Parrots’ apprentices impress at Sale

LEONGATHA put on 14 goals to three on either side of halftime at Sale on Saturday to set up a percentage-boosting, 81-point victory which allowed them to narrowly take over top spot on the Gippsland League ladder.

They did so courtesy of a 21-point win by Traralgon over premiership favourites Moe, only the Lions’ second defeat for the season, both times against the reigning premiers.

Key stopper Declan Keilty was missing again for Moe this week which must be worth something.

But it was enough to dent the Lions’ percentage sufficiently to allow Leongatha past them, both sides sitting nine wins and two losses after 11 rounds.

The win was especially pleasing for the Parrots on a number of counts, including the fact that their young forward Patrick Ireland finished the day with nine goals, in the absence of the likes of Jenson Garnham and Justin Pellicano up forward, and their relatively inexperienced team performed strongly.

Not that Sale didn’t have their own challenges on the day, without the likes of Shannen Lange and their captain Jack McLaren.

No stranger to big bags of goals, having kicked 111 in a season with Buln Buln in the Ellinbank League last year, including hauls of 14, 13, 12 and 9; Ireland had eight goals up by halfway through the third quarter and looked a cinch to reach double figures.

He led up strongly to a pass by Jay Walker midway through the last quarter before stroking through number nine, but despite getting near it on several occasions in the run to the line, he didn’t get another opportunity.

But it had been a masterful display of well-timed leads and straight kicking that enabled the Parrots to cap off a dominant display at the stoppages, led by Luke Bowman, Kim Drew, Ben Willis, Jay Walker and Aaron Heppell, with Nick Argento, Zavier Lamers, Ayden Williams, Ben Fort and Ty Hall all busy in general play; Ben Willis setting the tone with a snap for goal out of the ruck in the first quarter.

The delivery was good and the weight of possession was strongly in Leongatha’s favour, but you’ve still got to finish it off and Ireland delivered in spades.

Sam Forrester and Travis Nash marshalled an unheralded group down back so much so that Leongatha led it 16 goals to four at the last break.

Leongatha coach Trent McMicking clearly liked what he had seen to three-quarter time, and his message was simple enough (if you knew what he was talking about): “Keep your bumper bars up, the umbrella out, set up the launch pad and hit the hot spots…”

With the sting out of the game at that stage, both teams managed three goals-a-piece in the last quarter; Sale youngster Cayden Johnson produced a personal highlight with his first goal, in his third senior game, with a nice snap, before Aaron Heppell answered following creative work by Nick Argento.

The successful attacking move started way down back with Sam Forrester, through plenty of willing hands until it reached Heppell.

Big Sale ruckman Jack Leslie was pushed out of it near goal and received a free for their sixth of the day before Ireland got his ninth, again the result of good team play, including the likes of Travis Nash and Jay Walker.

Nick Argento might have capped off a fine game with a goal partway through the quarter, but an errant kickout soon after was seized on by an ever-alert Ty Hall and the Parrots had their 19th and last for the day.

The Parrots and Ireland were to get a few more chances but it was Sale which produced the final one of the day when coach Jack Johnstone was knocked over after taking a mark and made no mistake with the benefit of a 50-metre penalty.

It didn’t take away from the fact that a relatively inexperienced team, missing the likes of Marriott, Garnham, Pellicano, Maskell, Dyson Heppell, Brill, Stewart and others, had teamed impressively together, producing a skilled and entertaining brand of footy for an impressive away win at Sale.

Other highlights of the day for the Parrots included a running, bouncing goal by Aydan Williams, to open Leongatha’s account in the first quarter, and an opportunist goal by young Ben Fort, after a good contest by Ireland, Fort’s first in only his second senior game, an excellent contribution by another up-and-comer for the Parrots.