by Nicholas Duck

Round four of the Gippsland League is here, and the ladder is starting to take shape, with a number of defining matches to come. Some of the top sides will see some real tests this week, while some of the lower ranked teams will get a chance to get their seasons back on track. Here's how this week's matches are looking:
Saturday April 30
Morwell vs Warragul
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Morwell Recreation Reserve
The Gulls were caught unawares last week in their derby match-up against Drouin, and will be very keen on redemption this week.
After going into that game as warm favourites, Warragul were held to three goals for the day in what was a disappointing result after a thrilling draw against Wonthaggi the previous week.
They may find a few challenges again this week against a young Morwell side who are certainly unafraid to take the game on.
The Tigers burst out of the gates last round against Traralgon to lead early before their manic style of play took its toll and lead to some tired bodies that the Maroons happily took advantage of.
Morwell will need to find some more structured avenues to goal, especially if they want to get past Sean Masterson, who is already putting together a team of the year season as the Gulls' primary intercept defender at half-back.
The last match between these two sides was an absolute thriller, as Warragul managed to withstand an incredible Morwell comeback to claim their one and only victory for last season.
Having missed out on a couple of chances for their first win of the season already, the Gulls will be looking to bounce back hard in this one and try to get their season on track.
Expect a good contest, particularly as both of these teams feature young sides full of talent that point towards bright futures for both clubs.
Drouin vs Wonthaggi
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Drouin Recreation Reserve
Fresh off an extremely impressive win against Warragul last week, the Hawks will be looking to spring another surprise this week against Wonthaggi.
With Drouin blooding a large number of younger players this year as they cover a number of off-season losses, the Hawks had significant early season struggles, but will be using last week's game as a blueprint to show their youngsters just what can happen when they all play their role.
Five goals to Kye Quirk was the highlight as the Hawks' forward line found some spark to go along with an extremely disciplined backline performance.
This week they play host to a Wonthaggi side that will be wanting to get their season moving after a bit of an indifferent start.
The Power, who have been widely tipped to be one of the real contenders, haven't set the world on fire so far and a six goal loss to Leongatha last week has showed they have some things to work on if they want to live up to their potential in 2022.
Drouin have unfortunately lost Ed Morris this week after his brilliant return game, but will be hopeful their younger charges can step up in his stead.
Wonthaggi will still start this game as warm favourites, but Drouin showed last week that they are still a team that is not to be taken lightly.
Leongatha vs Bairnsdale
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Leongatha Recreation Reserve
It's been business as usual for Leongatha this year, as the league's perennial top side once again looks to be the team to beat.
A strong win last week against Wonthaggi highlighted exactly what many people have known about the Parrots for years now: if you want to be the best in the Gippsland League you're going to have to go through Leongatha to get there.
It makes this week a scary prospect for Bairnsdale, who are now on the bottom of the ladder as the only side in the league to not have any points.
This does perhaps sell the Redlegs short though, as the team did just two rounds ago lead Maffra at half-time before succumbing in the second half, showing that Bairnsdale's best is nothing to scoff at.
They will certainly be up against it if recent history is anything to go by, as Leongatha have won the last 11 meetings between the sides and are looking to be a strong chance to make it 12 in a row.
Expect the Redlegs to be competitive, but Leongatha's class and experience should prove too much to handle.
Maffra vs Sale
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Maffra Recreation Reserve
Another week, another rivalry this round as Maffra and Sale once again clash in what promises to be fiery competition.
Following a strong start to the season Maffra came crashing back to Earth last week courtesy of a 37-point loss to premiership contender Moe.
After years of being one of the top-tier teams in the league, the Eagles have been out to prove that last year's slide was an aberration and not the new normal, and will be keen to bounce back against their bitter rivals.
They'll have to do it without their leading goalkicker Daniel Beddgood, meaning their other forwards will have to step up in his absence.
Sale, meanwhile, will be wanting to steal a win here to even up their ledger and continue their comeback after a 0-2 start to the year.
A solid win against Bairnsdale eased the pressure a bit, but a win here against the Eagles will give the side a lot more confidence going forward.
Maffra should start as warm favourites, especially given it's their home game, but the Magpies will be quietly confident that they can spoil the party.
Regardless, this will be a game that will tell us a lot not just about these two sides and their prospects, but about the current standings of the league as well.
Moe vs Traralgon
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Ted Summerton Reserve
This is a game shaping up to be the match of the round, as these two sides both have solid premiership credentials behind them.
Moe sent a warning to the rest of the league last week through their strong win over Maffra, and currently sit top of the league.
Traralgon, meanwhile, have set themselves up nicely early in the year, their only loss being a narrow round one defeat to Leongatha that certainly didn't see them lose any admirers.
Both of these teams were tipped pre-season to be contenders and have lived up to that thus far, making this a tantalising match-up so early in the season.
This is the first time these teams have met each other in almost three years so recent history does not count for much, though it should be noted 2019 marked the first time in over a decade that the Lions beat Traralgon twice in one season.
Expect this to be a real clash between two quality forward lines, Moe being led by brilliant goalsneak Harrison Pepper and Traralgon by the brutal one-two punch of Jake Best and Brett Eddy.
Both of these teams can score and score heavily, and this will be a genuinely tough result to predict but should be a cracking game regardless.