By Nicholas Duck
Two top five clashes provided some early finals previews this week while one team secured a hard-fought upset win.
Here's what you might have missed this week.
Wonthaggi vs Moe
A top two battle saw Moe stamp their authority over the league once again as they secured a 38-point win over Wonthaggi.
Having led by 12 points at half time, the Lions took a firm grip on the contest thanks to a powerhouse third term in which they kicked six goals to three, setting them up for victory 13.13 (91) to 8.5 (53).
With the Power missing some vital names including Daniel Bourke and Harry Dawson, they struggled to contain the Lions' vaunted firepower. They found even more issues trying to circumvent defender Declan Keilty, with the Lions big man enjoying a day out in the air.
Jarryd Blair did his level best with six goals, but without some of their other forwards being able to get going it left them unable to keep up.
The win sees Moe now six points clear atop the ladder in their hunt for a first premiership since 1967.
Having seen off Wonthaggi, Traralgon and Leongatha in recent weeks, hopes are high this will be the year.
Myles Poholke, Nathan Scagliarini, Thomas Long, Blake Mullane and Chris Prowse all exerted plenty of influence on the win.
Fighting hard for the Power were Joshua Bates, Aiden Lindsay, Kyle Reid, Jarryd Blair, Isaac Chugg and Ethan Dickison.
Traralgon vs Leongatha
Leongatha have managed to hold off a stern challenge from Leongatha to keep their top three hopes on track.
The Parrots were forced to do it the hard way, seeing their 24-point lead at half time slowly evaporate until they trailed by one point early in the last.
As they often do, however, Leongatha found a way, kicking the final two goals of the day to prevail 14.7 (91) to 12.8 (80).
Following an even first term the visitors took control in the second, pouring in seven goals to four and opening up a buffer thanks to some industrious work in the middle from Kim Drew and Tom Marriott.
Traralgon weren't going to die wondering though, and looked like they were on the verge of a special win before the Parrots steadied.
While Drew and Marriott were Leongatha's best, they also got great showings from Jackson Harry, Jack Sheridan, Patrick Ireland and Jenson Garnham (four goals).
While the Maroons haven't had the results they'd want against the best it was another case of them fighting tooth and nail to make their opposition earn it.
Twin towers Tom Hamilton and Dylan Loprese were in fine form, kicking four goals each, as Matthew Northe, Mitch Membrey, Tye Hourigan, Connor Ambler, Kade Thorley and Frazar Brouns all played well.
Barring a disastrous run home Traralgon looks set for an elimination final appearance, and whoever they play will have their work cut out for them.
Morwell vs Maffra
Morwell sprung the surprise of the round on Saturday, knocking off Maffra by eight points.
Up against a red-hot Eagles side the Tigers didn't blink, building a lead early and holding steady late to come out on top 11.10 (76) to 9.14 (68).
Much of the Tigers' best work came via the second quarter, in which they piled on four unanswered goals to lead by 28 points at the main break.
The Eagles, fresh off both an incredible win against Moe and a narrow loss to Leongatha, went about narrowing the gap in the second half and at one stage got the deficit down to just three.
Just as the visitors seemed destined for a successful comeback, however, Morwell's Max Linton stood tall, bringing the ball to ground in a marking contest close to home and soccering it through in the resulting scramble to provide what ended up being the winning goal.
It's a hell of a win for the Tigers and quite handily their best of the season in what has been a disappointing year.
For Maffra it's an opportunity lost, given four points here would have brought them level with Traralgon on the ladder. They've been mighty impressive in 2026 but sometimes a young rebuilding side is going to have lapses.
Even having former West Coast Eagle Coby Burgiel couldn't get them over the line.
Leading the Tigers to victory were Tyler Hillier, Cody Chapman, Zac Cantrill, Hugh Dunbar, Campbell Blewett and Zachary Anderson, while Thomas Scott, Alex Carr, Danny Butcher, Judd Burgiel, Coby Burgiel and John Butcher played well for the Eagles.
Warragul vs Bairnsdale
Warragul's hunt for a top three finish remains on track – just – after seeing off a spirited Bairnsdale by 12 points.
With the rest of the top five all playing each other the Gulls managed to take their chance for a vital four points despite a few hiccups along the way, kicking the final two goals of the day to avoid the upset 12.13 (85) to 10.13 (72).
The win was somewhat soured by a hamstring injury to James Harrison, who may now be looking at some time on the sidelines.
Warragul burst out of the blocks early, kicking five of the game's first six goals before being made to withstand a withering comeback by the visitors, whose ball movement put the Gulls under the pump for each of their mistakes.
A yellow card late in the third term to Liam Serong left Warragul a man down, a rotation down and down on momentum for the early parts of the fourth quarter.
But despite the Redlegs drawing level not long into the last, the Gulls were able to recapture their composure, holding steady thanks to majors from Tom Stern and Jed Lamb to secure win number 10 for the year.
Stern was best-on for the home side, leading up and down the ground all day from centre half forward. His ability to provide a presence and target when the Gulls needed gave them a real asset, especially when the game was on the line.
Isaac Wallace's return to the club after an extended absence proved to be a great one as he gave real grunt and vigour in the middle, especially after Riley Senini was a late out. He was well assisted by another great showing from Tom Hobbs, while down back Sean Masterson played a compelling game in an engrossing battle with Bairnsdale forward Oscar Morrison.
Big man Jordan Stewart was as impactful as ever both up forward and down back late when the Redlegs had the ascendancy, while Caleb McIntosh's run and drive on the outside was as important as ever.
Bairnsdale were best served by Cooper Vickery, who put all of his AFL/VFL pedigree on display through the midfield, taking it right up to the Warragul on-ballers.
Captain Tyran Rees did similarly while Jamie Dore was always a threat.
Jobe Froud enjoyed a dangerous day up forward as big men Ethan East and Oscar Morrison were both strong.
After 12 goalless minutes to begin the day the deadlock was broken when Hobbs drove one home from right on 50.
Harrison doubled the lead not long after and though Froud curled through the Redlegs' first, another goal to Hobbs and two to Brad Hefford had Warragul in the box seat at quarter time.
That didn't last long, however, as the Gulls slipped up in the second term.
A few mistakes by hand and foot, namely going inside 50, gave the Redlegs repeated chances to go end to end and put the Warragul defence under pressure.
A run of four straight to the Redlegs, kicked off by Morrison stretching for a mark and goaling, brought the margin from 28 points all the way down to two, until Hobbs charged along the wing with a great don't argue to help set up Jordan Stewart for a momentum stopper before half time.
Harrison's day had been ended by this point, leaving Warragul down a rotation on the bench.
Stewart struck again in the third, bending through a beauty on the boundary line, before youngster Bailey Sheehan pushed the margin back to 20.
Again the Redlegs wouldn't be denied, however, keeping the Gulls within arm's reach.
Late in the quarter Liam Serong was given his marching orders, shown a yellow card when he clashed with a Bairnsdale player who had pushed him off his kick from defence.
The resulting free allowed the Redlegs to strike a hammer blow on the stroke of three-quarter time and head into the huddle just seven points down.
With the Gulls a player down on the field while Serong served out his 15 minutes Bairnsdale took advantage. Max East celebrated his 200th game for the club by dragging down a contested mark in the goal square and evening up the scores.
A stalemate on the scoreboard was broken thanks to a 50-metre penalty, sending Stern to the line for a much-needed Gulls goal.
As the time ticked down and the Redlegs missed out on a few chances, Jed Lamb slammed the door shut, receiving a handball and steering through the sealer on the run.
Warragul coach Gary Ayres was proud of his side's composure late following two lacklustre quarters.
"It was almost like we forgot how to play to our method in that second quarter. Then the third quarter I felt like they got on top in general play and we couldn't get our hands on it," he said.
"They probably would have felt they were in the box seat to roll us in the last. We had to persevere there and I was really proud of the boys for working through it.
"I probably felt that was a gutsy win in the end given the momentum Bairnsdale had."
Now back up to second on the ladder, Warragul will travel to face a dangerous Maffra side this Saturday.
Sale vs Drouin
Same opponent, same result.
Drouin have smashed Sale for the second time this season to secure the second win of their 2026 campaign.
A monster first quarter in which the Hawks booted eight goals to two set them up perfectly for a big day at the office.
And while they failed to keep the rage going and take full advantage of their start, the visitors were still well ahead by the final siren 19.16 (130) to 9.8 (62).
Drouin's pressure and ferocity at the ball was especially impressive early, where they forced their opponents into risky kicks that, more often than not, handed the ball back in dangerous areas.
A lot of the Hawks' early scores came directly from the turnovers they created, putting them well ahead very quickly.
Some complacency crept into their game past that point, however, and as the pressure dropped off the Magpies were able to put together some of their most promising play of the year.
While their lead was never in any real danger and the Hawks will happily take a rare win – just their third since the beginning of 2025 – it's safe to say they could have won by a lot more.
Best on ground for the victors was Campbell Bedford, whose ability to intercept off half back and bounce back the other way held him in good stead all day. Bedford has enjoyed a solid few weeks of footy now and has been a real highlight since debuting for the Hawks in late May.
Drouin enjoyed ascendancy in the midfield battle and a large part of that was thanks to the work of ruck Denver Lund, who used every bit of his size and experience to be the dominant big man for the day.
Enjoying his work were the likes of Lane Ward, Seb Amoroso and Tommy Trist, who all racked up plenty of possessions through the middle.
Ward did well considering the (often physical) attention he copped while Amoroso also did his usual thing of providing a presence inside 50, kicking two goals from a host of scoring shots.
Kyron Smith also was excellent at full back, keeping Magpie forward Jordan Dessent quiet.
Fighting hard for Sale was captain Jack McLaren, who went toe to toe against the Hawks' engine room all day in just his second game of the season.
Benjamin Hall did the same while Mitch Thacker competed well down back as Kaden McCulloch, Archer Gerrand and Ashton Wright all had their moments.
In a season where Drouin and Sale are the bottom two teams it probably shows just how big the gap is between the Magpies and the rest.
Off-season drama and departures have been well publicised and while Sale showed some decent fight after the first term, this was realistically their last genuine shot at a win.
Drouin opened the scoring early when a clever tap from Riley Wierzbicki allowed Noah Lafrantz to snap one through. Sale responded thanks to a big grab and goal to Kaden McCullough, but it would be Drouin who would own the term from then on.
Vinnie Kuol, Wierzbicki, Amoroso and Lafrantz all got involved to put the Hawks well ahead, with Sale's only other major of the term coming via McLaren.
Even that was quickly cancelled out when Ben Brasier intercepted, ran to the paint of 50 and calmly let rip to reassert his side's dominance.
Though Lund was able to steer one through early in the second to keep Drouin going it was a more subdued effort from the visitors pressure-wise as the Magpies dug in.
The teams traded goals for a period before a couple of Hawks majors allowed them to extend their lead by half time, one of which coming from returning coach Jordan Kingi in a rare foray forward.
Past half time and it was a much more even affair, thanks in part to some Sale stubbornness and in part to Drouin players getting a bit ahead of themselves with some attempts at flashy play.
The Hawks still won the half seven goals to five in a rather nondescript ending.
Speaking post-game Kingi was happy to get the result but expressed some disappointment.
"It's good to win, but we didn't win as convincingly as we did the first time. We let some bad habits creep in after quarter time," he said.
"Great teams, they don't change for who they play against, they keep their attitude no matter who. Unfortunately we saw the light too early and enjoyed it too much after quarter time.
"It was a good win, but disappointing we didn't put the foot down."
Drouin may get some whiplash this week as they go from the league's bottom team to its top one when they travel away to face Moe.
