Liam Durkin
WHAT a difference a week makes.
Traralgon got back on the winners list, defeating Sale in a top-five contest.
While the visitors led at every change, they were made to work for the points in an 11.10 (76) to 9.13 (67) victory.
Coming into the game off the back of a 79-point drubbing at the hands of fellow top-five team Wonthaggi, pressure was on the Maroons to respond.
Traralgon did so, and looked to have the game under control for all intents and purposes at three quarter time when they led by 26 points.
However, the Magpies hit back, and hit the front in fact, very nearly pulling off the deficit.
Sale kicked four goals with the wind in the final term heading toward the hospital, but were overtaken in a thrilling climax.
Up until then, Traralgon had been the better side, and kept the Magpies to just two goals in the middle two quarters.
The Maroons added five foals in the same amount of time, maintaining a three-to-four-goal buffer.
The home side threw skipper Jack Leslie forward in the last quarter, and he responded with two goals. A number of players on both sides rose to the occasion late, including Max Jacobsen, who took some telling marks for Traralgon.
A goal to Sale midfielder Kane Martin came at a crucial stage. With a game to win, there was no time to celebrate the fact it was his 300th senior goal for the black and white.
The feat added another dot point to a CV that includes four club best-and-fairests, a league best-and-fairest, and best-on-ground in a Grand Final.
For a midfielder to kick 300 goals in just over 200 games at Gippsland League level surely puts Martin among the greatest to have ever played at this level. (In my time covering or watching local footy, I haven’t seen anyone better).
Fellow midfield gun Shannen Lange kicked two goals for the Magpies, and was listed among the best alongside Will Leslie, Jack Leslie, Cooper Whitehill and Daine McGuiness, while Brad McKay played his first senior game since coming over from Rosedale.
The Magpies were forced to make two late changes, with Jordan Dessent and Lachie Ronchi pulling out.
Jack McLaren continued his breath-taking form with another best-on-ground performance.
It is McLaren’s world at the moment, we are just living in it – he has been best-on the last three weeks, and been first or second-best in six of nine games this season.
Traralgon was well-served by Tom Schneider, Billy Schilling, Josh Hamilton, Luis D’Angelo, Tye Hourigan and Jacobsen.
Like McLaren, Hourigan is bringing his own footy this season – he has been listed in the best seven times out of nine games.
The Maroons benefitted from the Gippsland Power break due to the long weekend, and were able to welcome Hamilton, who kicked three goals, along with Cooper Brown and Harper Fox into the senior side.
Traralgon sits fourth on the ladder at the halfway mark, but is only a game off sharing top-spot with Leongatha.
Senior leader and club heart-and-soul Matt Northe played his first game for the season at the weekend, coming back through the reserves.
Following this win, there may be some cause for Traralgon to cast the Wonthaggi result aside as a once-off, although that might do the Power an equal disservice.
Does Traraglon beating Sale say more about the Maroons or more about how good Wonthaggi are?