Gulls get past Eagles

by Nicholas Duck
A late flurry of goals has seen Warragul overcome a plucky Maffra side to maintain their unbeaten start to the season on Saturday.
The Gulls were given more than a good fight by the visitors in what turned out to be an engrossing affair at Western Park.
As the game wore on, however, Warragul's experience began to win out. The Gulls came home with a wet sail late, booting seven of the last eight goals of the day and moving to 5-0 in the process.
The 17.11 (113) to 12.10 (82) victory sees Warragul sitting on top of the ladder with a percentage over 200.
Seven goals from Jed Lamb on his return to the home side proved vital through the early stages of the game when the teams were locked in a real arm wrestle.
People sometimes forget Lamb won the league goalkicking in 2022, the former Gulls coach still a big danger when he gets in a one-on-one.
At times the game looked like a shootout between Lamb and emerging Maffra star Seth Smith, who backed up his 10-goal effort last week with six against the Gulls.
That arm wrestle was in large part thanks to some sloppy play from the Gulls, who struggled at times to adjust to the Eagles' pressure around the footy. They mostly kept themselves going courtesy of their accuracy in front of goal.
Past half time it was a different story - Warragul went from just nine scoring shots in the first half to 19 in the second, cleaning up their play and looking much better with ball in hand.
Warragul co-captains Tom Hobbs and Tom Stern again led from the front as the pair gathered plenty of the ball and kicked two goals each. With Hobbs leading the midfield and Stern the forward line it's been an effective combination so far.
Young guns Caleb McIntosh and Riley Senini were influential along with ruck Sam Whibley, who enjoyed a solid battle against Maffra big man Thomas Scott.
Eagles star Jett Killoran stood tall in the midfield against some of the Gulls' bigger bodies in another standout performance for the Maffra vice-captain.
Scott and Smith were unsurprisingly among their side's best, as were Max Stobie, Sam Anderson and Thomas Phillips.
Early indications were that we were in for another strong Warragul win when majors to Hobbs and Luke Garner had the home side up and about just minutes in. Despite Smith responding courtesy of a downfield free, further scores to Lamb and Cameron Thompson put the Gulls into a good spot.
When Maffra's relentless pressure began to win out, however, they found their groove. The visitors kicked the last three of the quarter to take a four-point lead into the first break.
The teams went blow for blow in the second, the Gulls showing off some remarkable goalkicking to kick eight straight before their first behind.
The back and forth continued past half time, where Lamb looked the Gulls' most likely target any time they went inside 50.
Usual key forward Jordan Stewart was deployed in a role further up the field, creating plenty of chances despite going goalless himself.
Late in the third a Hobbs set shot soared through from the paint of 50 to level the scores before Whibley was able to get rid of Scott at a throw-in, snapping truly and putting Warragul in front at three quarter time.
Sam Grummisch put one through not long into the last and suddenly things were turning Warragul's way.
Lamb and Whibley got in on the party again - Lamb putting through two in the last - as Caleb McIntosh put the final exclamation mark on the day to seal his side's fifth straight victory.
Warragul coach Gary Ayres was pleased with his side's ability to adjust and improve in the second half.
"It was a good game in that from a pressure point of view it was the most we've experienced yet so credit to Maffra for that," he said.
"I thought we were a bit sloppy at times and then that contributed to the execution being a little bit off.
"After half time we tidied a few things up but just didn't quite kick straight, if we'd done that we probably could have won by more."
Now at 5-0 Warragul have a great base to build from but will get a real test over their next three games.
The Gulls face Traralgon away this week before a week off and from there will take on Leongatha and Moe.
They still have plenty of players to welcome back, including Vinnie Caia, Kai MacLean, Liam Serong, Rhys Galvin and Paddy Mulqueen.
Time to see where they truly sit in the pecking order.