By Andrew Paloczi
WONTHAGGI’S injury-ravaged playing stocks took a further hit with backmen Shannon Bray and Isaac Chugg unable to take the field in Warragul, and while Power’s available personnel gave their all, the Gulls had control of the contest throughout against the youngest Senior side Power has ever fielded.
With 13 Senior players out of action, Wonthaggi had a couple of 17-year-olds in its team, Jasper Shone having become a fixture in the ruck this season, while Jayden Burns made his Senior debut.
Such was the inexperience of the Power outfit, Warragul was able to maintain control of the game during a 15-minute period in which Wonthaggi held a numerical advantage onfield after Gull Isaac Wallace was shown a yellow card during the second quarter for striking opponent Ryan Sparkes in the stomach.
That incident was captured clearly in the match-day footage.
While Power appeared set to take advantage of having an extra man, with pinpoint delivery from Kyle Yann to Kaj Patterson setting up a Wonthaggi goal soon after the send-off, Warragul hit back late in the term while still a player short.
The Gulls booted three goals in time on to soar to a 33-point halftime lead and were never threatened thereafter.
Patterson finished the match as Power’s only multiple-goal scorer, kicking a couple, while Yann was named Wonthaggi’s best ahead of talented other young players Noah Anderson and Hunter Tiziani.
Wonthaggi’s football director Stuart Gilmour was delighted with Yann’s game.
“Kyle played inside mid and his contested footy was really good,” Gilmour said, praising Yann’s clean ball use, energetic approach and versatility in being able to also contribute strongly on the outside when needed, all that aged just 21.
While not listed in the beaten side’s best, Kyle Reid worked stoically in an under-siege backline and skipper Josh Bates gave his all around the ball, Reid unfortunately receiving a yellow card late in the second quarter for rough conduct.
Although Jakeb Thomas, Fergus O’Connor and Tom Murray are out for the season, encouragingly, for Wonthaggi Aiden Lindsay is back on the training track after tearing his quad in the opening round and Jack Blair is expected back in action in the not-too-distant future after some health challenges.
The latest absences were forced by Chugg straining his hamstring against Moe and Bray dealing with a sciatica issue.
With the Power side taking on Warragul, having an average age around 21 years, the experience young players are getting will no doubt prove beneficial down the track.
Tom Hobbs was excellent for the victorious Gulls, his skill and physicality evident wherever he was on the ground, and he finished with a couple of majors to his name.
He was only behind Sean Masterson on Warragul’s best players list, while strong-marking Jordan Stewart topped the winning side’s goal-kicking returns with four majors, one ahead of Brayden Fowler.
Wonthaggi is back on home turf this Saturday against Maffra, a side Power accounted for by 29 points in Round 2, but the Eagles arrive full of confidence after a thumping 81-point win over Sale.
Power currently sits fourth on the ladder, just a win ahead of Morwell and Warragul, setting up an intriguing encounter between the Tigers and the Gulls at Morwell Recreation Reserve.
