Sale impress to defeat Moe
Sale have stamped themselves as a genuine contender this year after handing Moe their first loss of the season by 12 points.
In what was a brutal, bruising affair the Magpies pulled away late to show that their best is good enough in the 10.13 (73) to 8.13 (61) win.
For much of the first three quarters the match was a rollercoaster, as the lead changed hands constantly, as every time one team threatened to pull away the other would strike back almost immediately.
In the end the difference between their teams was the height factor, as Sale’s myriad of tall stars stretched the shorter Lions side, particularly in marking contests.
Neither team were willing to give an inch for the entire game, however, as there were many bone-rattling clashes between players competing for the ball.
Lions star goalkicker Harry Pepper was held goalless for the first time this year as the Magpies were led from the front by the Leslies, both Will and Jack, whose intercept marking was a feature of Sale’s game plan all day.
The scrappiness and class of Moe, led by human wrecking ball captain Jacob Wood, was more than enough to keep them in the contest for most of the day, but after Sale kicked the first two of the final term to put the margin at three goals it was a bridge too far.
The win sees Sale move to third on the table as they put in their most consistent performance for the year, while Moe’s lack of height will require coach Declan Keilty to make some adjustments going into next week.
Moe’s best were Declan Keilty, James Blaser, Trent Baldi, Brock Smith, Matthew Barrand and Jacob Wood, while Will Leslie, Mitchell Thacker, Jack Leslie, Nathan Whitford, Patrick Tainsh and Jayden Allison starred for Sale.
Traralgon welcomed back their home fans in style, narrowly beating Wonthaggi by four points in an absolute thriller.
Playing at their home ground for the first time this season after last year’s flood damage, the Maroons held off a fast-finishing Wonthaggi 9.11 (59) to 8.13 (65).
Luis D’Angelo, Brett Eddy and Dylan Loprese all kicked two each for the home side, while Tom Davey and Mitch Hayes both kicked two for visitors.
It was a much-needed win for the Maroons, who had lost their last two games, including a disappointing loss to Warragul last week.
Traralgon started well enough, utitilising their big targets effectively to build a two-goal lead at quarter time that then ballooned into a sixteen-point lead at the main break.
A late third quarter goal to the Power brought it back to 10 points at three quarter time and though they would get the margin to under a goal they just couldn’t quite get the lead as they fell to their second loss of the season.
The result sees Wonthaggi slip out of third place on the ladder down to fourth, while Traralgon keeps their coveted spot in the top five.
Traralgon’s best were Mark Collison, Tom Schneider, Mitch Membrey, Luis D’Angelo, Thomas McMahon and Hugh Dunbar.
Mitch Hayes, Jordan Staley, Lochlan Scott, Aiden Lindsay and Tom Davey all played well for Wonthaggi.
Maffra managed to hold off a plucky Morwell side to keep in touch with the top five as they won by 11 points.
The Eagles were made to work for the victory, winning 11.11 (77) to 9.12 (66).
Maffra built a nice lead in the first team, using their experienced bodies in the contest to win the ball forward more consistently than their comparatively younger opponents and go into quarter time 25 points up.
From that point on the Tigers slowly chipped away at the margin, using their leg speed to move the ball quickly and threatening at various times to even up the contest.
This never eventuated though, and although Morwell never looked quite like getting in front they certainly made Maffra nervous.
Brandon McDonald kicked four goals for the Tigers, while for the home side Daniel Bedggood and Alex Carr kicked three each.
It was a desperately required win for the Eagles, who had dropped their last two and were in serious danger of losing touch with the top five.
For Morwell the effort of their young side is to be lauded, and given a couple more years of development they will be a solid team, without some of the skill errors they are currently guilty of making.
Maffra’s top players were Alex Carr, Daniel Bedggood, Danny Butcher, Thomas Jolly, Kade Renooy and Hudson Holmes.
Morwell’s best were Brandon McDonald, Brandon Mcauliffe, Dan Musil, Zachary Carlson, Tyler Brown and Tyler Hillier.