Parrots impressive but top challenge looms

THERE were two standout highlights for Leongatha on Saturday, three if you count the all-the-way, 59-point win over the visiting Bairnsdale side.

The day started with a guard of honour and a banner to celebrate Sean Westaway’s 250th senior game and featured 12 goals by Leongatha spearhead Patrick Ireland to go with nine the week before against Sale.

Ireland started his tally early, with the day’s first but he missed two set shots and hit the post with a snap on his way to kicking another as the Parrots shared it around.

At the three-minute mark, Luke Bowman booted long to the goal square where Ireland took an uncontested mark in the middle of a pack of Bairnsdale players but no one laid a glove on him prompting a meeting of the Redlegs’ defence after Ireland’s goal.

Kim Drew backed up only moments later with the team’s second and they already looked dominant away from the stoppages.

Willis to Drew after Forrester came off half back and Ireland had his next mark on the lead but only a point resulted, he missed another shot minutes later after doing all the hard work on the lead.

Bairnsdale’s Jamie Dore took a couple of strong marks in the intervening period but missed two good chances to open his team’s account.

Out of defence, Bowman combined with Zavier Lamers and Ayden Williams and a couple of others with good transition work that was to characterise the rest of the match, Williams kicking the Parrots’ third.

A downfield free to Ireland was his second and the Parrots’ fourth before Bairnsdale had one on the board.

Jack Hume ran on after giving it off and slotted the team’s fifth

Bairnsdale’s Cooper Harvey kicked towards Lachie Byrne-Jones who made a spectacular leap at the ball before crashing down, but he still managed to kick their opening goal despite looking a little worse for wear.

Willis was dominant in the ruck, Bowman, Ben Harding, Drew, Ben Fort, Lamers, Hume and Forrester were all busy and there wasn’t a Leongatha passenger as they shared it around.

Ireland snapped and hit the post before Fort found Ben Grabham-Andrews for the team’s sixth.

Bairnsdale managed another just before the break, but the Parrots went in with a 39-14 lead already looking the goods.

The only downside was an injury to Noah Fixter who was stretchered off, delaying the game for some time while the trainers and medicos did their work.

The match continued on in that fashion with the green and gold first to the ball on each occasion and tackling and harassing in twos and threes when their opponents took possession.

Levi Hickey seems to have found a role for himself down back, as an intercept mark and together with Forrester, Hayden Lindsay, Travis Nash, Ben Harding and co there wasn’t an easy way through for the Redlegs’ forwards.

The second quarter was a more tightly contested affair but Leongatha extended its lead to 30 points after Ireland got them going, on the end of a penetrating run by Jack Hume, with his third of the day.

Ireland got his fourth halfway through the term as he found his range and direction. There were eight more just like it to come.

The Parrots sit on top of the ladder with a small percentage advantage over Moe but that situation will be resolved once and for all when the Parrots travel to Ted Summerton Reserve next week.