WGLFL round 18 preview

By Ken Moore
ENTERING the penultimate round this week Garfield held slim hopes of pinching a spot in the top five. The Stars will need Lady Luck, relying on former Western Division colleague Drouin to knock off Moe this week while needing to defeat either Maffra or Traralgon in the final two rounds. Beating Maffra this week appears remote, however the Stars would fancy themselves at home next week against Traralgon, a team it narrowly lost to first time they met after controlling the majority of the match. If Moe doesn’t beat Drouin the Lions’ spot in the top five will be in jeopardy and out of its hands, for it gets the bye in the final round.
Garfield has shown good character to bounce back in the second half of the season and is brimming with the excitement of this week’s challenge.
The Stars kept their finals chances alive with a gritty fivepoint victory over Leongatha, well deserved after being on the wrong side in a number of close shaves.
Maffra’s winning streak sits at 42 after it was far too good for the secondplaced Sale last week. The only disappointing aspect of the game for the Eagles was a leg injury sustained by key defender Justin Staley, who sat disconsolately on the interchange bench at threequarter time last Sunday with his head in his hands and must be doubtful. As good as Maffra is, Staley is still an indispensable part of its team because if the Eagles have a weakness it is probably in the tall department, although Dale Batalha and Sam Bristow put in gallant efforts. Key Garfield midfielder Andy Soumilas is carrying an ankle injury that has forced him to operate out of the forward pocket and his presence up forward has added a new and potent dimension to the Stars’ forward line. Garfield will not win but it would be no surprise if it gives the Eagles their keenest contest for the season.
After a midseason slump Moe has rediscovered its early form to conjure two consecutive victories, get its season back on track and answer sceptics who had written the Lions off. The presence of Dean Caldow in tandem with the improved form of Jason Shields has provided badly needed firepower. Drouin will miss injured key utility Jordan Edwards (cartilage arthroscope) and Ben Thompson (leg) and perhaps leading goalkicker Dean Tunbridge, who missed last week’s match with pneumonia. On a positive note the Hawks will bolster its onball division with the return of assistant coach Jeremy Campbell. Drouin fielded seven under 18s last week and has the capacity to improve significantly and it must be a genuine chance. The Hawks had a threequartertime lead snatched from under its nose when it couldn’t manage a lastquarter goal against Morwell and it will learn from that setback. At home and with its season on the line I’ll lean towards Moe, but a Drouin victory would come as no surprise.
Coming off its best win of the season in round 15 and fresh from last week’s bye, the thirdplaced Traralgon would be confident it can dispense with Sale. Traralgon is starting to get key players back and firing and in contrast Sale is likely to be jaded after last week’s bruising affair against Maffra. The Magpies did not have an interchange bench in the second half last week and is likely to miss the experience of Stuart Anderson, who left the field in the first quarter against the Eagles with a hamstring injury and took no further part. Strapping ruckman Josh Callahan suffered minor concussion but should come up. Traralgon has the motivation to secure a double chance and keep Morwell at bay and I’ll back it to outpoint Sale, which will miss the experienced trio of ruckman Andrew Johnston, rugged utility Shane Fyfe and Anderson.
Leongatha hosts Morwell. The Parrots were gallant and unlucky against Garfield. The result is merely academic for Leongatha, however a loss for Morwell would deprive it of the opportunity to steal a double chance. Morwell captaincoach Anthony Magnuson led from the front last week when he moved himself into the middle in the last quarter to turn his team’s fortunes around. In Adam Bailey, Luke Franklin, Joel Soutar and Brett Embry the Tigers appear to have better form in the midfield. Like a good side Morwell performed when it mattered last week and it should get across the line this week.
Selections: Leongatha v MORWELL, MOE v Drouin, MAFFRA v Garfield, TRARALGON v Sale, Warragul – bye.