By Ken Moore
LAST season’s grand finalists Maffra and Traralgon will play this week’s preliminary final at Moe.
The Eagles will enter the game as favourites and mighty wary of the Maroons, who have proved its bogey side in recent times.
Maffra’s game against Sale, which went down to the wire, may have taken a lot out of Maffra, while Traralgon played Warragul, a team down to only 17 men from early in the second quarter in a game with a distinct lack of physicality, and should enter the game fresher.
Stretches of the Maroons’ clash against the Gulls resembled a game of keepings off with both teams intent to play a heavy possession game.
A combination of wet weather, a tight Sale defence and a lack of attacking options restricted Maffra to seven goals.
The Eagles were crying out for more scoring potency, and the return of Adrian Burgiel from suspension and the likely return of powerhouse forwardchange ruckman Justin Bramich (cork) should partially resolve its forward woes.
Goal sneak Tom Rawlins, who has scored 33 goals this year, is in line to return along with former league best and fairest Gary Jones, who impressed in Maffra’s thrilling reserves victory over Traralgon last week.
Traralgon is through to the preliminary final but has been far from convincing.
After coming into the final series with a loss in the last home and away game to Garfield, it has ground out victories over Moe and Warragul.
The Maroons’ success has been built around its tight defence led by Sam McCulloch, Leigh Cummins and Jamie Aitken.
If Traralgon is to win it must improve the movement of the ball into its forward line.
After overpossessing the ball midfield against Warragul, Traralgon often bombed the ball forward, giving its scorers little opportunity.
Dane McGennisken impressed with strong grabs, but Brenton Joyce, Rowan Hore and Jesse Bird all need to hold their marks if the Maroons are to be a genuine threat.
Traralgon has relied heavily on Michael Geary, who has conjured 11 goals over the past two weeks. If Maffra can quell Geary’s influence it will go a long way towards winning.
Champion Maroons rover Greg Morley barely entered the field last week and must be under an injury cloud.
His experience and ballwinning ability is vital, more so with assistant coach Tom McQualter sidelined and only a remote chance to play.
Key Maffra playmakers Hayden Burgiel, Ben Batalha and Daniel Stubbe, apart from a fourminute spell in the third quarter which yielded three goals, were all down on form and it’s hard to imagine this talented trio being negated for two consecutive weeks.
Maffra’s road to the grand final hit a detour last week but spurred on by that disappointment and last year’s grand final loss to Traralgon, I’ll tip it to bounce back with a comfortable win to earn another crack at Sale on Saturday week.
It is huge day for the Maffra Football Club, which will field teams in the firsts, reserves against the minor premiers Morwell and in the under 18s also against Morwell.