By David Nagel
It’s hard to get your head around the fact that either Tooradin-Dalmore or Warragul Industrials will be packing their bags after Saturday’s elimination final at Inverloch.
One is the reigning premier; the other a preliminary finalist who had its hopes and dreams snatched from its grasp in amazing circumstances last year.
And then there’s form, with the Seagulls winning five of their last six games…and the Dusties undefeated in their last five.
Seriously, despite this being three versus six on the ladder – this is anyone’s game!
Both games between the club’s this year would suggest that fact as well, with the Dusties leading on both occasions in the last quarter before the Seagulls got hold of them late.
A total of 26 points, across eight quarters of footy, has separated the teams this year.
This one will come down to moments, and unrelenting concentration.
Moments separated the Gulls and Dusties in round two, with Brad Butler kicking two amazing goals for the Seagulls, while the Dusties fell asleep allowing Adam Oxley to receive two handballs from free kicks…50 out from goal…which both sailed through the big sticks.
They were costly errors, both lapses in concentration, and they just can’t afford to make those same mistakes again.
Oxley will float, and Harmit Singh’s coaches’ box will be dented if the polished finisher is allowed to do so again.
Those one-percenters are going to be so crucial to the outcome.
In round-13, the Dusties kicked the first two goals of the last quarter before late six-pointers to Butler, and two to Xavier Shinners, got the Seagulls home.
That’s the danger for both teams here, with the Gulls and Dusties both possessing unsung heroes that can have a major impact on the scoreboard.
Tooradin has had 19 players kick multiple goals in a game this season, and the Dusties 17.
Players like Stewie Scanlon, Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds, Piva Wright, Butler and Oxley lead the way in that department for the Gulls, while Mason McGarrity, Kyle Staples, Shane Brewster, Michael Debenham and Jackson Mockett are all capable of quick blows for the Dusties.
But there are others that float.
Blake Grewar and Kyle Beveridge are two names to look out for in a contest that will get willing.
So, who will it be…Lachie Gillespie or Harmit Singh to scribble on the whiteboard for the final time on Saturday?
One of two teams that could quite easily make the grand final this year…well, they’re about to disappear in a hurry!
MATCH-UPS IN 2023
ROUND 2 AT WARRAGUL
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS 2.1 5.6 7.6 10.9(69)
TOORADIN-DALMORE 1.4 5.6 8.12 11.15(81)
ROUND 13 AT TOORADIN
TOORADIN-DALMORE 2.1 6.6 6.9 9.13(67)
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS 2.2 4.5 5.10 7.11(53)
HEAD-TO-HEAD IN WGFNC 2017-2023
Tooradin-Dalmore 6
Warragul Industrials 0
KEY PLAYERS
Tooradin-Dalmore
Blake Grewar – Mid-Forward
It’s a huge ask to expect a player to deliver after just four games for the season, but the dynamic mid-forward is more than capable of turning it on. Kicked 32 goals in a premiership year, then played in round one this season before returning to the fold for the last three games of home-and-away. Looked scratchy upon return against Inverloch-Kongwak, got better against Garfield, then booted four goals against Kilcunda-Bass last week to announce his importance to the Gulls. Dusties coach Harmit Singh has plenty of options down back…but whoever gets the gig on Grewar better be switched on he will cut you to pieces in an instant.
Lewis Hill – Wing
Let’s hope Lachie Gillespie and Harmit Singh have a sense of the occasion on Saturday and pit Lewis Hill and Michael Debenham on the same wing. Hill is a fantastic player for the Seagulls, providing run-and-carry in a team that does not possess a whole lot of pace, and is quite often asked to win one-on-ones to help the Gulls transition out of defence. Can take a mark…and loves a bounce…and you get the feeling will have to be at his top if the Seagulls are to defend their crown.
Luke McKenna – Defender
Dusties dangerman Mason McGarrity would appear too quick and nimble for Adam Galea on paper, so expect McKenna to get first crack at the Dusties’ full-forward. This bloke is a genuine superstar, who can play tall or small, and would be a lock in the WGFNC Team of the Year if he began his season any earlier than round 10.
Warragul Industrials
Mason McGarrity – Forward
Has kicked a handful of goals on six occasions this year, including eight against Garfield last week, and stands head-and-shoulders above all others as the player the Seagulls need to stop. It’s okay to get beaten, but it’s not okay to get beaten by what you know…and Lachie Gillespie knows that if McGarrity gets off the leash then his team is in awful trouble. An exciting player to watch and we can’t wait to see what he delivers on the big stage.
Matthew Herbert – Defender-Mid
If McGarrity is the spark up forward, then Herbert is the ignition-switch for the Dusties through half-back and the middle of the ground. Was a Team of the Year member last year, so has consistency, but it’s his special moments of magic that make him so dangerous. If Lachie Gillespie needs a reminder, watch Herbert’s four-bounce dash against Inverloch in round-12 that turned the most organised defence in West Gippsland into a confused and panicked mess. And to do that…it takes something special!
Travis Ogden – Defender-Utility
The Dusties have been missing the class of Luke Walker over the last fortnight, but Ogden is a player of similar ilk who makes smart decisions with his left foot. Is versatile enough to play on a Stewie Scanlon, Brad Butler, or resting mids in Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds, Blake Grewar or Liam Adams this week, and also create from half-back when the Dusties turn the ball over. And if the Dusties need a late goal…the classy lefty could be swung forward to deliver a killer blow.
THE TIP
Despite their competitiveness this season, the Dusties have never defeated the Seagulls (0-6) in the WGFNC…and expect the class of Brent Macaffer, Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds and Blake Grewar to get the Gulls home in a tight one.
It’s Tooradin by five points.
