By David Nagel
Will fresh legs prove a bonus or will battle-hardened bodies get the job done when the WGFNC kicks into full gear with round five action on the weekend.
The pre-seasons of Cora Lynn, Inverloch-Kongwak, Phillip Island and Warragul Industrials were cut short by a fortnight this year, with the seaside towns of Cowes and Inverloch launching a huge season of footy over the Easter weekend.
But the trade-off for that early annoyance was getting a perfectly-timed break as the rest of the competition battled it out in round four last week.
The Cobras, Sea Eagles, Bulldogs and Dusties enjoyed a weekend off ahead of an eight-week slog through to round 12…where no teams get a break.
We then have a week off; then a six-week sprint to the finish line!
This is when the season really does get interesting.
If we were using 2023 as a form guide, the standalone Mother’s Day clash between Warragul Industrials and Nar Nar Goon would be an absolute lock for Match of the Day.
These two shared equal billing on week one of finals last year, with the Dusties eliminating Tooradin-Dalmore in a classic elimination final at Inverloch, while the Goon was far too good for Cora Lynn at Western Park; the very turf that this Sunday’s game will be played on.
The Goon then cleaned up the Dusties in week two, riding a fast start to a 35-point victory.
The path for both clubs has been very different since then.
The Goon seems to be firing on all cylinders while the Dusties can’t catch a break; even losing a coach in the pre-season.
The Goon started the season spectacularly against Phillip Island, winning by 49 points, in the most impressive win by any side in 2024.
Their next three wins were against Bunyip, Kooweerup and Korumburra-Bena; three clearly inferior teams that the Goon should deal with easily.
The raw power and class of players like JJ Peni, Trent Armour, Jarrod Smith and Aidan Pipicelli proved too much for that opposition to handle.
But what will the Goon run into against a freshened up Dusties this week?
That’s the big question on everyone’s lips; just what are they going to deliver…and what will they look like?
Will Brayden Fowler, Mason McGarrity and Anthony Munkara be back to bolster the forward line, and will class acts such as Todd Beck and Will Gibson add some resilience and experience to the midfield?
The addition of those five players alone will tighten this contest substantially; and imagine the buzz their inclusions would add to the training track this week.
New coach Michael Duncan needs to start seeing something; even if they don’t get the choccies this week.
Upcoming games against Garfield, Kooweerup, Bunyip and Dalyston provide the Dusties with the perfect opportunity to get themselves back on track.
They’ll be improved this week the Dusties; they have to be…but it’s the Goon by 27 points.
Tooradin-Dalmore hosts Kooweerup this week in a game that could be a lot closer than what people expect.
Their only form that marries up this season is against Kilcunda-Bass, with the Seagulls going down by four points in round one and the Demons by 11 in an entertaining finish last week.
The Demons will be bitterly disappointed, having kicked 5.14 to the scoreboard end of Denhams Road in the second and last quarters.
Matt Voss and Trav Bindley were lively for four quarters, while Tom Glen and Dale Alanis played their best games for the season.
The Gulls found free-scoring difficult against a gallant Garfield last week, with the class of Brad Butler, Stewie Scanlon and Charlie Shinners proving the decisive factor in the end.
The Seagulls have now won two in a row and can really build momentum, with upcoming games against Kooweerup, Bunyip and Dalyston leading to a round-eight visit to Inverloch.
The Demons will be competitive; but it’s the Gulls by 17 points.
In other games this week, Kilcunda-Bass will solidify third position with a big win over Bunyip, while Phillip Island will put its fresh legs to good use on a road-trip to Korumburra-Bena.
Inverloch-Kongwak will be too good for Dalyston in a clash between second and sixth on the table, while Cora Lynn will start a pronounced favourite against an improving Garfield.
The Stars weren’t disgraced against Tooradin-Dalmore last week, with Zac Soutar, Callum Tyler and Jahmain Harrison holding their heads up high.
But the Cobras are playing some slick footy this year; expect Nathan Gardiner to kick a bag and Luke Black and Matt Briggs to keep the Stars to a losing score in the Cobras’ 69-point victory.
