Maroons wreak their revenge on Gulls
The last time Warragul met Traralgon, back in round five earlier this year, the Gulls put in a spectacular effort to pull off one of this year's best wins by any side.
Warragul's pressure was at an all-time high for intensity that day, as they utilised the wintry conditions to never allow the Maroons to be comfortable and to force them into mistakes they may not have otherwise made. It empowered them to claim a famous victory for the club.
So given all that, there was plenty of reason for the Gulls to go into their rematch on the weekend full of hope that they may be able to replicate their earlier efforts.
Unfortunately, this was not the case. This time, Traralgon made no mistake as they showed why they're one of the sides well and truly in the premiership mix, demolishing the Gulls 17.19 (121) to 6.4 (40).
Maroons star forward Brett Eddy was the standout, constantly terrorising the under-fire Warragul defence as he booted six, while Dylan Loprese and wingman Matthew Northe both chipped in with four of their own. Northe has clearly enjoyed playing the Gulls this year, as seven of his 13 goals have come against them.
Tom Schneider put in a body of work in the middle, where the home side took a strong advantage in the contested ball and clearance numbers.
With the top five being as tight as it is as finals approach, it was clear from the first bounce that Traralgon were determined not to let this match slip through their fingers as the last had. Despite the solid rucking efforts of Warragul duo Mitchell Smart and Sam Whibley, the Maroons took a brutal approach in the first quarter, bulldozing their way through the midfield and using their plethora of marking targets to punish the Warragul defence.
By quarter time, the Maroons had kicked 6.8 to just the one goal to the Gulls, leaving the result essentially settled by the first break.
Sean Masterson, who has successfully been a bit of a swingman in recent weeks for Warragul, found himself situated in the backline for much of the match in an effort to stem the tide. He ended up being one of his side's best players, helping to repel numerous attacks and assist his teammates who found themselves under siege.
Outside of Masterson, the Gulls struggled to find too many winners across the field, but they would certainly be enthused by the performance of Jasper Alger. The youngster played a sure hand through the middle, showing some of his classy disposal in a tough match for his team.
Jed Lamb also put his best foot forward, kicking four goals to be the only multiple goalkicker for the visitors. Lamb is the red hot favourite to take home the league's goalkicking award, having kicked 55 goals in just 14 games. He has proved a shrewd acquisition for a team screaming out for a forward line target, though if the Gulls are to improve in years to come they will have to work on spreading the load.
Past quarter time, the defensive efforts from Warragul showed some improvement. But given the game had essentially already been lost, that fact was only a consolation prize as the Maroons still charged their way to a big win.
Traralgon, now boasting the second best percentage in the league, will be keen to continue their form as they look to seal a spot in the top three and a double chance come finals. Their match-up next week against the second-placed Wonthaggi looms as a potential blockbuster that could decide both teams' fortunes.
For Warragul, the backend of the season will provide a few more opportunities to play for some pride.
It's been a tough year at times, with some glory sprinkled in, but the club would certainly be keen to minimise the thumping defeats in the run home. Three of Warragul's past four games, outside of their Western Derby win over Drouin, have been losses by 60 points or more.
Given their game next week is against the seemingly indomitable Leongatha, they'll want to show that improvement quickly.