LEONGATHA came away from Moe on Saturday with a memorable victory, against the odds, described by some club stalwarts as one of the best home and away wins in the club’s history.
With the likes of club legends including Frank Welsford, Keith Kuhne, Neville Stone, Glenn Wright, Trevor Riseley and Alister Fixter looking on approvingly; Leongatha protected a slender but hard-won lead to win by two points after a thrilling last quarter during which both clubs threw everything at the contest.
It was an immensely proud Parrots’ coach Trent McMicking who addressed the players in the rooms after the game to underscore the achievement by such a youthful group.
"I'm just so bloody proud of you today. I couldn't tell you the number of people who've said to me you've got this player out and that player out. Well, forget that.
"As I said to you all week, we'll just bring another two kids in and they'll play their role, and with 10 to 12 kids aged 21 and under today you just ground it out, grinded and grinded and grinded and yeah, there were moments where the pressure came and we went away from what we were meant to do but when the big moments came you stood up and you were just huge all day," said McMicking.
"And that there guys is attitude and effort and care for your teammates and when you get in those situations, when the pressure cooker's on, you know that you've just got each other's back.
"And that just sets things up, who knows to where, but obviously we have to back up next week but my god what a win."
You didn't have to look far past Tom Marriott in a moonboot, speaking to the midfield group at three quarter time, Noah Fixter or Levi Hickey nursing new ACL injuries on the sidelines, Tallin Brill running water for the team while he recovers, Cade Maskell, Jenson Garnham and Jacob Warne and several others for an indication of the missing talent.
But the skills, pace and commitment of the recent inclusions was there for all to see, especially those looking to the future of one of the league's most enduring performers.
Speaking to the Sentinel-Times afterwards, McMicking said the effort brought by the team was "right up there".
"Yeah, one of the best in my time here, for sure," he said.
"We came with 12 guys 21 or under and I thought, at three quarter time, we might not have enough but they made it work.
"The match had some great moments, they all had a go and you can't ask more than that," he said.
Unwilling to single anyone out, McMicking had earlier praised the "elite contest work' by the likes of onballers Ben Willis, in the ruck opposed to star Moe tall Chris Prowse, Luke Bowman, Aaron Heppell, Kim Drew and others opposed to Alex Dijkstra, Luke Cheffers, Nathan Scagliarini and co, and the defenders including Sean Westaway on the Moe coach Leigh Poholke, Xavier Bolge on key marking forward Nick Prowse and Hayden Lindsay on the league's leading goal kicker, the dangerously talented Ben Crocker.
But the contributions came right across the board; Sam Forrester and Will Littlejohn providing leadership and stability down back, where Beau Grabham-Andrews and Travis Nash were also standouts, Jack Hume, Ben Harding and a mosquito fleet of players running and sharing the ball through the centre and down the flanks, Nick Argento purposeful up forward together with Aydan Williams, Zavier Lamers and Ty Hall all alive to the possibilities when the ball was there to be won...
And the two debutants; Finn Donohue with a break-through goal in the second quarter and Mitch de Kleuver, respecting the hard work of Bowman and Argento in the lead up, with a straight kick from 35 metres in the third quarter, both looked the part in a team effort.
It was an absolute classic and Moe, to give them their due, kept coming all day and had their chances to snatch it right up until the end.
For all that though, and just a two-point margin, Leongatha was the better team on the day and thoroughly deserved the win.
More to follow...
