West Gippsland Latrobe League round 1 preview

By Ken Moore
WHEN the WGLFL season kicks off this week last season’s surprise packet Drouin will host preliminary finalist Moe. Former Warragul 2003 premiership player Danny Murphy has taken over the coaching role at Hawkland with support from former Warragul and 2005 Catani premiership forward Brent Mounsey. With hardly any new additions to the senior squad the Hawks will be pinning their hopes on youth.
The good news for Drouin is that neversaydie utilities Marc Olsen and Chris Wallace will be back. Both missed almost all last season with injury. Key forward Damian Carmody is still recovering from a knee reconstruction and is unlikely to be available until midseason. Keep a watch out for young runners Mick Ablett and Matt Hedley along with key position players Bobby McCallum and Jordan Edwards, who all look set to make a big impact.
Moe finished full of running last season and with a touch of luck could have knocked over the premier Traralgon in the preliminary final. With Lachlan Sim still in charge, it is unlikely to get ahead of itself and carried away with its big finish to the season. Dean Caldow’s presence engineered the Lions mid to lateseason revival last year and has been appointed assistant coach. With multiple forward options and good speed through the middle the Lions should be too strong for the Hawks.
Traralgon, premier after its shock defeat of Maffra, will unfurl its 2006 flag as a prelude to its home clash against Warragul. On paper, the contest between last season’s premiers and wooden spooners looks a little uneven.
Warragul has picked up handy players in ruckman Matt Gray, winner of the Ellinbank League bestandfairest trophy and Rob Murphy, a 2003 premiership player, returns to the club along with Nick Humphrey after one season at NeerimNeerim South. John Reid returns from Warragul Industrials and Ben Hughes joins from NilmaDarnum.
With assistant coach Hayden Smart likely to be sidelined all season with a bone spur in his foot, Warragul’s Achilles heel again looks to be a lack of genuine forward targets. Traralgon’s 2000 premiership player Peter Smith has rejoined the club from Glengarry and another new face could be halfforward Lee Stockdale. With a similar lineup to last season the Maroons should be too accomplished for Warragul.
Leongatha will host Morwell. The Parrots have struggled to attract recruits and look to be in for a lean season. Morwell has had a good preseason with a victory over Moe and was runnerup to Traralgon in the preseason cup. With the return of Beau Sheridan and the arrival of Yinnar recruits Sam Mills and Jimmy Dowling and Paynesville tall Kirk Somerville, the Tigers should travel back home with the four match points.
On Sunday, Sale welcomes Maffra. The Magpies still have bad memories from last season’s round 16 clash, when they were touched up on the field and on the scoreboard. The Magpies never recovered from that bruising loss and thereafter their season collapsed. This year, under new coach Darren Hall, the Magpies look a far better unit. They have picked up two top onball recruits, former Adelaide Crow Jacob Schuback and South Adelaide’s Chris Laverty.
This season Maffra will be without key defenders Justin Staley, Scott Henning, Scott Scicluna and 2005 leading goalkicker Andrew Gieschen, however it still has a formidable midfield and I’ll tip Maffra to narrowly beat the Magpies.
Fixtures, with likely winners in capitals, are:
TRARALGON v Warragul
Drouin v MOE
Leongatha v MORWELL
Sale v MAFFRA (Sunday)
Garfield bye