By Nick Duck
A hometown hero's homecoming was one to remember while the race for fifth spot on the Gippsland League ladder is as open as ever.
Here's what you might have missed this week.
Leongatha vs Wonthaggi
Dyson Heppell's return to Parrot Park was one to celebrate on Saturday as the former Essendon skipper helped lift Leongatha to a big win over fellow contenders Wonthaggi.
The South Gippsland Showdown failed to live up to its billing, the Parrots proving far too strong past quarter time and putting the Power to the sword 17.10 (112) to 6.4 (40).
Heppell, playing for the first time at his old home ground in almost 20 years, made it a return to remember as he starred with 43 disposals alongside his brother Aaron (26 disposals) to put the Parrots a game clear in second.
Leongatha were able to overwhelm the visitors courtesy of a six-goal-to-one second term, which transformed a 13-point deficit at the first break to a 19-point lead at half time.
They didn't let up either, booting 10 goals to two in the second half and showing the Power that they have a way to go if they want to be lifting the premiership cup this year.
Reality check is a strong phrase, but after six straight victories Wonthaggi would have been hoping for better than a 12-goal loss.
It doesn't get easier for them either when they welcome ladder leaders Moe to their home ground this Saturday. How will they respond?
Outside of the Heppells, Leongatha's best included Luke Bowman, Tallin Brill (three goals), Benjamin Harding and Benjamin Willis, while Jenson Garnham booted four.
Reeve Moresco, Noah Anderson, Kyle Reid, Jarryd Blair, Cooper McInnes and Ethan Dickison were Wonthaggi's better players.
Sale vs Morwell
Shannen Lange, take a bow.
A brilliant individual performance from the Sale superstar helped lift his side to their second win in as many weeks on Saturday, with a nine-point victory over Morwell.
Lange was everywhere for the home side, racking up 41 disposals and kicking their two last goals of the day to seal a hard fought 13.10 (88) to 12.7 (79) result.
It's a bitterly disappointing outcome for the Tigers, who blew a golden opportunity to go a game clear inside the top five.
Scores were close through most of the game, with both sides answering every question the other asked.
It wasn't until late when two moments of Lange magic finally separated them. The first saw some gut running from the midfield champion to get on the end of a short pass inside 50 to duly slot the set shot. The second was much more spectacular, with Lange dobbing one from the paint of 50 on the wrong side for a right footer to give the Magpies a 15-point lead with not long to go.
Brandon McDonald gave some hope of a Tiger turnaround with his third of the day but it wasn't to be, Morwell sinking to their fourth loss of the year by 12 points or fewer.
Morwell's defeat does raise the question: does anyone actually want fifth spot right now?
It's a real log jam down there as things stand, with every team from fifth to ninth on 12 points. It means even Sale, with their horrific start to the year, are now neck deep in finals contention. Remarkable stuff, really.
Apart from Lange, it was Josh Butcher, Cooper Whitehill, Harry Tatterson, Jordan Dessent and Thomas Wrigglesworth getting it done for Sale.
Morwell were best served by Joshua Galea, Harrison McColl, Aidan Quigley, Anthony Rosato, Zachary Anderson and Cody Macdonald.
Bairnsdale vs Traralgon
A topsy turvy battle at Bairnsdale ended with the reigning premiers escaping with four points in hand, though not without some stiff resistance.
Traralgon were made to sing for their supper, withstanding a dogged Bairnsdale team that refused to lie down.
While the Redlegs led for most of their 13.8 (86) to 11.6 (72) win, there were more than a few nervous moments, even when they looked to be in control.
One only had to look at the first quarter, in which the Maroons shot out of the gates with the first four goals, only for the Redlegs to fight back with four of their own.
With the tone set for the day, the two teams traded blows, Bairnsdale even taking a slender lead partway through the third quarter.
It wasn't until early in the last that the reigning premiers were able to finally wear the home side down, booting five unanswered goals to take an unassailable lead.
It was that man again, Tye Hourigan, leading the way for the Maroons across both ends of the ground.
Former Geelong Cat Jordan Cunico also starred, along with Luis' D'Angelo, Tristen Waack, Jackson McMahon and Hugh Dunbar.
Fighting hard for Bairnsdale were Ethan East, Jobe Froud, Jamie Dore, Cooper Harvey, Lachlan Byrne-Jones and Will Mitchell.
Drouin vs Maffra
Consider that an opportunity lost.
Sloppy kicking came back to haunt Drouin on Saturday against Maffra, as the Hawks were left to wonder what might have been against another team outside the top five with a 36-point defeat.
The Hawks' endeavour couldn't be questioned in the 8.6 (54) to 13.12 (90) loss - they tackled and pressured all day across the wide expanses of the Trafalgar Recreation Reserve.
Their kicking? Different story. Drouin were untidy with ball in hand, either missing teammates and putting the ball to grass or just giving it straight back to Maffra in dangerous positions.
It led to the Eagles getting on what would prove to be a game winning seven-goal streak across the second and third quarters to put themselves in a strong position on the scoreboard.
Kye and Aden Quirk were again prolific for the Hawks, putting their heads over the ball alongside Caleb Quirk to be their side's standouts.
Will Brewer thrived in a newfound role down back, where he played a big part in keeping dangerous Eagles goalkicker Caleb Calwyn quiet.
New recruit Denver Lund impressed in the ruck and around the ground to give his teammates a safe option down the line, and Max Williames again had plenty of intercepts across half back.
For Maffra, the return of hometown hero Coby Burgiel – who spent two years on West Coast's list – paid dividends, as the speedster racked up plenty of the ball to hurt the Hawks on numerous occasions.
Jett Killoran played a strong game as did veteran Daniel Bedggood in a variety of roles around the ground, Max Stobie's run and gun cut the Hawks to ribbons at times and experienced duo Danny Butcher and Alex Carr provided quality leadership.
With a biting breeze favouring the highway end of the ground, neither team were particularly tidy with ball in hand. The difference in the day was ultimately Maffra's ability to recover from their turnovers as compared to Drouin's inability.
Despite the cold, the Hawks looked red hot early, clearly coming into the day seeing this as a gettable game after three dismal matches against the league's best.
Zach McMillan roved a pack to snap Drouin's first just minutes into the contest and, with the wind at their backs, Caleb Quirk doubled that advantage following a 50-metre penalty for some post-free kick roughhousing.
Noah Christy walked in a response for the Eagles but just as quickly the Hawks regained control through a set shot from Kaden Gregg and a long-range beauty on the run courtesy of Kye Quirk.
Maffra were able to stabilise and ended the quarter on their terms, two goals from some sloppy Drouin play setting the tone for what was to follow.
Put simply, the Hawks could hardly get past halfway for most of the second term and, while the Eagles failed to maximise their opportunities in part due to some desperate defence, the longer it went the more there was a sense the dam wall was showing some cracks.
Max Stobie slotted what might have been the goal of the day late in the half. After getting on a Hawks kick across the middle that floated just a bit too much, he gathered at ground level, handballed and received from a teammate on the paint of 50 and produced a classy finish on the run.
Trailing by 18 points at half time, the Hawks needed a good start to the third term and didn't get it when an attempted bounce failed to come back, instead slipping to an Eagles forward and ending with Butcher waltzing into an open goal.
With the game slipping away and the margin at 29 points, Drouin injected some life into the day through goals to Cody Fleming and Seb Amoroso.
And when some overlap out of the centre ended with Ben Brasier booting one on the run not even a minute into the last, the margin was suddenly at a gettable 10 points.
The comeback was shortlived, however, the Hawks again unable to keep their hands on the footy and paying the price. A brilliant mark in the pack from Bedggood at point blank put Maffra back on track and they went on with it from there, putting the game beyond doubt. Some late Hawks' efforts kept the margin from blowing out like in past losses, but it was too late for any kind of real challenge.
Drouin coach Leigh Horsburgh was pleased with his side's effort but lamented their turnovers.
"Result-wise it's disappointing, we wanted to win that game of footy pretty badly and we prepared as well as we could," he said.
"When we missed targets, it was really to the detriment of us. We turned it over and we got a score against or they got into a dangerous position, whereas when they missed their targets, it probably didn't hurt them as much."
Despite the defeat, Horsburgh said his team showed signs they were "headed in the right direction".
"There are plenty of positives to take out of it as a group considering the last three to four weeks of footy...Maffra aren't a bottom side in my opinion, they've taken some good scalps."
Moe vs Warragul
A competitive Warragul outfit were left out in the cold by Moe on Saturday as the ladder leaders showed their class at the Ted Summerton Reserve.
Following the Lions' annual Big Freeze event, effort and intensity weren't issues for the Gulls in an encouraging performance that saw them take it right up to the Lions at various times.
Execution and talent proved to be the difference in the end, Warragul just not quite up to Moe's standards in the 12.10 (82) to 17.13 (115).
That intensity threatened to spill over on a few occasions, with more than one scuffle around the ground throughout the course of the day, at times to the Gulls' detriment.
Having booted the first three majors of the day, the visitors were ultimately left to rue a run of eight unanswered Lions goals across the first and second quarters, which turned the game on its head.
While the Lions threatened to really blow the day out and turn it into a real rout, Warragul at least held firm, keeping the margin to a respectable one by full time even without coach Jed Lamb and key forward Brayden Fowler on the field.
Sean Masterson played an excellent game in the backline matched up on Moe star forward Ben Crocker. Masterson was able to do what other defenders haven't been able to thus far and quell Crocker's influence, holding him to two goals – his lowest return since round one.
Sam Whibley stood tall in the ruck against the Prowse brothers, while Riley Senini's strong run of form continued.
Isaac Wallace was again influential around the middle and up forward Patrick Mulqueen was solid in defence and Tom Hobbs fought hard through the midfield.
It's hard to deny the breadth of Moe's talent, however. Even when they maybe weren't at their best, they were still pretty damn good.
Recruit Nathan Scagliarini's class couldn't be denied, running through the middle and up forward where he kicked three goals.
Scott van Dyk was a wall in the backline as always and Thomas Blackshaw enjoyed a great showing.
Harry Pepper was as lively as ever, Myles Poholke was again a bull around the ball and Ben Daniher put in a performance to be proud about on a day that means so much to his family.
Even with the odds against them, it was Warragul who looked the sharper side to begin the day.
Lucas Carter, redeployed up forward in Fowler's absence, made an immediate impact with a strong contested mark and goal to go with it.
Kai MacLean got the second of the day having benefited from a free kick, Caleb McIntosh doing the same not long after.
From there, however, the Lions began to wake from their slumber.
Declan Keilty was awarded a free in front of goal and from there they were off to the races, taking control on the scoreboard past the first break.
An incident occurred 10 minutes into the quarter when Gull Jordan Stewart slung Moe youngster Luke Cheffers by the jumper in a crude tackle, causing him to hit the ground with plenty of force.
Cheffers got up reasonably quickly to take his free kick and no report was made at the time, but it certainly didn't earn Stewart many friends as the Lions fired up.
Moe coach Leigh Poholke (three goals) also began causing some headaches, using every bit of his veteran sensibilities to his advantage as he hit the scoreboard.
A deft snap from returning livewire Keenan Boi would be the Gulls' only goal of the quarter.
With the Gulls still hoping to make a comeback, the home side put those hopes to bed early in the second half, with Scagliarini unloading from range twice in the span of a few minutes.
The margin blew out beyond 40 points at one stage, though goals to MacLean, Hobbs and Tom Stern kept the Lions honest.
Warragul couldn't be accused of going into their shells late, winning the last quarter with some classy finishes even when the game was beyond reach.
Moe will now turn their attention to a trip to Wonthaggi where they will face a fellow contender looking to bounce back from a tough loss.
While the day didn't belong to the Gulls, results around the league mean they're still well in contention for the top five as things stand. Every team from fifth to ninth are currently on 12 points, including Warragul, making this Sunday's battle with Drouin all the more important.
Win that and they could be in it up to their eyeballs.
Feature Image by Julie Sim
