By Ken Moore
DROUIN jumped to second place on the ladder after it trampled all over a listless and depleted Morwell by 74 points on Saturday.
The Hawks looked to be in for a difficult afternoon when they held only a two-point lead at quarter-time but in the second quarter the Tigers succumbed to the constant Hawk pressure and the home side shot out to a 36-point lead at the main break.
Uncharacteristically for the Tigers, from then on they offered little resistance and, not surprisingly, the statistics reveal Drouin won in every facet of the game.
After quarter-time the Hawks were far more incisive with their ball movement.
Midfield dynamo Andy Soumilas rustled up a stack of possessions and was given great support from Sam Proctor, who did plenty of grunt work in and around the packs, while Daniel Barrand and Pat McGrath also garnered plenty of the ball.
Dean Woodhead was used in the ruck and the forward line where he helped himself to five goals and along with Chris Dunne, proved hard to stop.
David Olsen, Jay Barr, Hayden Calway and Wayne Morris all provided frugal defence.
For Morwell’s Michael “Chunky” Duncan took a few good grabs and offered resistance at both ends, Joel and Devon Soutar, the latter in his 100th game, were busy midfield.
The only positive to come out of the game from a Tiger perspective was in the performance of youngsters Luke Brereton and Matt Sholtz, who several contested disposals.
WARRAGUL remains on the bottom of the ladder and yet to open its winning account after a 34-point loss to Moe.
The Gulls trailed by 41 points at three-quarter-time but the game creaked to life in the last quarter when they lifted appreciably to bridge the gap to only 13 points before the Lions steadied with the last four goals off the match.
Strong bodied forwards Ash Payne (four goals) and Tom Johnson (three) menaced the Gulls’ defence all afternoon and star recruit Ryan Donaldson, despite close attention from Brendan Sheehan, also steered through four goals.
Troy Makepeace, Tom Long and David Collins, the latter back from Casey Scorpions, were the catalyst behind many of the Lions’ forward thrusts.
His brother Ben and former Beaconsfield teammate Kane Airdrie both set up attacks from defence.
Seventeen-year-old rising star and Gippsland Power squad member Tom Fusinato was the lifeblood of Warragul’s midfield and his ability to win many centre clearances was a feature of his superb game.
Ruckman Matt Gray and Mark Bradley performed well and used good bodywork to often outmanoeuvre their opponents and Tom Carey made a number of telling interceptions and played another fine game in defence.
A 10-GOAL second half by table-topping Sale turned a four-point half-time lead into a resounding 45-point victory under lights at Leongatha on Saturday night.
Star Magpie recruit Matt Ferguson hauled in many top grabs and kicked seven goals but sullied an almost a perfect game by also slotting through seven behinds.
Peter McFarlane, a fly-in player from Darwin this season, teamed well with Ferguson and set up the former St Kilda utility with at least four of his majors and robust midfielders Shane Fyfe and Corey Scholtes added plenty of oomph around the packs.
Sale’s team work, unity and physical strength has troubled all sides this season and the Magpies are going to take some beating.
Leongatha played on at all costs and annoyed Sale with its leg speed in the first half but the intensity waned after the main break.
Young Zac Griffiths and Aaron Heppell, with three goals each, showed plenty of promise and Beau Vernon was a prolific kick winner, as was Rhett Kelly.
WONTHAGGI went to Traralgon and left unrewarded after a 23-point loss. The match was entertaining and full of momentum swings.
Maroons rover Danny Campbell linked the lines all game and was the most influential player in the game and Steve Hazelman, playing in a wing position, drove the ball forward regularly.
Defender Michael Burge and Gippsland Power’s Matt Northe and Nick Graham showed their wares and Kym Harrold did well to restrict Power playmaker Ryan Underwood to only one goal in the second half after he snagged four in the first.
Wonthaggi lost drive in the third quarter when ruckman Earl Shaw received a knock and left the ground with concussion.
Midfield Andrew Seccull and the diminutive Jack Blair siphoned the ball from the scrimmages all game and Chris Wylie was handy in ruck after Shaw left the field. Mick Kelly, a 17-year-old debutant impressed, as did, Aiden Lindsay, back from the Casey Scorpions.
LEAGUE newcomers Bairnsdale suffered its second consecutive loss with a 61-point defeat at Maffra. The reigning premier rammed on seven second-quarter goals to give it a 41-point half-time lead and put the result beyond doubt.
Mobile Eagles forward Brent Connolly bagged six goals, Gippsland Power’s Danny Butcher offered terrific drive, Kelvin Porter was his ever-busy self and Matt Johnson was good at the back.
Redlegs coach Brenton Cowell worked his socks off to lift his team, Tom Bryan played well in a tagging role and James Gibbs made his mark across the forward line when given an opportunity.
Reagan Kyle had a crack against his old team and debutant and fellow half-back Andrew Nelson, up from the under-18s, stood up to the pressure and looks a likely type.
