Drouin versus Moe in knock-out final
SENIORS
Drouin that will play its first final since 2016 and Moe, fronting up for its third year in a row in Gippsland League finals, will face off next Sunday in the elimination final.
With both sides having to compensate for injuries it could be a case of last man standing in the “no second chances” clash.
The finals will kick off on Saturday at Morwell when Leongatha (2nd) and Sale (3rd) fight out the qualifying final for a spot in the second semi-final against top of the ladder Maffra.
Last Saturday’s final round saw no change to the positions of the top five.
A Sale side that time in Saturday’s appears to have lost a game against Wonthaggi bit of its spark over the with a likely broken past three weeks jaw. scraped home by one The injury list and point against Morwell other absences have to retain third place been major contributors and avoid the do-ordie to Drouin’s fadeout elimination final. over the past eight
But the Magpies rounds in which it has have a big hurdle to managed just one win. jump in the rampaging Its opponent on Leongatha next Saturday. Sunday also has its injury problems.
Unlike some of the Tom Long has others still in the race missed the past couple the Parrots have been of weeks, star rover regaining injured players James Blaser was sidelined over recent weeks last Saturday as and have close to their was SANFL/WAFL optimum line-up. recruit Tristan Gum
Their last lost was to (hamstring) and ruckman Maffra, at Maffra, in Dylan Farrell is round 10. struggling with a lingering
In Sundays’ elimination injury. final Drouin will Former AFL star have to compensate Bernie Vince did not for another unwelcome play at the weekend injury. and his availability
Joe Collins, the may depend on media Hawks’ best defender commitments. this year, was off the Maffra will watch ground before half from the sidelines as it awaits is second semifinal on Saturday week to be played at Maffra as a “prize” for the senior team ending the home and away season on top of the ladder.
Ex-AFL Port Adelaide player John Butcher returned again for Maffra’s match against Traralgon on Saturday.
He didn’t set the world on fire - and hasn’t in any of his limited number of games this year - and it will be interesting to see if he spends the next few weeks training at Maffra as it builds its campaign for the flag.
Wonthaggi’s win at Drouin, its third in a row and fourth from five games to finish the season, lifted it to 6th on the ladder just one game out of the finals.