MORWELL has stayed alive in the race for the Gippsland League premiership after a thrilling five-point win over a plucky Warragul side, who staged a late run at the Tigers in the elimination final at Wonthaggi on Sunday.
But the winning margin brought into sharp focus a disputed goal kicked by Morwell’s Josh Galea in the opening minutes of the last quarter.
Leading by 14 points at the time, it stretched Morwell’s lead to a defendable 20 points but the Gulls’ defenders would certainly have called on the AFL’s score review technology if it was available.
Galea had put himself in harm’s way to take a hotly-contested mark, 35 metres out on a 45-degree angle, but while he was setting up for the kick, his Warragul opponent edged forward a metre or two on the mark and it almost proved crucial.
Galea kicked the ball high and straight, and it either just cleared the line or was touched by a Warragul defender and in the confusion, the field umpire raced in to confer with the goal umpire.
After a short conversation, the umpire gave it the “all clear” and the goal umpire signalled with two fingers and waved the two flags.
But the Gulls’ defenders continued to appeal to the field umpire, aware that a 20-point margin was going to be tough to beat.
Warragul’s Lamb pulled one back at the 12-minute mark and they continued to drive it forward to the Wonthaggi Pool end of the ground, favoured by the wind.
Five minutes later they had another on the board and it was “game on” only 8 points the difference and the Gulls back in attack again through Tom Stern and co.
Warragul peppered the scoring zone and trailing by a goal, Jed Lamb had a chance to at least equalise late in the quarter but only a point resulted.
A short time later the siren sounded and Morwell had held off a looming Warragul team to set up a First Semi-final clash against Moe at the Ted Summerton Reserve next Sunday.
