By David Braithwaite & Liam Durkin
MAFFRA’S Gippsland League campaign ended in disappointing fashion losing at Bairnsdale by seven points.
The Eagles lead by 30 points early in the second half at Bairnsdale City Oval, before the Redlegs kicked 10 of the last 14 goals of the match to win 15.18 (108) to 15.11 (101).
Regardless of the result, the Eagles were coming to finish the season in sixth place - they ended 2026 with a record of eight wins and 10 losses.
A pair of goals within the first three minutes from John Butcher had the Eagles on their way, before the Redlegs kicked three goals in a row to take the lead by 10 points.
The Eagles kicked two more goals to take a threepoint lead into quarter-time - however, with 3.10 for the term compared to the visitors’ 4.1, the Redlegs should have been in front at this stage.
The Eagles’ lead was stretched out to 29 points at half-time after they kicked seven goals to two during the second term.
The Redlegs then had the better of the play during the third quarter, kicking seven goals, including the last five of the term, while the Eagles booted just one to trail the hosts by nine points at the final change of ends.
The Eagles kicked two of the first three goals of the final term to reduce the deficit to three points, but the eighth-placed Redlegs responded by booting two of the final three goals to record their sixth win of the season.
Cooper Vickery and Brayden McCarrey starred for the Redlegs, kicking four and five goals respectively, while Tyran Rees, Randall Stewart, Jonah Walker and Reece Carstairs were also prominent.
Alex Carr again led the way for the Eagles, with Butcher (four goals), Zach O’Keefe, Tom Phillips, Max Stobie and Tom Scott also putting in commendable efforts.
WHILE round 18 games were largely inconsequential, there was still a number of talking points to come out of the weekend.
Minor premier Moe defeated wooden spooner Sale by 169 points, 27.23 (185) to 2.4 (16).
The Lions could ill-afford to rest players, given they have a week off this for finishing on top of the ladder.
As such, the game turned into the mismatch most people saw coming for first versus last.
Riley D’Arcy kicked 13 goals up to threequarter-time, and finished with 15, while Harry Pepper slotted four at a windy Ted Summerton Reserve going straight across the ground from the west.
Nathan Scagliarni was also productive, as was Max Woodall, Nick Prowse and Myles Poholke.
Kaden McKulloch, Thomas Glenn, Dean Feltis, Mitch Thacker, Cooper Rand and Finn Wilson battled hard for the Magpies.
Make of this what you will: Moe - 32 player points. Sale - 30.
While the Gippsland League is generally a very strong and even competition, this year’s campaign unfortunately won’t be remembered with much fondness.
There was a clear gap between the top five and bottom five, much wider than what is usually seen.
Scoring rates were also much higher, given the weekly mismatches.
Finals positions were also largely known five weeks out from round 18, where ordinarily, the season often remains live right up until the last home-and-away round.
Sixth-placed Maffra was the only team to really threaten to steal a finals spot.
The Eagles held the distinction of being the only side to roll Moe, and the general feeling around the traps is win your premierships over the next two or three years before Maffra starts its next dynasty.
Dragging down the competition unfortunately was Sale.
The Magpies did not get close to winning a game, and were among the worst teams on record in the league’s history.
The club, however, said from the outset that 2026 would be a “hard reset”.
It was a hard reset and a hard watch at times, as Sale was left with no choice but to play local kids in the seniors following the departure of just about its entire senior playing list.
Sale, in fairness, did well to get two teams on the park every week, with a number of ex-champions coming back to help the reserves at times.
In terms of ‘worst ever teams’, Gippsland League historian Paul Carter’s research shows there has been 17 teams in the league’s history that have gone win-less through a season.
As far as ‘worst season’, looking at percentage, points conceded and average losing margins as determining factors, Sale is the fourth-worst since the league was established in 1954.
Sale’s percentage of 22.46 is better than Drouin 2014 (13.22), Bairnsdale 1998 (16.48) and Moe 1997 (18.30).
Sale’s average points conceded was 165 this year, which is fifth after Moe 1997 (210), Churchill 1985 (200), Newborough 1979 (172) and Moe 1996 (168).
Sale’s average losing margin this year of 128 points is also fourth after Moe 1997 (172), Churchill 1985 (140) and Drouin 2014 (134).
The Lions did not win a game for two years from 1996 to 1997.
Morwell won four consecutive wooden spoons from 2000-03.
MORWELL played the role of league villains yet again, defeating Warragul 7.6 (48) to 5.9 (39) at home.
The result perhaps did more to raise concern about the Gulls’ chances heading into finals than it did about the Tigers’ otherwise disappointing season.
While Morwell has gone through a hellish season, losing VFL players and its senior coach, it has rallied late to defeat finals-bound teams Leongatha and Warragul.
The most recent upset was another lowscoring grind, the kind Morwell has become known for under expert coach Harmit Singh.
Singh has already been announced to be staying on in the yellow and black next season, again working closely with co-coach Aidan Quigley.
For Warragul however, the numbers are hard to ignore.
No matter how good a coach Gary Ayres might be, the Gulls are about to play an elimination final having lost four games in a row.
What’s more, they are playing Traralgon, which knocked off top-three side Wonthaggi on Saturday, 9.9 (63) to 8.13 (61), after trailing by 27 points at half-time.
Having been inside the top three for most of the season, the Gulls have not won a game in more than a month, and are at risk of bombing out of finals in the first week for a second consecutive season.
Given their losses in recent weeks have been against finalists Traralgon, Leongatha and Moe, the Gulls are looking very long odds of going past week one.
That being said, they don’t have to look far to find evidence that says poor runs to finals don’t necessarily spell the end.
Traralgon lost five games in a row heading into the 2023 finals series.
The Maroons, under Jake Best, were largely written off, only to beat Sale in an elimination final, and then very nearly send Moe packing in straight sets the following week.
The Lions will take a week off this weekend, having finished on top of the ladder.
Leongatha meanwhile appears to have hit form at the right time.
Much as people are saying the Parrots have dropped off, the fact of the matter remains: they’ve still finished outright second.
Dyson Heppell got the last game he needed in to qualify for finals at the weekend, and all looks set for a classic South Gippsland Showdown against Wonthaggi in the qualifying final this Saturday.
The Power has caught a few pundits by surprise this season, remaining inside the top three for most of the year despite attracting next to no market interest last March.
Some previously unheard of names, however, have been unearthed, while Wonthaggi’s unfortunately sodden home track has arguably provided a strong home ground advantage.
LEONGATHA easily-accounted for Drouin 24.11 (155) to 10.13 (73) at Drouin.
Best-on-ground Jenson Garnham kicked 13 goals for the Parrots to secure the league goal kicking award.
The Hawks are set to host its first final in living memory this Sunday, following the redevelopment of its ground.
