by Nicholas Duck
Round eight of the Gippsland League is here and the top four teams are all meeting in what is sure to be a blockbuster round that will shape the top five as it stands. Here's how this week's matches are looking.
Saturday May 28
2:20pm start for all matches
Leongatha vs Moe
Location: Leongatha Recreation Reserve
The top two teams in the Gippsland League do battle as Moe travels to face the toughest assignment in the entire league.
Leongatha have firmed into strong premiership favouritism after an undefeated start to the year, looking every bit the mighty team they've been for a very long time now.
Boasting a talented forward line, a strong defensive unit and just about the best contested ball midfield in the land it's tough to see where the Parrots will drop their first game, if at all.
Not only that, but they will be welcoming back some strong players like Aaron Hillberg and Luke Bowman this week to make what is already a tough ask for Moe even harder.
The Lions enjoyed a sparkling start to the season but a loss to Sale two weeks ago followed by a tough, dogged win against Drouin last round have Moe looking a lot shakier than they once did.
Gippsland Power star and last week's best on ground Bailey Humphrey is an out this week along with midfield bull Riley Baldi, though the inclusion of Harrison Sim will go some way to alleviating these issues.
Adding to these issues, the Lions have won just one of their last 21 against Leongatha, and haven't won at the Parrots' home fortress since 2009.
Moe will need to find some efficiency up forward and some goalkicking options outside of Harry Pepper if they hope to be in this game.
Leongatha should likely win this one, though a Moe win would go a long way to re-establishing the Lions as a premier side in the league.
Morwell vs Drouin
Location: Morwell Recreation Reserve
Drouin heads down the freeway to meet Morwell in what is sure to be a tense battle between two rebuilding sides.
The Hawks were desperately unlucky not claim an upset win over Moe last week, as a last quarter flurry from the Lions saw them escape with the four points.
Still, for large stretches of that match Drouin were well on top, showing once again that though they struggle for consistency their best is still enough to make most sides nervous.
Jacob Konstanty, who starred for the Hawks last week, returns to playing for Gippsland Power this week, while Tom Barr is also out, leaving gaps in the Hawks' side they will be hoping some of their young guns can fill.
Morwell, meanwhile, will be full of confidence after pulling off a stunning one-point upset win over Wonthaggi last week.
Having started their rebuild a couple of years ago, the Tigers are now truly starting to see some positive results on the field as their younger players step up into significant roles around the ground.
Drouin have won their last four against Morwell, and in fact haven't lost to the Tigers at their home ground since 2017 which will give the Hawks plenty of confidence.
Still, these two teams are at different stages of their respective rebuilds and given the head start Morwell has they should be expecting to claim another win, but if the Hawks can bring the same heat they had last week don't be shocked if they keep that win streak going.
Traralgon vs Sale
Location: Traralgon Showgrounds
Third meets fourth in a clash that will have significant consequences on the ladder and the teams all vying for a spot in the top five.
Following their big win over Bairnsdale last week, Traralgon moved into fourth at the expense of Wonthaggi and are looking to entrench themselves at the top end of the table following an inconsistent start to the year.
The Maroons, as it stands right now, are a team whose best is more than enough to beat most sides but just don't quite show it enough to be in the upper echelon of the league.
Catch them on an off day and they've been somewhat vulnerable, though it should be noted all three of their losses have been under 10 points, meaning that they've never been truly out of any of their games.
Tye Hourigan returns this week, providing a significant boost to what is on paper an already strong side.
The Maroons will certainly be hoping to bring their best footy this week against Sale, whose season is now well and truly on track after an indifferent start.
The Magpies have won their last five and are now looking the goods as a potential premiership contender, especially after knocking off the previously undefeated Moe two weeks ago.
In their one meeting last year it was Sale who had the better time, but this should be a highly contested affair.
Sale will likely be slight favourites, but either way this game should be a brilliant one.
Warragul vs Maffra
Location: Western Park
After winning their first game of the year a few weeks ago it's been a tough run for Warragul, who have had to play two of the league's elite teams in succession and found troubles against both.
Sizeable losses to Leongatha and Sale have left the Gulls stranded in eighth spot, just two points ahead of Drouin and Bairnsdale.
A win against Traralgon and a draw against Wonthaggi have shown their best is quite good when their tackling pressure is up, but a forward line that is too centred around one player has proved to be an Achilles Heel.
Jed Lamb is undoubtedly a star and one of the best forwards in the league, but the Gulls have struggled to find consistent avenues to goal outside of him.
A deep forward line has rarely been an issue in recent times for their opponents, who come into this week needing a win to keep in touch with the top five.
Maffra aren't the team they used to be, and have won just one of their last five games.
With forwards like Daniel Beddgood and Mitchell Bennett the Eagles aren't left wanting for talent up forward but just can't keep up with sides in the midfield like they used to.
Maffra did defeat the Gulls the last time they met at Western Park, but it should be noted that Warragul had the better of the three prior meetings at their home ground.
The Eagles will go into this one favourites, but when Warragul gets a sniff they've shown they can take the opportunity and will be eyeing off this game as a serious chance to claim another scalp.
Wonthaggi vs Bairnsdale
Location: Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve
After coming into this season as one of the premiership favourites Wonthaggi finds themselves in serious need of a win to get their year back on track.
Having lost their last two games, the Power are sitting in fifth place with three wins, three losses and one draw.
It's a rather indifferent record for a side that promised a lot coming into this year, and without a fast correction could see them in serious danger of falling out of the top five altogether.
Thankfully for Wonthaggi, however, this week they meet a team they have conquered in 10 of their last 12 meetings with.
Bairnsdale's season has been cursed by injury and illness, meaning they've rarely been able to put their full team on the park, but just one win in eight games has left them stranded on the bottom of the ladder.
They showed some signs of life last week in the second quarter against Traralgon but just can't seem to match it with the best teams for very long.
If Wonthaggi truly means business in 2022 they should be pencilling this in as a big win, and with all the members of the top four meeting each other this round a big win could see their ladder position change in a significant way.