One round in and we’ve now got a clearer picture of how the Gippsland League is shaping for 2026. Some results went as expected, others didn’t (I tipped Morwell), but round two already feels important.
The Warragul v Wonthaggi game stands out this round. Both sides will have finals aspirations. Warragul were solid and complete against Drouin, while Wonthaggi went to Morwell and were clinical in how they pulled the Tigers apart.
It’s only round two, but these are the games you look back on later in the year and think what if. Win this, and you put a bit of space between you and the teams you’re likely fighting with for those last finals spots.
Starting with Wonthaggi, there were a lot of familiar names in the win over Morwell. Losing Sparkes to Inverloch takes a bit of top-end polish away, but they’ve still got a reliable core. The midfield is better than it probably gets credit for. The addition of a genuine ruck frees up Brodie Mabilia to play as an inside mid (alongside Thomas who is picked after injury last season), inside mid suits Mabilia. He was a high-end junior who’s had his run of bad luck with injuries, but when fit he’s big, strong, and finds the footy. Josh Bates is another who flies under the radar but consistently gets the job done, he racked them up last week.
Their forward line is led by Cooper McInnes, who’s as dangerous as they come, quick, smart, and capable of kicking a bag, h es a star! Jakeb Thomas, Fox Lindsay and Jack Blair provide experience and structure, which matters in expected tight games like this. Their recruiting from lower leagues has been smart as well — Muratore, Glen, Joyce and Bourke (EFNL isn’t a minor league) and now Mathew Wade? all add depth, and Bourke in particular looks a strong pick-up in the ruck. They’ve also targeted players over the years like McInnes and Jai Williams who have more than proven themselves at this level. That approach in bringing in tried senior players usually holds up.
Wonthaggi’s recent form speaks for itself, wins over Morwell, Moe and Leongatha (albeit in 2025) across their last three tells you they’re not just competitive, they’re good.
Structurally, they’re very well organised defensively. Tristan Francis and Jarrod Blair have set the tone over a number of years with their structure, and it holds up. They compress the ground, defend space well, and make it hard to score. Players like Kyle Reid and Shannon Bray mop up and force repeat entries from the opposition. At Wonthaggi, that becomes even more effective. It’s not a ground where you can just blast your way through, you need to be clean and deliberate with your ball movement.
Warragul come in with a fairly settled lineup as well. There biggest recruit is a former AFL coach as head coach.
Jed Lamb forward was a standout, he looked dominant early against Drouin and gives them a genuine target. Pairing him with Stewart and Stern gives them real presence ahead of the ball. Rhys Galvin (an absolute man mountain) plays a key role supporting Sean Masterton and helping set up their defensive structure. Masterton is an elite defender, strong interceptor and a natural leader. They’re a far better team with Galvin playing.
Through the middle, Tom Hobbs, Riley Senini, Serong and a hopefully fit Vinnie Caia (I love him) give them a decent mix of inside and outside. There’s balance there. You also can’t ignore the influence of Ayres building on the work done previously. Warragul didn’t have a distinct style last year, the numbers back that up despite playing finals they were low to mid range in most stat areas — but they appear to play with enjoyment are role-based, and competed week in week out with a style to beat the opposition on the day. The question is whether Ayres can add another layer. If they get Wallace back (any info appreciated), Lamb forward could be a genuine point of difference.
The question for Warragul is whether what we saw against Drouin is repeatable against better opposition. Their uncontested marking numbers were high, which I liked and it is something they will have to do to more to shift the Power defence. It allowed than to control the game against Drouin. But is that a shift in style, or just a product of the opponent? Against Wonthaggi, they won’t get that same time and space.
The numbers from 2025 back up what I see. Both teams are low possession sides, ranked around 8th and 10th. Wonthaggi, though, are elite in the contest — top two for contested possession, contested marking and clearances. They bullied Morwell in those areas and you’d expect that to remain a focus for this far and beyond.
Because of that, both sides can be inefficient by hand and foot at times. But Warragul don’t need a lot of it. Their strength is turning limited inside 50s into scores. They’re efficient and dangerous when they get opportunities and this year the could be even better
Warragul will need to match Wonthaggi in the contest first. I think they’ve got the personnel to compete inside, but if they don’t, they’ll struggle to generate enough looks forward. If they do, they’re right in it.
But at Wonthaggi, with their structure and contest work, it’s hard to go past the Power.
Wonthaggi for me.
Around the grounds: Morwell’s experience should be too much for Sale’s younger group. Leongatha should get their first win over Bairnsdale. Traralgon take care of Drouin. Maffra v Moe is interesting — if Maffra can get the game on the outside, it might be closer than expected.