Liam Durkin
SOME final round shuffling saw finals-bound teams and short colours confirmed in the Gippsland League at the weekend.
Sale secured a fifth successive finals qualification, nudging in by two premiership points at the expense of Morwell.
Wonthaggi, needing to win to make finals an absolute certainly, did so, while its South Gippsland counterpart Leongatha confirmed the minor premiership.
Latrobe Valley rivals Moe and Traralgon could not move from the top three, yet a last-round switch saw the Maroons swap places with the Lions in second.
SALE took percentage out of the equation.
The Magpies took a 10-goal win into the elimination final after trouncing Bairnsdale.
Sale was relentless in its attack, and ended with a score of 19.10 (124) to 9.10 (64) at Sale Oval.
The home side set the scene with a five-goal to one opening term, and continued to pile on the pain from there.
With the Redlegs out of finals contention, Sale possibly benefitted from an opposition that had checked-out on the season.
Needing to win to be any chance of playing finals, the Magpies did not take their foot off the accelerator as their fate hung on the result of the Traralgon versus Morwell game, and the match between Wonthaggi and Moe. With the Power winning and the Tigers losing, the Magpies jumped from sixth to fifth to extend their season by at least one more week.
Shannen Lange did Shannen Lange things for the winners, and was helped by Hudson Holmes, Jonty McGuiness, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, Mitch Dowse and Jake Hutchins.
Tom Campbell kicked four goals, as did Magpies skipper Jack Leslie.
Campbell now has 37 goals for the season, and is emerging as possibly the most unlikely small forward to every make a league Team of the Year.
Will Mitchell, Matt Corbett, Randall Stewart, Josh Lando, Lachlan Byrne-Jones and Bairnsdale playing-coach Logan Austin (in his final game for the Redlegs), saw out the visitors’ seasons on a positive.
Sale has a big week ahead, with its seniors and reserves in cutthroat elimination finals.
MAFFRA played for pride against Warragul, and that pride was somewhat dented, as the Gulls condemned the Eagles to the wooden spoon in the battle between ninth and 10th.
Maffra trailed at every change, bringing its season to an indifferent end at Western Park.
The Eagles were only 20 points down at three-quarter-time, but faded badly in the fourth term, managing only 1.2 (8) to 4.5 (29).
Bayley Paul led the way with four goals for Warragul, while Mitch Smart, Riley Senini, Daniel Smart, Vinnie Caia (three goals) and Jesse Siddle were serviceable.
Henry Anderson, Alex Carr, David Adams, Darcy Gray, Jonathan Boyd and Zach Felsbourg were best for Maffra.
HAVING been in the top five for 11 straight weeks, a loss in the final round meant Morwell dropped out of the finals race.
The Tigers’ season came to an end in fairly tame circumstances, going down to Valley rival Traralgon 12.11 (83) to 9.10 (64).
The visitors were well in the game at the main break, trailing the Maroons by only 14 points.
A three goal to one third term however gave Traralgon a 31-point lead at the last break, which ultimately proved to be more than enough.
Traralgon was well-served by Luis D’Angelo, Mitch Membrey, Jordan Cunico, Max Jacobsen, Tye Hourigan, and former Morwell player Tristen Waack, adding salt into the Tigers’ wound.
Waack, who has been with Northern Bullants in the VFL for most of the season, got his fourth game in for Traralgon at the weekend, meaning he is now qualified for finals.
Burkely Macfarlane, Zac Anderson, Judah Leak, Aidan Quigley, Boyd Bailey and Cody Macdonald played well in the loss for Morwell.
WONTHAGGI continued its journey as premiership smokey, making it five wins in a row after edging past Moe in an 8.8 (56) to 7.4 (46) arm wrestle.
Needing to win to guarantee finals, Wonthaggi got the result it desired after overcoming a slight half-time deficit at home. Leading by nine points at the last change, the final scoreboard returned virtually the same margin.
Isaac Chugg was best for the winners, followed by Ryan Sparkes, Jack Blair, Josh Bates, Fergus O’Connor and Kaj Patterson.
Wonthaggi has put together a barnstorming run, losing only one game since the half-way mark of the year.
Subconsciously perhaps, the Lions had less to play for given they had the double-chance secured, and might not be overly concerned given the final margin was only 10 points against the in-form team of the competition.
Moe senior leaders Riley Baldi and Harri Sim did not play at the weekend, nor did leading forward Harry Pepper.
In what is looming as a good problem to have, Pepper’s replacement was Tom Blackshaw, who ended up getting in the best.
Lucas Forato was also in the best for the Lions, having re-joined the squad late in the season. Others to attract attention were Scott van Dyk, Ben Daniher, Luke Mulqueen and youngster Jordy Shields.
THE greatest dead-rubber of all played out as predicted.
Leonghatha, with the minor premiership sewn-up four weeks ago, warmed up for finals by annihilating Drouin 22.14 (146) to 3.5 (23)
Kye Quirk, Seb Amorosso, Jordan Kingi, Jarrod Marshall, Jack Fraser and Ed Morris, in his final game for Drouin before taking up the coaching job at Garfield, battled hard for the Hawks.
Jenson Garnham had a day out, kicking 10 goals, while Jarrod Stewart had to make do with four and Jack Hume three. The trio received plenty of supply from Kim Drew, Tom Marriott, and Jay Walker.
