Parrots’ Under 18s through in windy win at Maffra

THE start made by the Leongatha Under 18s, with the wind in the first quarter at Maffra on Saturday, kicking four straight goals to nil against Moe, went a long way to winning them the Gippsland League Qualifying Final.

Receiving a handball inside 50 within the first few minutes, Connor Richards opened the Parrots’ account setting the scene for three more, one to Alby Logan, another to Richards and one to Eamon Berryman.

It was a great start, but coach Jesse Giardina was alive to the potential for Moe to return fire with the wind in the second quarter, urging his players at the break to not let their Moe opponents have the front position, and to work their way forward with short, darting kicks into the significant wind.

Leongatha continued on where they left off at the start of the second quarter but lost focus when a ‘push and shove’ broke out on the wing. Moe’s Andre Battista was picked out for the free kick by the umpires, and a 50 metre penalty, to produce the goal that ignited the Lions.

The formidable figure of Juddson Ryan won the next centre break, over to a running Will Mills and on to another Moe player with senior experience, Max Moroney, for their second, and it was suddenly game-on after a lack of concentration had let them in.

Leongatha steadied through hard work by the likes of Finn Donohue with a great goal-saving tackle, and Noah Bradley contesting strongly and running the lines out wide, but it was Moe who got their third only this time Leongatha was up and going again to respond.

Through Jhett Brown, Bradley and Max Carter, they ran the ball up into the wind to find Eamon Berryman for a much-needed strike, the Parrots’ fifth, just the tonic they needed going into halftime.

They then had the chance to set up the win in the third quarter, with the wind once more, and after a fine mark by Klayton McGrath in defence, they went on the attack themselves, initially with a shot from long range by Sam Bradley which drifted wide, but then with a great snap by Archie Fixter, moving to take advantage of the loose ball off the pack.

Leongatha’s forwards including Charlie Bickerton, closely guarded by Moe’s Ethan Wildblood and Mitchell Croatto picked up by Paul Gatpan looked the most likely to score and it wasn’t long before Bickerton took his chance with a great shot for goal, when it was really needed, going into the last break.

Despite not kicking a goal themselves Moe had done well to limit the Parrots to two and there was still the sniff of a chance they might come back in the last quarter.

But it wasn’t to be with Leongatha sticking to their task, managing an early goal themselves through Bickerton again on the lead to a pass by Croatto, before Moe replied soon after, but there were to be no more goals and the Parrots came away 23-point winners in a solid display.

Not only were they able to make the most of their opportunities, but they did all the team things well also, the tackling, the chasing, getting into the clear to provide options and contesting strongly for the ball.

Final scores: Leongatha 8.1.49 to Moe 4.2.26.