by Nicholas Duck
Drouin and Warragul meet once again this week as they look to add another chapter to their storied rivalry.
Elsewhere, a top of the table clash and a battle between two sides fighting desperately for a top five spot are the highlights in another promising round of Gippsland League action.
2:20pm start for all matches.
Saturday July 2
Leongatha vs Wonthaggi
Location: Leongatha Recreation Reserve
For the third time this year Leongatha finds themselves in a first vs second scenario as another team attempts to find a chink in their armour.
The Parrots have been just about perfect thus far this season, seeing off each and every challenger they've faced. It hasn't all been easy, and in fact their last two matches against Traralgon and Sale have seen them come the closest to losing all year, but nonetheless their unbeaten record has been preserved.
Those closer games do beg the question though, is a loss incoming? With just seven weeks left in the home and away season can they keep the motivation high enough to maintain the rage? They can certainly afford a loss, given they are 14 points clear on top of the ladder, but with how proud a club they are an unbeaten season would be an attractive accomplishment.
For their opponents this week, that kind of consistency seems to have clicked in recent weeks.
Wonthaggi, having come into this year as one of the strong premiership favourites, struggled to find their feet a bit earlier this year, but following some tight losses to Traralgon and Morwell they have now won their past four straight. Last week's demolition job of Warragul showed us that the Power may have just found their best footy once again, which they'll certainly need here.
The Power will take some confidence out of the fact they were the last team to beat Leongatha on their home deck back in 2021, but will need a solid improvement on their last performance against the Parrots in round three this year where they were easily brushed aside.
A Wonthaggi win here would signal to the rest of the competition that they mean serious business, but as it stands it's almost impossible to tip against Leongatha. Parrots to win.
Maffra vs Moe
Location: Maffra Recreation Reserve
Well this game certainly looms as an interesting one in the context of the season.
Maffra, having been forced to lie in wait just outside the top five for much of the year, finally found their opportunity to break in last week after one of the sides above them slipped up. The team they replaced in the top five? Moe.
Yes, while the Eagles are no longer the fearsome force fans around the league have come to know over the last decade, their wealth of experience around the ground has still led to them being thereabouts for most of the year. With players like Kade Renooy, Hudson Holmes and Ed Carr running around the middle, and Daniel Bedgood and Mitchell Bennett terrorising opposition defenders, there's just too much quality still left in this side to not be a threat to most teams they play.
For Moe though, what initially seemed like a highly promising season has fallen to pieces in recent times. They've lost four straight, and five of their past six, to find themselves stuck in sixth after having sat on top of the table earlier in the year.
Injuries and illness have played a part in their downfall, but in truth their lack of both height and skill has left them looking quite impotent at times, as shown by their capitulation to Morwell last week.
For a long time now, despite being consistently solid for a number of years, Moe has struggled to earn the same level of respect and fear some of the other teams in the league have enjoyed, and unless something changes quickly it appears this will be unlikely to change.
Moe has won the last four matches between these two sides, and given the importance this game could have in deciding the finals this year they'll be desperate to get a win here. Still, with their recent form Maffra will be going into this one with a lot of confidence and should get the job done.
Morwell vs Traralgon
Location: Traralgon Showgrounds
Morwell's finals dreams remain alive after their thrilling win against Moe last week, but things will be stepped up a notch this week as they travel down the road to play Traralgon.
The Tigers have been the big improvers in this year's competition, defying many punters' expectations of them to be six wins and five losses coming into this round. It means that, while they do sit in seventh, they're just one win behind the third-placed Maroons and a win and a half behind Wonthaggi in second.
Their youth has been a strong driving force behind their improvement, as their carefully planned rebuild has started to show some strong results on the field.
Despite this, their percentage remains rather weak compared to some of the teams above them, meaning they're going to need to claim some big scalps on the run home if they want to make it, and right now they don't come much bigger than Traralgon.
At their best, there's a serious argument that the Maroons have been the second best team in the league, but some costly losses have them fighting for a top three spot and a double chance.
Just two weeks ago they pushed Leongatha to near breaking point but just couldn't get the job done, which has been a theme in all of their losses as they haven't lost by more than 10 points all year.
The return of regulars Brett Eddy and Tye Hourigan will give the Maroons as boost, as well as the fact that this will be the first time they've played Morwell at Traralgon in three years.
Morwell definitely have plenty of upside and will be keen to push for finals, but Traralgon are a team with bigger aspirations and should be strong enough to see off the Tigers' challenge.
Fans should note that although Morwell is noted as the home team, this match will be played in Traralgon due to the Traralgon Showgrounds being unavailable in these two teams' round three match when the Maroons were the home side.
Sale vs Bairnsdale
Location: Sale Oval
Like some of the other teams around them, Sale find themselves in a dangerous position coming into round 12.
The Magpies are currently caught up a mid-table logjam where they are one of four sides all on six wins and five losses, with their percentage being the only thing keeping them in the top five.
They were a tad unlucky last week at Parrot Park, where they pushed the ladder leaders for the better part of three quarters. Still, 'good but not good enough' has been a bit of a theme for Sale in many of their games this year. They're a team whose best can be quite devastating when they're in full flight, but sometimes their defensive application has appeared to be conditional rather than a given at all times.
It's left them vulnerable, and they can hardly afford a loss against a team like Bairnsdale.
This season just hasn't fully come together for the Redlegs, who have been cursed with injury more than most sides in the Gippsland League, and though there has been some clear improvement as the season has progressed their inability to challenge the top teams has remained an issue.
They were thoroughly outplayed last week against Maffra, and the fact they haven't been able to defeat the Magpies in their last eight attempts doesn't bode well.
If Sale comes into this one with a lackadaisical attitude and gives Bairnsdale a sniff the Redlegs may be able to take advantage, but Sale should be winning this one and winning it well, lest they face the potentially perilous consequences of a loss.
Sunday July 3
Drouin vs Warragul
Location: Drouin Recreation Reserve
There's no sweeter victory than one found in a traditional rivalry, as Drouin and Warragul will be hoping to experience in this week's Western Derby.
That will be especially true given the respective seasons both sides have been going through. Between the two sides there have been just three wins and one draw thus far, making the prospect of a win this week over the old enemy all the more attractive.
Drouin, having had to begin the rebuild process this year, have shown some brilliance in flashes this year without being able to totally sustain a high level for long periods. When they get their run and carry, mixed with a healthy level of chaos, they've been able to hurt some sides on the rebound from half back. When this has been shut down though, they've struggled to find other ways to hurt teams.
The Hawks' improvement has been clear as the season has progressed, and their one-win record probably betrays how solid they've been at times, but until they find that consistency in games wins may remain elusive.
Warragul, meanwhile, have had a bit of a better go of things, having introduced some elite talent into their side this year to give them a serious boost.
It's created some new issues though, as they have at times been overly reliant on too few to get the job done. Their best each week has become familiar reading to many Gulls fans, often including the likes of Nick Graham, Jed Lamb and Sean Masterson. This speaks to the solid performances said players often give, but it means that at times the rest of the side has failed to contribute in meaningful ways.
The last time the Hawks and the Gulls did battle earlier this year it was Drouin who enjoyed a sensational 46-point victory, which remains their only victory this year.
However, it should be noted that that day Drouin enjoyed the services of Eddie Morris, who put in a midfield masterclass to inspire the younger players around him to new heights. Morris won't be with the Hawks this time, meaning their regular players will have to find a new level through the midfield if they are to contend with the likes of Graham and Nicholas Mulqueen.
A lot will also rest on Hawks ruck duo Tom Johnstone and Charlie Bethune to negate the effects of the Gulls star rucks in Sam Whibley and Mitchell Smart.
For the Gulls, while Morris was a big factor in their loss earlier in the year, Drouin's ability to double and triple team spearhead Jed Lamb was a major component in Warragul's scoring woes that day. The Gulls will either have to find other avenues to goal, or provide better support for Lamb to ensure he gets the one on one contests he needs to play a role.
There will no doubt be a lot of feeling in this one, and Warragul will be out for revenge since their last meeting was at the time seen as a bit of an upset.
This is a tough one to tip, but the Gulls have shown they can knock off some of the top sides at their best. Now they need to show that level in games they're expected to win.