Neerim South in premiership form
There was also a one-point result in West Gippsland with Koo wee rup edging out Korumburra-Bena and two games decided by a goal or less in the EDFL.
Neerim Neerim South was a comfortable 1711 to 12-5 winner in the top of the table EDFL clash with Ellinbank.
Ellinbank remain second and have been joined on 24 points by the much-improved Catani that got the job done against Lang Lang.
Warragul Industrials sit a clear fourth on 20 points after kicking 10-16 to Buln Buln’s 2-6 but Buln hold onto fifth spot by one game.
Moving up to challenge Buln for a spot in the “five” is Longwarry that came from 13 points down at three-quarter time to edge out Nyora 11-7 to 10-9.
It was a welcome change of fortune for the Crows in a close finish having been unlucky to lose to Ellinbank a week earlier.
Nilma-Darnum got a second win for the season, sneaking in against Poowong 10-11 to 105 after scores were level at the last change.
The MGFL threw up the results that might prove costly to finals’ aspirants Morwell East and Mirboo North.
Both lost by single point margins in games where two individual goal kicking feats for Trafalgar and Yinnar just got their sides over the line.
Trafalgar’s Matthew Van Shajik kicked seven of his side’s goals as it edged out Morwell East 11-8 to 11-7 and Yinnar’s Liam Visser booted six goals in the 11-9 to 11-8 victory against Mirboo North.
Thorpdale and Newborough remain one-two on the ladder, Thorpdale on top by percentage, after comfortable wins.
Six goals to none in the first quarter set Thorpdale on its way to scoring 17-12 to 6-9 against Yarragon and Newborough won 16-14 to 7-3 over Boolarra.
In the other match Yallourn Yallourn North consolidated in third spot by defeating Hill End 14-16 to 9-3.
Warragul dropped from the Gippsland League “five” on percentage when it failed on its trip to Wonthaggi, going down by 28 points.
Powerhouses Traralgon and Maffra have had some titanic battles over the years but Saturday’s was one of the strangest.
Maffra was never in the hunt kicking only three goals by three-quarter time to trail by nine goals.
However, it was a total reversal in the last term – Maffra slamming on seven unanswered goals but still finishing eight points short.
Finals contenders Moe and Morwell had hard fought wins over Sale and Bairnsdale respectively while it was one-way traffic at Leongatha where Drouin copped a 200-plus point hiding.
West Gippsland’s ladder continues to be headed by Inverloch-Kongwak and Dalyston with Koo wee rup, thanks to its one-point win on Saturday, sitting third.
Phillip Island, Kilcunda-Bass and Cora Lynn are fighting out fourth and fifth places in the “five”, all on four wins.
Dalyston was pushed by Cora Lynn all the way to get home by 10 points, but the other results were clear cut – Kilcunda-Bass over Bunyip, Inverloch-Kongwak against Phillip Island and Nar Nar Goon over Garfield.