Brutal second quarter results in Gulls loss
Warragul’s tough run in the Gippsland League has continued after another sizeable loss, this time to Sale.
A brutal second quarter saw the Gulls outscored nine goals to one, with the margin being too much to reel in as they fell 7.10 (52) to 16.18 (114).
Nick Graham continued his stellar year in the midfield, where he was supported by good performances from Brayden Fowler and Nicholas Mulqueen, while Brad Hefford also played well in his 100th game for the club.
Jed Lamb was again the standout up forward with three goals. While others were able to hit the scoreboard this week, it wasn’t enough to match the wealth of options Sale had whenever they went forward.
In fact, Sale finished the game with eight individual goalkickers, including five to Jack Johnstone, while the Gulls had just the four goalkickers.
The match started well enough for the Gulls, whose intensity around the ball was to the excellent level it was when they beat Traralgon two rounds ago.
This pressure allowed them to jump the Magpies, who looked a step too slow and a little too comfortable in a game they were clearly expecting to win.
The quarter time score had the Gulls two goals up and clearly up for the fight.
The second term, however, was where Sale clicked into gear as their tall targets began to take their contested marks in the sunny conditions.
Every time Sale went forward in the quarter, the Warragul defence was seemingly powerless to stop them. The Magpies put on a nine goal blitz to not only take the lead but absolutely stamp their authority on the game, going into half time 38 points up.
Jack McLaren put on an absolute clinic in the Sale engine room, as his ability to win the ball stood out for the entirety of the game.
Aside from McLaren, it was the usual names doing the damage for the home side, including Will Leslie and Shannon Lange.
Warragul, absolutely needing a response in the third quarter, did put in a much stronger showing to start the third term, as they showed some belief that they could work their way back into the match.
Three goals for the quarter wasn’t a bad return, but with Sale kicking three of their own the Gulls were unable to make inroads into the half time margin.
Trailing by 39 at the last change of ends, Warragul was ultimately overwhelmed as they struggled to move the ball forward, kicking just two behinds for the quarter while Sale put on 3.7. Some inaccuracy and desperate defending from star interceptor Sean Masterson were the only things that prevented the margin from blowing out by even more.
The inconsistencies that had plagued Sale’s game style in the early parts of the season now seem to be disappearing rapidly. The team has now won their past five games and sits four points clear in third place.
Warragul, meanwhile, have shown that when they apply the right attitude and attack their opponents with relentless pressure that they are able to match it with some of the better sides, but just haven’t been able to do it consistently enough.
This, combined with the relative lack of scoring options in their forward 50, has meant that while Warragul’s effort can’t be questioned, the results simply haven’t been going their way.
A home game next week against Maffra will present a significant opportunity, however, as the Gulls have won three of their last four home games against the Eagles, who are now faltering this year.
If they bring the heat and can muster enough potency inside 50, there’s no reason why they can’t make it four of the last five.
Warragul’s best players were Nick Graham, Brayden Fowler, Nicholas Mulqueen, Will Hatfield, Brad Hefford and Sean Masterson.
Jack McLaren, Will Leslie, Shannen Lange, Cooper Whitehill, Patrick Tainsh and Mitchell Thacker were named as Sale’s better performers.