hawks showed plenty to outscore the Magpies in each of the last two quarters but still came up short by 55 points. There were some interesting results, some great individual performances and two thrilling finishes in the Mid Gippsland league round. Thorpdale mightn’t have a pub after the recent fire but it has got a footy team that’s lifting the town’s spirits, even if it is a strain on its supporters’ nerves. It was close all day on Sunday when Thorpdale hung on for a four-point win – 9-6 to 8-8 against Trafalgar – its third narrow win in three rounds to share top spot on the ladder. The four-point win over Trafalgar followed wins by two points over Newborough and five points over Mirboo North, all three opponents perennial finalists and premiership contenders. Hill End also had to dig deep in the final quarter to hold out Yarragon that cut a 19-point deficit to just five at the siren, six goals from Hill End’s Mike Santo a key to the 12-6 to 10-13 win. There were plenty of exGippsland League team mates and foes on the ground for the Yinnar-Yallourn Yallourn North game. Each side is coached by a former Gippsland best and fairest medal winner with Saturday’s prize going to the Mike Geary (ex-Traralgon) led Yinnar over Adam Bailey’s (ex-Morwell) YYN 18-13 to 10-8. Jesse Giardina kicked 10 goals as Mirboo North stormed home 20-7 to 11-7 against Boolarra and Newborough 11-7 saw off Morwell East 7-11.