Garfield’s Mal McKenna spills a chest mark under pressure from Drouin’s Jordan Edwards. Picture: Luke Plummer.By Ken Moore
HAS Warragul arrived as a force?
That is the question after the Gulls announced themselves as a legitimate premiership threat when they upset ladder leader Sale with a hard 11point victory in a lowscoring affair.
The Gulls’ onball division of Ryan Davey, Leigh Sheehan, Des Barr, Nick Edney and John Reid played strong hands, instigating many forays, and Craig Rollinson did well to curtail the usual dominance of Shane Fyfe.
In defence, David ScottSmith kept the league’s leading goalkicker Chris Aurisch to only three majors and had a good ally in Brendan Sheehan.
Veteran Magpies Kane Fraser, who played on Davey, and Stuart Anderson both won plenty of possessions and wingman Tim Bristow and Russell McAdam proved a nuisance to Warragul all afternoon.
Quite incredibly, the Gulls’ victory represented a staggering 135point turnaround from their roundsix loss to Sale, when it could muster a solitary goal.
Garfield cruised to a 76point victory over Drouin.
After a tight tussle early, the Stars broke clear halfway through the first term with four unanswered goals to take a 23point lead into the first break.
Drouin rallied in the second quarter with goals by Marty Phillips and Shane Mooney to trim the margin to only 12 points midterm, but this was as close as the Hawks got for the rest of the afternoon.
Late in the second quarter, goals on the run by Shaun Pickering and Stuart Edwards, Shane Reid (his third) and Ben Marsh put the game firmly in the Stars’ grasp.
In the second half the game never rose to any great heights, Garfield never looked in any danger and built on its 35point halftime lead.
Ben Marsh, Jake Hower and Shaun Pickering played important roles in seizing control of the midfield halfway through the first quarter.
Reid, with four goals (including three before halftime) provided a target and Tom Marsh across the halfback line plucked in countless marks.
Captain and centre halfback Ben Soumilas and goal sneak Mal McKenna (three goals) both acquitted themselves well in their 200th games.
Brent and Dean McFarlane offered plenty of resistance in defence and Stuart Edwards was busy at the fall of the ball.
The league’s 2005 best and fairest, Andy Soumilas, was a surprise inclusion but barely left the forward pocket.
Soumilas, along with Danny O’Brien, was well short of match fit, had little impact and were used extensively off the interchange bench throughout.
Ruckrover Jordan Edwards was Drouin’s best, a feature of his game being his courageous marking and hard attack on the ball.
David Olsen did well in the last line of defence and Travis Delarue made his presence felt midfield.
There was a lot to like about young halfbacks Matt Hedley and Chris Jones and wingman Jayson Barwick, who all seemed likely types.
Bob McCallum took strong marks but, stationed at centre halfforward, was often starved of the ball.
The 2005 premier Traralgon jumped to fourth position when it thrashed Leongatha by 125 points.
The Maroons set the tone when they raced to a fivegoal quartertime lead and such was their dominance they racked up 11 majors before Leongatha notched its first goal.
Traralgon forward Matt Fitzgerald stalked the goals, displayed clever skills and showed he was on the verge of becoming a topline forward with five majors.
Daniel Pahl and Peter Smith were involved in a good deal of the midfield action and Rowan Hore at centre halfforward and in the ruck impressed.
Leigh Cummins played a measured game in defence and Dane McGennisken used his body strength well to create many scoring opportunities.
Disappointingly, after a month of improved football, Leongatha’s play lacked conviction and its performance was not dissimilar to many of its ordinary efforts earlier in the year.
Defenders Paul LePage, Mark Hardy and Jack Hughes gave it their all but, with its midfield soundly beaten, Leongatha was helpless to prevent a steady stream of Traralgon goals.
Moe tumbled from the top five after it was brushed aside by Maffra, losing by 107 points.
The Burgiel brothers, Adrian (six goals) and Hayden (five) were at their brilliant best and Sam Bristow was a pillar of strength in defence.
Maffra’s dominance was illustrated on the scoresheet, which showed 10 players get among the goals.
Nick Horsford returned to the lineup and slotted home four goals and talented utility Daniel Stubbe with four goals has been a hit since coming to the Eagles from Sale City.
Gary Blandford, Tocumwal recruit Joe Pedemont, speedster Matt Dickason and veteran Chris Smogavec won plenty of possessions but again Moe struggled to find a regular avenue to goal.
