By Nicholas Duck
A top five battle lived up to the billing on Saturday while the reigning premiers got a big fright from a proven giant-killer.
Here's what you might have missed this week.
Moe vs Traralgon
An arm wrestle of a clash saw top team Moe bounce back to take down Traralgon – but not without plenty of headaches along the way.
Fresh off their first loss of the season the Lions were solid enough for long enough, kicking two goals to one in the fourth quarter to walk away winners 12.15 (87) to 11.12 (78).
With plenty to play for Moe looked relatively in control at half time, running and gunning their way to a 22-point lead.
Traralgon were able to fight their way back into the contest, however, taking advantage of some loose kicking and getting their own slingshot game into gear to boot 6.2 to 2.3 for the term.
Two late goals to returning ruck Frazar Brouns, including one after the siren, put the Maroons in front by a point at the final change of ends.
Brouns was especially impressive, beating young gun Lion Juddson Ryan handily until Moe made a late switch to Chris Prowse.
When the going got tough, however, the tough got going, and Moe were able to wrest back the lead thanks to goals from Declan Keilty and Myles Poholke (his third of the day) to win.
While far from perfect, it's the tonic the Lions needed – especially with Wonthaggi now breathing down their necks.
If the last two games have shown anything it's that despite their vast talent, the Lions are gettable.
Brock Smith, Blake Mullane, Declan Keilty, Thomas Long, Luke Cheffers and Scott van Dyk were their best for the day.
Keeping the Maroons rolling were Tye Hourigan, Brouns, Thomas McMahon, Mitch Membrey, Mitchell Mustoe and Connor Ambler.
Leongatha vs Maffra
Leongatha survived an almighty scare to outlast a plucky - and incredibly dangerous – Maffra by just five points at home.
The reigning premiers had to get their hands dirty against the young Eagles, who were brimming with confidence following their inspirational win over Moe two weeks ago.
What resulted was a rollercoaster of a game in which both sides took turns landing body blows, until finally it was the Parrots who were left standing 9.11 (65) to 8.12 (60).
Early on things didn't look like they'd end up that way when Maffra got the jump, booting the first four goals of the day.
Leongatha were able to respond via kicking the next seven before the Eagles got going again, clawing back the lead in impressive fashion.
With a serious fight on their hands Leongatha did what they do best, booting the only two goals of the final term through set shots to Patrick Ireland and Ben Fort before holding firm late to deny Maffra another upset win.
Regardless of the result the Eagles have shown they're genuinely building as the year goes on. When these two met earlier this season it was a simply 89-point thrashing for the reigning premiers.
Making it more impressive was the fact Maffra very nearly stole the win without young gun Jack McQuillen, who booted six against Moe.
Kim Drew led from the front at the contest to help lift Leongatha to victory and was helped along by great performances from Cade Maskell, Jackson Harry, Zavier Lamers, Beau Grabham Andrews and Curtis Murfett.
Henry Anderson, Thomas Phillips, Alex Carr, Thomas Scott, Jett Killoran and Noah Christy were all excellent for Maffra.
With the Eagles only a win outside the top five, if they keep up this form anything is possible.
Bairnsdale vs Morwell
A fast start was enough to see Bairnsdale withstand an intense comeback from Morwell and secure their fourth win of the season.
The Redlegs kicked the first five goals of the day and led by as much as 39 points in the third term before having to fight for their lives as the Tigers came home with a wet sail.
Five straight Morwell majors saw the Tigers creep within a goal until the Redlegs found the final two goals of the day to steady their way to victory 12.11 (83) to 10.9 (69).
The game's frantic finish was hard to imagine earlier in the day when the Redlegs looked in complete control.
Morwell's scoring issues this year made any kind of comeback a difficult ask but they showed that when things click, they can be dangerous. Too bad they left it too late.
Tyran Rees, Jonah Walker, Cooper Vickery, Jamie Dore, Max East and Matthew Hamilton were all excellent for Bairnsdale, while Morwell were best served by Hugh Dunbar, Cody Chapman, Aidan Quigley, Zac Cheffers, Max Linton and Zac Cantrill.
Drouin vs Wonthaggi
Drouin have been brought undone by another contender in Wonthaggi by 42 points on Saturday.
Playing at home and with both teams in their special Indigenous Round guernseys, the Hawks were made to suffer for a lacklustre first half that saw them kick three goals to Wonthaggi's nine.
Though they were able to even things up in the second half (nine goals each) it was too little too late as Drouin were outclassed by 11.6 (78) to 17.12 (114).
Knowing they were well outsized by the Power's wealth of quality talls, the Hawks instead opted to try and challenge them through quick bursts of speed from their back half.
When it worked it looked solid but when it didn't it left Drouin scrambling to defend and conceding more than their share of cheap goals out the back.
Not helping their case was the fact they were missing their two leading goalkickers in Noah Lafrantz and Jack Walsh.
Lafrantz's forward half pressure and Walsh's aerial presence were both sorely missed, particularly in the first half when Drouin failed to make the most of their opportunities inside 50.
The Power have premiership hopes this season and it was their class that stood out the most. Defensively they're the league's stingiest side by a fair margin but their ball use can be electrifying – and those two combined was enough to hit the Hawks like a bolt of lightning.
The standout for Drouin in the defeat was forward Rylie Baker, who tackled, charged and chased all day to finish on four goals.
Caleb Kleeven and Campbell Bedford showed positive signs off half back as Kyron Smith claimed plenty of intercepts while playing on a host of Power big men.
Seb Amoroso and Brodie Atkins did their usual thing at the contest with Amoroso also sneaking forward for two goals.
Wonthaggi skipper Joshua Bates led from the front for the visitors, getting his hands down and dirty and driving the Power forward on countless occasions.
Young defender Jayden Burns has continued to flourish in recent weeks as Aiden Lindsay followed his captain's footsteps around the footy.
Talls Cooper McInnes and Daniel Bourke created havoc in the air with four and three goals respectively while Nathan Muratore was again solid.
The Power got the start they wanted in the first quarter when a poor kick across defence from the Hawks allowed the visitors to get it to McInnes for the day's first.
Lachlan Ferguson doubled the lead before another lax kick from defence was marked by Kaj Patterson, who put it over the goal umpire's head.
Drouin finally struck back by hitting up big man Denver Lund on the lead, but a goal after the siren from Bourke put the Power in the box seat.
Bourke picked up where he left off in the second term, booting the first of three straight Wonthaggi goals to begin the quarter.
Rylie Baker kicked a pair of lovely set shots, both deep in the pocket and drawn back to perfection but despite their efforts, the Hawks were no match for the visitors' forward half firepower.
The third term looked to be much of the same until Drouin booted the final three goals not long before the siren, the first from Kaden Gregg and the second a nice Amoroso snap.
The third came via a free kick immediately after Amoroso's goal, as the push and shove gave the umpire an excuse to give the Hawks their second shot in under a minute and Blake Bibby was happy to oblige.
Wonthaggi got right around senior debutant Jackson Glen's first goal at the beginning of the last as the clock wound down to the Power's 10th win of what has been a very successful campaign.
The Power will next host ladder leaders Moe in what looms as a blockbuster clash between the league's best defence and offence.
Drouin coach Jordan Kingi credited the Power's class and quality tall players.
"At the end of the day their class just shone," he said.
"We had a pretty strong want to take on yesterday and challenge their defence, because they're the best defence in the comp.
"We fought hard in the second half, we played the way we wanted to but it was too late at that point."
Drouin will travel to play Sale this Saturday as they expect to regain a number of players, including Lafrantz and Walsh.
Given the Magpies' struggles this year it'll be the rare game that has Drouin as firm favourites.
Sale vs Warragul
Warragul bounced back in a big way on Saturday, holding Sale goalless to register a monster 142-point win away from home.
Coming off their loss to Wonthaggi before the bye, the Gulls did exactly what was required of them, putting the struggling Magpies to the sword early before going on with the job in a big way.
The 22.17 (149) to 0.7 (7) percentage booster couldn't quite match the magnitude of their 182-point annihilation of the Magpies earlier this season but defensively was sound as the Gulls refused to concede all day, becoming the second team to hold Sale goalless in 2026.
Seven first quarter goals made for the perfect platform on what always loomed as a dominant day for Warragul given their opposition.
Tom Hobbs again put on a show, taking full toll on the inexperienced Magpies engine room to do as he pleased.
Young guns Tom Logan and Xavier Olsson showed plenty of dash and dare bursting off the half backline while Caleb McIntosh did the same along the wings.
Rucks Sam Whibley – on return from suspension – and Matt Gray rounded out the Gulls' best, consistently giving their midfielders first use and providing some presence up forward.
Gray, who returned to the Gulls seniors for the first time in 13 years prior to the bye, even managed to hit the scoreboard early in the last quarter. That's a long time between drinks.
In terms of goals Jed Lamb – who used the bye to try out a new blonde look – had the best of it, kicking six.
For Sale winners were few and far between as has often been the case this season but Cooper Whitehill and Josh Butcher again gave their all against the Gulls' vaunted midfield.
Defenders Mitch Thacker and Ashton Wright never stopped trying, as did Thomas Wrigglesworth and Kaden McCulloch.
Lamb got things underway relatively quickly after the opening siren, kicking the first two of the day from a quick soccer kick and a mark on the lead.
Luke Garner made the most of his first game since round six, driving home a long range missile from beyond the arc as the Gulls flexed their muscles.
Sale's turnovers out of full back really came back to bite them as Lamb finished the quarter with four majors to his name and the Gulls were in control.
Senior debutant Finn Sheehan joined the party early in the second, snapping his first goal to the delight of his teammates, while key talls Jordan Stewart and Henry Allsop also found their footing.
The Magpies were made to pay for several lapses, leaving players all alone to do as they pleased thanks to Warragul's brutality at the clearances and on transition.
Tempers flared at one stage in the third term when McCulloch bumped Sheehan after a kick, leading to a bit of push and shove.
Sale's day was just about summed up when a kick out from the Gulls' goal square went over the head of a Magpies defender who slipped over and straight into Liam Serong's waiting arms, with Serong proceeding to put it right back over the full back's head.
A goal to Gray early in the last was about the only highlight late as the teams played out the clock on a straightforward day for the visitors.
Speaking post-game, Gulls coach Gary Ayres said it was important for his side to get the win following their pre-bye loss.
"I was really pleased with our start, obviously going to an away game and it was important to play the way we wanted to play and we were certainly able to do that," he said.
"I'm always a big believer in momentum really swings both ways and it was just important that we bounced back after the week off.
"I don't know how many games I've coached, and the snow white hair I've got shows there's been a lot, but I can't recall a game where we've held the opposition goalless.
"Overall it was a good solid performance and we'll take it."
Warragul returns home to face Bairnsdale this Saturday.
