Traralgon ends Sale’s year

A Traralgon side that only sealed a spot in the finals in the last home and away round is now only one win from a grand final appearance.

The Maroons kicked four goals to two in the final quarter to edge out Sale by 10 points in cool and blustery conditions in Sunday’s first semifinal at Maffra.

Scores were 10-7 to 8-9.

Wins in finals are rarely due to individual performances but Sunday’s bucked that trend.

Traralgon’s Lee Stockdale was the difference between the sides.

He was good across the ground and the match-winner up forward.

The Maroons’ season remains alive thanks to Stockdale’s six goals out of his side’s 10 for the game.

It was a disappointing end to the season for Sale whose form during the home and away rounds indicated it was the most likely challenger to Maffra and Leongatha.

That included two strong wins over Traralgon.

But it has bowed out after a qualifying loss to Leongatha and the defeat by Traralgon.

The game was typically tough finals football that had a couple of twists.

The first quarter saw the teams really testing each other.

Traralgon kicked the only goal to lead 1-4 to four behinds at the break.

Sale certainly picked up this pace.

Five goals in the second quarter had it grab an eight-point lead, 5-6 to 4-4, at half time.

However, it could only manage another three goals for the rest of the match.

Traralgon kicked six, four of them in the tense final term.

The Maroons did a great job in limiting the effectiveness of Sale’s key play makers.

Mitchell Mustoe, Jackson McMahon, Connor Little, Darren White and Rohan Hildebrand were terrific in performing the tasks set them by coach Mark Collison.

While Stockdale dominated Traralgon’s scoring the goals by Hildebrand, Chance Doultree, Dylan Loprese and Chris Urie can’t be under estimated in their importance.

Other than the second quarter Sale had trouble hitting the scoreboard.

Jack Mapleson, two goals, and key forward Brad Dessent with three were among Sale’s better players.

The other goals came from Brad McKay, John Gooch and Jackson Glenane.

Mapleson, McKay, Jayden Allison, Zac Hurley, Brad Dessent and ruckman Jack Lipman were named the Magpies better players.

Leongatha’s Lachie Wright steers through one of his two goals that helped his side defeat Moe in the reserves first semi-final on Sunday and progress to the preliminary final.