Last spots mysteries
by Keith Anderson The last spots in the Gippsland League, Ellinbank and district and West Gippsland final “fives” remain mysteries after Saturday’s rounds.
But in Mid Gippsland, where the likely finalists have been apparent for some weeks, the “five” was finally settled.
With two home and away rounds to go in Mid Gippsland the premiers will be one of Yallourn Yallourn North, Mirboo North. Morwell East, Hill End or Yinnar.
Trafalgar’s remote chance was extinguished when it lost at home – not without a spirited fight – to Yinnar by 16 points, 11-6 to 8-8.
The young Newborough team made it successive wins when it accounted for Boolarra by 22 points to give it some momentum as it plans for 2020.
On a day when all home sides in MGFL were defeated unbeaten Yallourn Yallourn North provided further evidence of its premiership credentials and proved Morwell East still has a lot to do if it is to challenge for the flag with a comfortable 17-12 to 10-7 win at Morwell East.
In the other game Yinnar, as expected, was much too good for Thorpdale.
Hill End, one of the sides locked in a battle for a double chance, had the bye.
In Gippsland League none of the teams fighting for fifth spot, currently held by a wounded and struggling Drouin, were able to further their chances.
The top four teams all won their games. The only other winner was Wonthaggi, that was at the foot of the ladder before the weekend, when it downed Traralgon that should have been buoyed by its upset of Sale last week.
Drouin took a battering from Sale that came back strongly from two successive defeats to romp in by 97 points, by far the biggest margin in Saturday’s games where all wins were comfortable.
Bairnsdale, closest challenger to Drouin, still trails by two wins as a result of its 43-point loss to Moe.
Top side Maffra ran over the top of Warragul in something of another up and down performance. For a second week Morwell came up short against a leading side after being well in contention at three-quarter time.
This week it was against Leongatha that kicked five goals to one in the final term to win by 32 points.
The “big” result in the Ellinbank and district league was at Neerim South where the home side toppled ladder leader Ellinbank by one point in a “thriller” where fortunes fluctuated with Neerim South kicking the only goal of the last quarter.
South’s win puts it in fifth place with a narrow eight percentage points lead over Buln Buln that had a tougher struggle than expected against Lang Lang with the gap just 16 points at the siren.
Nyora retained 4th place by two premiership points when it scored 16-10 to 6-11 and put the final nail in Catani’s slim finals hopes.
Poowong remained a game clear in the top “five” with an easy 21-15 to 3-2 defeat of Yarragon and 2nd placed Longwarry was also an easy winner accounting for Nilma-Darnum by 104 points.
West Gippsland’s Bunyip and Koo wee rup are set for a “mini-final” next Saturday.
Bunyip (5th) after coming from behind at half time to down Kilcunda-Bass by 47 points and Koo wee rup (6th), that went down to Tooradin-Dalmore, are separated by only two percentage points but their clash will be all about the four premiership points.
Ahead of them by one game is InverlochKongwak that upset 2nd placed Cora Lynn in a game that took a dramatic turn after quarter time. The Cobras charged away to a 27-point lead by the first change before Inverloch dominated with 17 goals to six for the rest of the match.
Phillip Island, Cora Lynn and TooradinDalmore will certainly finish in the important top three positions, the Islanders not having lost a game (they’ve had one drawn result).
On Saturday they added further pain to Warragul Industrials’ tough initial season in the league with a 167-point pummelling.
Tooradin-Dalmore always had an edge over Koo wee rup in a free-scoring game, 21-10 to 14-9.
Nar Nar Goon was never really threatened in its 11-13 to 7-8 win over Garfield and Dalyston was able to do some celebrating post-match when the siren sounded on a 7-5 to 3-7 result against Korumburra-Bena.