Upsets could influence finals
There were upsets and some other results that may point to interesting battles for finals places over the rest of the season in the four district leagues at the weekend.
The Ellinbank and District league that featured a clash between the top two, Longwarry and Ellinbank, had close finishes in all five games.
The top of the table clash at Ellinbank was won by the home side by 13 points, 12-15 to 12-2, but the win was not enough to grab top spot. Although the two teams are now level premiership points the Crows stay on top with a 15-percentage point advantage.
The winning margin by Ellinbank was the equal largest in the EDFL round.
The other 13-point winner was Lang Lang that posted its first win of the season.
Catani kept in the race for finals with an 11point defeat of a brave Nilma-Darnum and Nyora got the points by the same margin in the neighbourhood clash against Poowong.
The win lifted Nyora to a clear fourth on the ladder while Poowong retains third spot.
The closest result was Buln Buln’s eightpoint win against Neerim Neerim South.
The tight battle in Gippsland League got even tighter.
Keys to that from Saturday’s round were Drouin’s strong win over Maffra and Moe downing reigning premier Leongatha.
Leongatha that has had a horror run with injuries is just holding onto fifth place on the ladder on 16 points.
Its losses haven’t been by big margins, but nor have its wins.
Usually a high scoring side the Parrots’ largest goal tally in a game for the year has been 13, and that was in a defeat.
Drouin, one of three teams sitting from 2nd to 4th on five wins, may be a bit better than many thought a month or so ago.
The Hawks took full control from about midway through the third quarter to score impressively against Maffra whose recent form had been ominous for other clubs.
Traralgon has jumped from last to the brink of the “five”, on Saturday proving much too good for Morwell in a low-scoring game in good conditions at Traralgon. Bairnsdale joined Leongatha on four wins, but only just.
At home where they are always a tougher proposition the Redlegs kicked the last two goals to sneak past Warragul by two points.
Top of the ladder Sale scored easily against Wonthaggi that doesn’t seem to travel well.
In West Gippsland the highly anticipated match-up between top sides Phillip Island and Cora Lynn left none of the big holiday weekend crowd at Cowes disappointed and ended in a draw.
The result left Cora Lynn still a game clear at the top of the ladder.
Cora Lynn’s Nathan Gardiner kept his side in the game with seven of his side’s 12 goals that managed a 12-3 to 11-9 tied result.
Koo wee rup got a bit of breathing space in the “five” accounting for Tooradin-Dalmore, that is also in the top group, by 33 points.
Bunyip’s expected win against Dalyston has it on 20 points, one of three sides on that number of wins battling for 5th place at this stage.
The others are Nar Nar Goon and InverlochKongwak that clashed on Saturday with Nar Nar Goon a solid 12-14 to 8-7 winner.
Warragul Industrials’ long wait for a win in its new league eventually ended with a comprehensive 17-7 to 8-6 defeat of Kilcunda-Bass on its home ground at Western Park.
Garfield also joined the weekend’s victors with a strong second half to overcome Korumburra-Bena by 40 points.
Mid Gippsland league’s top of the table clash saw Yallourn Yallourn North grab early premiership favouritism.
On its home ground Yallourn proved much the better of Mirboo North, 12-12 to 7-5.
The other important result was Morwell East getting over Yinnar by a goal.
Yinnar still holds 5th place by one game, Trafalgar its only real threat for a place in the “five” after an expected easy win over Newborough.
Hill End, fourth in two games clear in the “five” left nothing to chance and boosted its percentage when it accounted for Boolarra 186 to 4-1.