WONTHAGGI Power kept their finals hopes alive on Saturday with a confidence-boosting, 47-point win over a visiting Sale side in wet and slippery conditions that demanded resolve and commitment at the contest.
Energy levels were up across the board from the Power players from the outset, as they needed to be to snuff out Sale’s hopes of a cheeky away win against a team that had lost to Drouin and Morwell in consecutive weeks.
The vultures were circling but with a snapshot for a point from the coach, Jarryd Blair in the opening seconds, followed by a well worked goal by Cooper McInnes, initiated by Brodie Mabilia in the ruck and Hunter Tiziani on the move, they were on their way.
And Wonthaggi never looked back despite some early pressure from the Pies.
Mabilia put his stamp on the game from the first bounce, at least breaking even with big Jack Leslie in the ruck, but constantly following up in a ruck-rover role to get the ball moving Wonthaggi’s way. And together with other onballers, Kaj Patterson, Ryan Sparkes and Josh Bates, he had a big say in the clearance stats that set up the comprehensive win.
There was good competition from Cooper Whitehall, closely checking Power playmaker Sparkes at the stoppages, Jack Johnstone and Bates facing off and Kaj Patterson working off the prolific Shannen Lange to have a real impact on the game.
But Wonthaggi’s defenders, especially Jye Gilmour, set the tone early with some hard tackling and hard running, Gilmour combining with Bates and Jack Blair early, starting to run into some good form at half forward, in a move that provided a pattern out of the back half for Power.
A stinging tackle on Lange by Patterson proved there was a bit of feeling in the wet-weather contest and despite a clearing punch by Jarvis Harvey, Sale’s Tom Campbell had their first shot for a point, followed by a goal from the kick out.
Power fans needn’t have been concerned though. Patterson engineered the next forward move and it was Jack Blair, in typically courageous fashion, who capped it off with a goal after a 50-metre penalty.
Harry Dawson was having a run through the centre and as more Power players got involved, they started to take control, especially coming off half back where Isaac Chugg and Gilmour were showing the way, getting plenty of help from willing on-ballers.
Jack Blair was creative up forward and McInnes might have kicked an easy one before Sale’s ruckman Leslie returned fire up the other end after a free kick with a straight shot for goal.
Ethan Dickison took a fine contested mark, between two Sale players on the coach’s box wing which ultimately finished in a goal to Cooper McInnes, followed in quick succession by one from the coach.
Josh Bates gave Mabilia a chop out in the ruck and Patterson was continuing to get first hands on the ball in one of his best games for Wonthaggi.
Sale pulled one back late through Harry Ronchi but Wonthaggi had all the answers. Aiden Lindsay slotted a beauty from a tight angle, in front of the grandstand, and after the quarter time siren, Harry Dawson stretched the lead to three – how important it is to make those chances count.
The Power was leading six goals to three in what shaped as a low-scoring, dour contest, but it was Cooper McInnes who got the first right after the restart and the four-goal lead already looked decisive.
They outscored Sale five goals to two in the second half as the Wonthaggi team defence took complete control.
The return to form by Wonthaggi, featuring a balanced effort across the ground and more players back from injury, sets up a very interesting final four weeks of the season, starting at Bairnsdale next Saturday followed by Traralgon and Leongatha at home and Moe away in the last round.
It won’t just be enough for Wonthaggi to beat Bairnsdale and Traralgon over the next fortnight, they’ll almost certainly have to beat one of the flag favourites, Leongatha or Moe, to secure their place in the ‘final five’.
