Scramble on for top spots
Plenty is still up in the air in all four local leagues where the final “fives” are far from settled. The weekend threw up a few more possibilities. The tightest fight for places is in Mid Gippsland that has three rounds of home and away games to go. And there is still plenty of questions to be answered in the final four rounds in Ellinbank and District, Gippsland and West Gippsland leagues. In Mid Gippsland Yinnar, Thorpdale and Newborough, all now on 10 wins and holding second to fourth spots, are nowhere near certainties for finals. They are only one game clear of fifth and sixth placed Morwell East and Trafalgar with Mirboo North lurking a game further back. On Saturday Trafalgar slumped four places – 3rd to 6th – after a home ground hiding by Yallourn Yallourn North, the only certainty for finals after jumping three games clear at the head of the ladder. Morwell East’s as expected win against Yarragon keep it in the running. The big result was Thorpdale’s three-point win over Yinnar in an incredible game. Thorpdale kicked five goals to none in the first quarter but then went from 33 points up to nine behind by three-quarter time after scoring just one behind in the middle two terms. But it fought tenaciously to snatch the crucial win. Newborough was in control all game in downing Mirboo North 9-12 to 6-10, a result that might be the one that costs North a place in the finals. The last spot in the EDFL “five” is still a battle between Buln Buln and Longwarry, Buln sneaking a game ahead after its expected win over NilmaDarnum while Longwarry lost to Warragul Industrials. The important 2nd and 3rd positions and the double chances they bring in the finals is still a three-way contest between Catani (48 points) and Industrials and Ellinbank (each on 44). All games in the league were won by the teams in the “five”. Catani was far too good for Poowong, Ellinbank had few concerns at Nyora and Neerim Neerim South was also untroubled by Lang Lang. Gippsland League leaders Leongatha and Maffra are still locked together on 48 points, Maffra a bit lucky to squeeze out a two-point win – 9-8 to 8-12 – at Wonthaggi. Wonthaggi’s loss has it two premiership points adrift of 5th placed Morwell that fought hard against Leongatha. The Parrots got on top in the last term for a 10-14 to 6-7 win. Warragul, a game and a half behind Morwell, is still a statistical chance but its hopes got a setback with an 11-point loss to Sale on Saturday. Moe remained in the hunt for 3rd place when it produced a dominant second half to score easily against Bairnsdale. Traralgon, currently 3rd, also won comfortably against Drouin. There was jubilation in the Bunyip rooms after it hung on for its first West Gippsland league win. But it was all gloom in the rooms of its opponent Koo wee rup that is now out of the “five”. It was a game that neither team looked as if they wanted to win; Bunyip kicked only one behind in the last quarter but the Demons couldn’t find the big sticks either – just seven behinds – to fall short 5-15 to 6-13. Dalyston (50 points), InverlochKongwak (42) and Cora Lynn (40) are safely in the “five” but there’s still a bit to be done by Phillip Island and Kilcunda-Bass (each 32 points) to hold out Koo wee rup and Nar Nar Goon on 28 points.