Gippsland Football League review semi-finals

By Ken Moore
TRARALGON became the first team to claim a GFL grand final berth after it recorded a 17-point victory over Drouin at Maffra on Saturday.
The result was largely decided in the first quarter, when the Maroons poured forward at every opportunity and kicked six goals to only one by the Hawks.
This gave the Maroons a commanding 31-point lead at quarter-time, but, in the end, Traralgon got home with a sigh of relief, because Drouin cut the margin to only four points in the last stanza before two late goals by Traralgon gave the minor premiers victory.
Elusive Maroon forward Michael Geary kicked six goals, and after two injury-stricken seasons showed some of his best form since he won the league 2009 Trood award-Rodda medal.
Ruckman Justin Fulton picked up handy possessions all over the ground, won plenty of knockouts and managed to curb the influence of Hawk ruck star Bob McCallum, who returned from VFL team, Frankston.
Tim Johnston closed down Chris Dunne in the first-half and offered plenty of drive out of the back-half in the second. Sam Dunbar covered plenty of ground across the half-forward line and brought many of his teammates into the game, Jarrod Zuehlke read the play superbly in the last line of defence and wingman Jackson Hall was used as a conduit for many Maroon attacks. Dan McKenna bagged four goals, but was often outpointed by Dean Woodhead, who kept close tabs on the former AFL Geelong rookie.
Andy Soumilas sourced over 30 disposals despite Kym Harrold pursuing him around all game and the usual suspects, Daniel Barrand, Pat McGrath, Sam Proctor and Wayne Morris picked up regular touches. Hayden Calway and Damian Carmody displayed their versatility at both ends and played a big hand in the Hawks resurgence. Drouin badly missed the presence of key forwards Adam Cook (shoulder) and Cam De Gooyer (hamstring) and should the Hawks topple Maffra on Saturday in the preliminary final at Warragul, it will need Cook and DeGooyer to return if it is to turn the tables on Traralgon in the grand final at Morwell on 24 September.
Drouin’s reserves will also front up against Maffra in a preliminary final, after it beat Sale by 66 points on Sunday.
Powered in the midfield by Tim Berzins, Tom Piner and Troy Kneebone, the Hawks always controlled the tempo of the game.
Ruckman Damien Allison instigated good drive, Luke Kneebone scored four goals and Alan Miller did his job down down back. Coach Paul Alger drilled through two goals and showed he still had plenty to offer after a good game across the half forward line. Ben Sayers and Chris Hudson were among the better players for Sale, while Scott Pearce was the only multiple goalkicker for the Magpies.
Maffra moved to within one win of yet another grand final appearance, after it beat Sale by 41 points on Sunday.
The Magpies entered the game well below full strength and suffered a number of injuries – but it dug deep and held the lead at the five-minute in the third-quarter when Jordan Dessent goaled to give it a five-point advantage.
But thereafter, the Eagles finished the far stronger with 12 of the next 16 goals.
Sale worked incredibly hard for three quarters, and while it kicked with the wind in the last term and notched the opening goal, through veteran Stuart Anderson to peg the margin back to less than two kicks, it was a spent force from then on.
The three-pronged Eagle attack of Daniel Stubbe, Jack Tatterson and Daniel Bedggood led, marked and converted well and proved to be the difference. Hard-running defender Matt Johnson bristled with energy and blocked many Magpie forward attacks, keeping the Eagles in the game in the first half. Dan O’Brien, Pat Walker and Sam Tudor pumped the ball forward and Jed Costigan won heaps of disposals in the last half.
Sale were well served by fleet-footed midfielders Kane Martin and Jason Garrett, who used their pace well to break the lines, while the Eagles struggled to combat Peter MacFarlane in the ruck and fellow tall John Gooch across half forward.
Anderson used the ball well and Mitch Davies up forward and Chris Laverty in defence caught the eye in the first half. Taylor and Ollie Collins did a great job to stop the usual output of their opponents, Ben Coleman and Kelvin Porter.