Gulls miss out against Eagles
There's a famous quote from author H. Jackson Brown Jr that says "nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity."
If that's true, then Warragul were left tallying up a significant cost over the weekend as they couldn't take their chances in a loss to the previously winless Maffra.
There have been plenty of questions around the Gulls and their forward half setup in the wake of a season-ending ACL injury to playing coach Jed Lamb last week.
And while Warragul were strong enough around the ground to give themselves enough opportunities at goal to steal a victory, they just couldn't quite take enough of them, going down 6.11 (47) to 8.14 (62).
Lamb's injury has been the latest in a series of desperately unlucky breaks for Warragul.
Mitch Smart, Tom Hobbs, Vinnie Caia and Will Cole are just some of the players out for lengthy stints on the sidelines.
Their depth has been seriously tested, and while the effort of the players still on the field couldn't be questioned, the class and talent of those off it was seriously missed.
Connection into the forward line was the main issue that faced the Gulls, particularly in the second half.
It was a scrappy, at times brutal contest, as both sides threw themselves at the footy knowing there was a win up for grabs.
Clean entries inside 50 were a rarity, and good unpressured shots even moreso.
But at the end of the day the Eagles were simply able to maximise their chances well enough for long enough
The Gulls began the day in a positive enough fashion. Their defence was holding up, and two first quarter goals to small forward Corbin Sutherland plus a single to Nick Mulqueen, their smaller forward line was getting the job done.
Sam Fennell added another to begin the second, and things were looking good.
Warragul youngster Liam Serong was providing a solid target around the ground, as the aforementioned Mulqueen teamed up with Liam Sumner to give them grunt around the ball.
However, that's where the problems began.
The Maffra defence clicked into gear, and suddenly the Gulls' inside 50s weren't finding their marks. Star backman Sean Masterson was swung forward, and though he began to provide a marking target, it left the team without their general in defence.
Eagle Tom Thatcher looked Maffra's most likely up forward as he kicked two in the first half and one in the second.
Thatcher benefitted from the presence of experienced forwards Daniel Bedggood and John Butcher, who both gave Maffra go-to targets up forward the Gulls lacked.
It meant that despite not necessarily finding the ascendancy around the contest, the Eagles found it on the scoreboard, going into half time eight points up.
Like the Gulls, the Eagles have plenty of inexperienced players finding their feet, and their old heads were leading the way for them.
Recruit Brayden Monk was using it well, as was defender Ben Brunt.
They found the first goal of the third, and the challenge was laid out in front of Warragul.
Masterson took a strong mark at the top of the goal square only to have his set shot touched by the man on the mark. Sutherland intercepted a poor kick across the backline but couldn't convert. Sumner then found space for a mark 30m out in front but he missed too.
The frustration among the Gulls fans was evident as they just couldn't quite find the goal they needed.
Kicks inside 50 were going over the heads of their intended targets or to Maffra's defenders, and the Eagles were able to punish with a late goal to have the margin at 21.
Coach Jed Lamb urged his players on at the final change, telling them "we're still in this, I'm telling you."
"I'm backing you boys in, and I'm going to back you in every week."
The fourth was a real dogfight to start with, before finally Bayley Paul broke through to snap a Gulls goal and give them a chance.
From there though the lack of connection inside 50 continued to plague Warragul, the Gulls unable to build any momentum, before a late goal to Monk sealed their fate.
It was a disappointing day for Warragul, who would have looked at this as a very winnable match-up, regardless of their injuries.
Like their loss to Traralgon last week, the positive would be the sheer amount of chances they created. Should they begin to properly take them, then suddenly playing Warragul will be a challenging prospect.
They're still just two points behind fifth on the ladder, making the loss not a totally damaging one.
But, once again, it was an opportunity lost.