Struggle for top ‘five’ as positions tighten
Sale and Maffra gained some clear space at the head of the Gippsland League ladder with important wins on Saturday. Sale’s was particularly valuable to it. The hard-earned victory at Leongatha against the premiers for the past two years maintained the Magpies’ clear lead on the table with six wins from seven rounds.
Brad Dessent kicked five goals to head the scoring in Sale’s 14-10 to 13-5 result with Jack Ginnane getting five for the losers.
Sale jumped Leongatha to establish a 32point lead at quarter time but by the halfway mark that had been pared back to just three points.
It was only four points between the sides at three-quarter time with the Magpies five goals to four in the last term as the game opened up steadying the ship.
Maffra got on top of Moe after a tight first quarter winning each term for the remainder of the game to score 11-9 to 6-6.
The Eagles are now a clear second, one game adrift of Sale and one game ahead of Moe, Leongatha and Drouin that round out the “five”.
Saturday defeat was Moe’s third on end after a highly promising start to the season.
Drouin won back a place in the top group with a hard-fought 18-point win at Morwell and courtesy of Bairnsdale’s failure to get across the line after the long trip to Wonthaggi.
In a match in which the sides managed only nine goals between them to three-quarter time when Wonthaggi led by eight points the final term produced seven goals, five of them by Power that took the points 10-12 to 6-10.
Traralgon jumped from 10th to 7th when it proved far too good 15-11 to 6-4 against Warragul.
If there’s one thing the season has proven so far it is that the gap between the top group of teams and those in the bottom half of the ladder is nowhere great as it has been in recent years.
Any side is capable of causing an upset – Morwell downing Maffra and Warragul toppling Leongatha a couple of good examples already.
There could be more in round eight next Saturday. Games are grounds of first named clubs are:Drouin v. Maffra. Bairnsdale v. Warragul. Traralgon v. Morwell. Sale v. Wonthaggi. Moe v. Leongatha.