By Nicholas Duck
We've officially reached the halfway mark of the season as a top five tussle went the distance while another game took some truly wild turns.
Here's what you might have missed this week.
Traralgon vs Wonthaggi
Wonthaggi has once again firmed as a genuine contender after taking down fellow top five team Traralgon for a statement win.
The potential finals preview saw the Power overcome plenty of goalkicking yips to break away late, heading home with the four points in hand 14.12 (96) to 12.3 (75).
Wonthaggi's issues in front of the sticks threatened to derail their efforts in the first half where they trailed despite creating more opportunities for themselves.
In the second half the weight of numbers finally began to take its toll, until the Power were able to push ahead courtesy of a late avalanche of goals where they kicked four of the last five goals.
The result backs up Wonthaggi's stunning win over Leongatha last week and firmly nestles them inside the top three as a real threat.
Cooper McInnes was the best of their forward with three goals as Aiden Lindsay, Jai Williams, Jayden Burns, Shannon Bray, Bryce Joyce and Isaac Chugg were all brilliant. There's work to be done for the Maroons, who were flattered a tad by the final score.
They're in the five but are yet to beat anyone else in the same position and may be in danger of earning the dreaded 'flat track bully' tag if they don't rectify that in the second half of the season.
Tye Hourigan, Tom Hamilton, Liam Willaton, Matthew Northe, Mitch Membrey and Cooper Anderson kept them in the fight against Wonthaggi.
Maffra vs Bairnsdale
A game defined by violent momentum swings ended up going Maffra's way as the Eagles finished strongly to sneak past Bairnsdale and keep touch with the top five.
Leading by 24 points at half time the Eagles were stunned by a seven-goal-to-one barrage from the visitors, who took a 16-point advantage heading into the last.
The home side were able to steady late, however, kicking seven goals to four and holding on for a nervy 14.18 (102) to 14.11 (95) victory.
The win puts them within four points – and a hefty amount of percentage – of fifth-placed Traralgon.
This was one of those games you just struggled to predict all day. Maffra seemed to be doing it easy even if they weren't fully accurate, having generated 16 scoring shots to seven by half time.
Few would have seen the Redlegs onslaught in the third term coming, and it was hard to see Maffra coming back from it until they came home strong to start the last.
Two late Bairnsdale goals, the last a brilliant soccer from Brayden McCarrey, gave the game some late tension before the siren sealed the four points for Maffra.
The Eagles' top performers were Jack McQuillen, Jett Killoran, Henry Anderson, Seth Smith, Zachary O'Keefe and John Butcher.
Keeping the Redlegs rolling, especially in the third, were Oscar Morrison, Cooper Vickery, Ethan East, Jobe Froud, Tyran Rees and Max Neate.
Sale vs Moe
The clash between the league's top and bottom sides went about as expected with Moe thrashing Sale to the tune of 143 points.
The Lions certainly didn't have their foot on the pedal for the whole day but were still far too strong across the four quarters in a clinical win 26.18 (174) to 5.1 (31).
Myles Poholke again flexed his muscles up forward to boot another bag of nine goals. It's the third time in five weeks the former Adelaide Crow has kicked nine and brings his season tally to 47 – the most in the Gippsland League.
Fellow forward Riley D'Arcy wasn't far behind with seven.
The Magpies were able to surprise the all-conquering Lions early to keep things relatively even at two goals each. Even at quarter time the margin was just 16 points.
From there the gap in talent on the park won out, Moe piling on the pain with the next 18 goals.
Outside of Poholke and D'Arcy their best included Chris Prowse, James Harmes, Nathan Scagliarini and Harrison Pepper.
Fighting all day for Sale were Ashton Wright, Cooper Whitehill, Darcy Van der Voort, Kai McDonald, Thomas Glenn and Josh Butcher.
Warragul vs Morwell
A Sean Masterson masterclass helped lift Warragul back onto the winner's list with a comprehensive 83-point victory against Morwell at Western Park on Saturday.
The Gulls defender was on song all day, helping to create an impenetrable wall down back in the absence of the injured Lucas Carter that left the Tigers toothless any time they went inside 50.
Warragul were the side taking full toll on the scoreboard instead, kicking 11 of the game's first 12 goals en route to a comfortable 21.8 (134) to 7.9 (51) win as they bounced back from last week's loss to Moe in style.
In general play Warragul were able to exploit the visitors' lack of height and use the ball cleanly on the rebound, cutting through and giving their own forwards plenty of good looks.
The win also gives the Gulls a little taste of revenge for their heartbreaking elimination final defeat to the Tigers last season.
Masterson's intercepting was a real highlight for the home side as he imposed himself on almost every marking contest down back, either getting a fist in or just taking the mark cleanly himself.
Even after the Tigers sent Josh Galea to try and shut him down in the second half it didn't help much – if the Tigers didn't go around Masterson they didn't look like scoring.
Also leading the way for Warragul was young midfielder Riley Senini, who has continued his meteoric trajectory on-ball.
Fellow youngster Xavier Olsson provided a sure hand and a steady delivery down back while second-gamers Cooper Leighton and Henry Allsop both showed plenty.
Allsop especially impressed as a key forward, the under 18s star showing great football nous and solid bodywork to finish with four goals.
Caleb McIntosh rounded out the best, impressing on his return from injury on the wing.
On a tough day at the office Morwell were best served by experienced pair Aidan Quigley and Hugh Dunbar.
Playing largely through the middle, Quigley and Dunbar battled manfully even as their efforts often went without reward on the scoreboard.
Zachary Anderson was largely the same while Zac Cheffers and Cody Chapman competed well at half back and Samuel Gissara had some nice moments.
Playing in a swirling breeze the early general play had the Gulls well on top without quite connecting inside 50.
Riley Senini got the scoring underway seven minutes in, marking a wayward kick out of defence and making his opponent pay.
The Morwell fans made their presence known, with one group of young supporters channelling the World Cup atmosphere by using air horns and party blowers to try and put the Warragul defenders off.
Not that it worked, of course, as Heath Jinks, Tom Hobbs and Allsop all fired through majors to give the Gulls the jump before a late mark and goal to Dunbar gave the visitors some late joy.
Hobbs' goal was an especially impressive effort from the Warragul side, who applied so much tackling pressure they turned a seemingly guaranteed Morwell kick inside 50 into Hobbs waltzing into an open goal up the other end.
The Gulls marched on in the second, slamming home goal after goal while Morwell just couldn't find a way to score.
At one stage they went truly berserk, booting three goals in the space of a couple of minutes thanks to some industrious work in the centre.
The margin had grown to an even 60 points before Morwell finally got something going, kicking the final two goals of the half to give themselves the faintest hope.
A free kick to McIntosh not long into the third brought the Tigers' run to an end and though they managed some majors thanks to Quigley and a brilliant set shot from Tarkyn Shankland, Warragul had a response ready every time.
Vinnia Caia set sail with a long-range bomb late in the term to ensure the Gulls went into the final break 55 points up.
The fourth quarter played out largely as expected – it was party time for Warragul and they cashed in, earning themselves a healthy percentage boost as Jed Lamb finished with a five-goal haul for the day.
Speaking post-game, Warragul coach Gary Ayres said he was most pleased by "the rebound from last week's loss and the way we defended."
"Some boys who probably didn't play as well last week responded today, just the way we went about it in tricky conditions was pleasing.
"Sean Masterson I thought was terrific today, just his ability to read the ball in the air, his intercept marking and his ability to put us in transition was very good."
Warragul will next head down the road to face their rivals Drouin in this Sunday's Western Derby.
Leongatha vs Drouin
Parrot Park was yet again a sea of carnage for Drouin on Saturday as they suffered a monster 118-point loss to Leongatha.
The Parrots' home ground has never been a source of much joy for the Hawks and so it proved again with the home side in no mood to mess about, slamming home seven first quarter goals and never looking back.
Drouin failed to kick a goal past half time in the 4.6 (30) to 22.16 (148) defeat - their fourth by triple digits as the young Hawks were well outclassed by the reigning premiers.
The result sees Leongatha put an indifferent two weeks behind them following a draw against Warragul and a loss to Wonthaggi.
In particular the visitors struggled to contain Leongatha forward Jenson Garnham, who booted the first three goals of the day on his way to a masterful eight-goal performance. Try as they might the Hawks had no answers for the Parrots' bigger bodies around the ball and their skill when they used it.
When they did get the ball Drouin did themselves no favours, turning it over on numerous occasions by hand and foot.
At times it was under genuine pressure but often the perceived pressure seemed to get to the visitors with the intimidation factor of the Parrots seemingly taking its toll.
While Garnham was the headline act the Parrots were equally well served by veteran Aaron Heppell, who was at his damaging best with the footy, putting it on a platter for his teammates time and time again.
Fellow veteran Tom Marriott bullocked his way through the contest as he has so many times as ruck recruit Jack Sheridan racked up the hit outs.
Patrick Ireland provided some important connection inside 50 and kicked two himself while Jack Hume was also excellent.
Standing up for the Hawks was Tyler Canute, who was given the role on Heppell after the superstar's blistering start. Canute managed to keep him honest, putting in a host of first-rate defensive second and third efforts.
Lane Ward and Brodie Atkins battled hard in a meeting of youth versus experience in the midfield while ruck Riley Wierzbicki did some nice things around the ground even as he lost the hit out battle.
Caleb Kleeven and Tommy Trist were cleaner than most of their teammates with the footy especially when the rain came down in the second half.
The tone was set for the day early when a rushed kick inside 50 landed down Garnham's throat in the pocket, the Parrot making no mistake as he swung around for the first.
Garnham must have felt like a kid on Christmas with the service he was getting as he backed that up by booting the next two, the first a bomb from downtown and the second a gift over the top into an open goal.
Tommy Trist responded with Drouin's first on the run not long after, but Heppell went back-to-back to put the home side firmly in control.
Leongatha are a team well used to putting lower ranked sides to the sword and that's just what they did from there, quickly moving past a Seb Amoroso set shot goal to put through the next six until Amoroso again broke their run.
Garnham ended the first half on six goals, threatening to have an all-timer day if the Hawks let him.
He would get two more during a six-goals-to-none third quarter but that would be the end of it as scoring dried up in the last, the Parrots losing their way in front of goal with 2.8.
Drouin coach Jordan Kingi said "we were pretty poor, to be honest."
"We had opportunities to put more on the board but we were butchers for the day. We just butchered it every time," he said.
Kingi said Leongatha were the kind of side the Hawks want to emulate and that his young charges would take a lot out of the game despite the result.
"We played against what we want to be in three to five years time and we got a good lesson in what that looks like."
Drouin are back at home this Sunday to face Warragul in the Western Derby.
Photo: Wazshots
