THE sun was blazing hot on a May 10 day at Sale on Saturday for the clash between Wonthaggi Power in second place on the ladder and Sale in ninth.
However, with big Jack Leslie doing well in the ruck, coach Jack Johnstone a looming presence up forward and Sale playmaker Shannen Lange getting first hands on the ball, the home side gave at least as good as they got in the first quarter.
Out of the Wonthaggi side that won a season-defining match at Morwell the previous week were Jye Gilmour, Tom Macmillan and Jarvis Harvey and in came Tom Murray, Reeve Moresco and Andrew McNeal.
Lange was quickly into the action for the Pies, driving Sale into attack off half back, but equally Issac Chugg and Kyle Reid were putting their stamp on the Power defence.
The first score came via a good contest by Harry Dawson, a possession by Noah Anderson and an early shot by Brodie Mabilia for a point.
Andrew McNeal was picking up the prolific possession getter Lange and a crunching tackle by him out on the wing put the 2023 league medal winner on notice.
It was tight and tough in the opening 10 minutes with no goals scored despite the lightning-fast conditions at Sale but ultimately it was Sale coach Johnstone who broke through after what looked to be a soft free kick.
Lange was continuing to get his share at the stoppages, driving forward to where big Jack Leslie was caught high. He missed a gettable shot, but Sale continued to pepper the scoring zone, keeping the Power back six under constant pressure early.
Isaac Chugg was a dynamo around the flanks where he forced a stoppage, Tom Murray swept it away and Brodie Mabilia ran on to the loose ball for the Power’s belated first goal at the 18-minute mark.
Fergus O’Connor, Reid, Josh Schulz, Jaxon Williams and Ethan Dickison were holding up well in defence, but Sale’s defenders were also rebounding strongly, and the scoring remained low through to the first break.
The output of Wonthaggi’s Ryan Sparks was being curbed somewhat by Sale’s Lachie Ronchi with Kaj Patterson picking up some of the slack but ultimately it was Cooper McInnes who marked in the goal square with only seconds to go in the quarter and Wonthaggi had the lead as the siren sounded.
It was the same again at the start of the second quarter but with Wonthaggi teaming together well, they had the ball in their half for the first 10 minutes, young Jasper Shone driving it forward to where Sparks received front and centre to kick the Power’s third from close range.
A minute later, though Tom Campbell responded for Sale and it was still a good contest.
Sale’s Leslie got the tap in the centre but Shone sharked the ball only to see Jake Hutchins out-mark Wonthaggi key forward Mabilia. Those two were having a really good contest in the Power scoring zone.
A goal saving tackle by Schulz and a mark on the last line by Reid stopped Sale equalising but they evened it up again via the talented Bohdi Walker and well into the second quarter it was ‘game on’ three-goals all in a low-scoring, defensive affair and that's how they went into the long break with Noah Anderson unable to convert two chances in a congested Power goal square.
Half time: Sale 3.5.23 to Wonthaggi 3.7.25.
However, in workmanlike fashion, rather than with flashy play, it was Wonthaggi which came out full of intent in the second half with Cooper McInnes setting the tone with a long bomb for goal from 50 metres and Isaac Chugg continuing to show the way in transition.
Ryan Sparks won a possession the hard way at half back, was awarded a free and 50 metres before finding Chugg on the move and then Hunter Tiziani whose second effort and tackle produced a free at half forward and a team-lifting goal.
When Chugg, Connor Macmillan and Jai Williams combined for another goal soon after, Wonthaggi had cleared out to a 21-point lead and had assumed control in the contest, which they maintained to the last break after a goal-saving mark on the line by Jaxon Williams.
The Power was now in complete control at the defensive end and had doubled Sale's score, 23 to 46 with a quarter to go.
Andrew McNeal still had an arm across Lange and was burrowing in at the stoppages, and he had plenty of mates as Power kicked into gear in the last quarter. Superb running play by Chugg, giving and receiving from Josh Bates produced as good a goal as you'd ever want to see, with Jai Williams capping it off from long range and another by Mabilia, the result of an overhead hand pass by Jakeb Thomas had Wonthaggi out to an unassailable lead.
Vigorous play by Sale's Johnstone, ended up with a goal to Tom Wrigglesworth but there were to be no herocis from the home side as Wonthaggi maintained control down back and up forward.
A coast to coast goal starting with Kyle Reid on to Jaxon Williams and then Jai Williams, who took a contested mark, before kicking truly was a sign for the future from Wonthaggi before a couple of late strikes by Sale's Walker produced two much-needed majors for them.
Despite the disparity in the scores at the end, Sale had given an honest account of themselves forcing Wonthaggi to keep at it all day in order to take the four points.
Final scores: Wonthaggi 10.12.72 def Sale 6.5.41.
