Withering finish wins it for Warragul at Wonthaggi

WONTHAGGI Power was in front of Warragul for 98 of the 100 minutes of Saturday’s match of the day at Wonthaggi but gave up a goal to the Gulls’ Brad Hefford, with little more than a minute to go, to lose a thriller by just three points.

Battling but beaten by Wonthaggi’s ruckmen Daniel Bourke and Brodie Mabilia for much of the day, Warragul’s big man Sam Whibley came on strong in last quarter, giving his onballers first use as the visitors surged towards the finish line with five last-quarter goals to Wonthaggi’s two points.

The match had started perfectly for Wonthaggi with six goals to nil in the opening term, and everything going right, front to back.

Jack Blair opened the scoring with an outrageous ‘banana’ kick for goal from the boundary, which set the tone, followed in quick succession by goals to Bryce Joyce on the run and Aiden Lindsay with a highlight reel goal from the boundary.

And there were three more before the first break, one through Jack Blair, another to Cooper McInnes on the move, front-and-centre for a handpass from Power ruckman Bourke, and when Kaj Patterson rounded it out with an opportunist goal just before the siren; it was all Wonthaggi.

They were winning the contested ball, with Matthew Wade one of those performing strongly, in and under, but also with Mabilia, Bourke, Bates, Joyce and co all well on top of a strong Warragul midfield group which included Tom Hobbs, Liam Serong, Riley Senini and Vinnie Caia, and lots of support in transition coming from Jai Williams, Josh Schulz, Nathan Muratore and others for the Power.

Down back, Wonthaggi's defenders were well organised and well-drilled with Isaac Chugg making a welcome return this week, Kyle Reid opposed to Jordan Stewart, Jakeb Thomas starting strongly on the Gulls’ captain Tom Stern and a team defence including Jarvis Harvey operating to limit Jed Lamb’s opportunities.

It was a much more even contest in the second term, with two goals apiece, but with Wonthaggi still holding a firm grip on the scoreboard, at eight goals to two, at the long break.

One of Wonthaggi’s prime movers to that stage, Matthew Wade, went down with a calf injury and it was noticeable they lost plenty of bite around the packs after that point.

Three goals to two in the third quarter saw Warragul cut the margin to five goals at the last change, including one shot on the run by Warragul’s Stern which hit the goal umpire in the face at full speed. After he composed himself, he signalled “full points” and play continued.

Five-time Hawthorn premiership player and two-club AFL coach, Gary Ayres, who was Wonthaggi coach Tristan Francis’ mentor at Port Melbourne, gave a rousing speech at the last break, urging his players to take up the challenge and they came out smoking.

The last quarter started in controversial fashion, after Warragul surged forward, when Lamb was awarded a free kick for a nothing incident just two minutes in. The major was followed moments later by another through good linking play featuring Levi Moore, Luke Garner, Lamb and finally Caia and it was “game on” from that point onwards.

Wonthaggi defended well and tried their hand at “tempo” football but Warragul would not be denied, with Sam Grummisch taken high and scoring another goal midway through.

Jack Blair kicked a point and Warragul’s Hefford hit the post from a free kick as Warragul continued to attack to the swimming pool end of the ground.

Both Reid and Chugg saved certain scores before Caleb McIntosh finally broke through and trailing by three points, it wasn’t long before Warragul was in position to kick the winner.

Capitalising on a miskick out of defence, Warragul switched to the vacant scoreboard side of the ground through Moore, Stewart, Grummisch and Stern who found Hefford on his own, 20 metres out, on a 45-degree angle. He made no mistake.

Well into time-on, they had hit the front for the first time and try as they might, Wonthaggi could not get the answering goal.

Kaj Patterson drove it forward to where both Aiden Lindsay and Daniel Bourke threw their bodies in when a pack formed inside the Power 50, but Warragul ultimately cleared it and the siren sounded, sparking pandemonium around the Gulls’ coaching box.

It was a disappointing result for Wonthaggi but Warragul coach Gary Ayres praised the efforts of both teams after the game, highlighting the work of big Sam Whibley in the ruck, co-captains Tom Stern and Tom Hobbs and also Rhys Gavin across half back against a talented Wonthaggi line-up.