LEONGATHA and Moe meet in the Gippsland League Qualifying Final at Wonthaggi on Saturday where there will be two things that Parrots’ fans have to be concerned about, where to park their car and Declan Keilty.
Wonthaggi gets the honour of hosting the first day of the 2023 final series and while authorities will move heaven and earth to have the playing surface in tip-top shape for the day, there’ll need to be some creative thinking to accommodate all the cars that will arrive.
The last two times Leongatha have played Moe, the Parrots looked to have the Lions measure early but Moe finished on to claim the Round 7 at Leongatha by 27 points and Round 16 at Moe by 22 points in a hellishly low-scoring affair for Leongatha.
And the main offender, intercept half back, Moe’s coach Declan Keilty.
The former Melbourne and Casey Demons player is a defensive and rebound machine at this level and has been the bane of Leongatha’s existence in attack on both occasions this season, bamboozling the Leongatha forward line to such an extent last time that they didn’t score a goal for two and a half quarters.
He’s not their only strength of course with former Western Bulldogs’ sharpshooter Bill Gowers an absolute handful, anyway near goals from as far as 60 metres out, beanpole Nick Prowse, Riley Baldi, Jacob Wood, Harrison Sim, Luke Mulqueen, Ben Daniher and others but the Parrots have the defenders who can go with Gowers, and match it with these other talented on-ballers but Keilty, that’s a tough one.
With Wonthaggi almost certainly losing key defender Kyle Reid to a knee injury against Morwell last Saturday, and Moe having an improving body of work behind them this year, the Lions now loom as the 2023 flag favourites, their best chance to break through for a Gippsland title since 1967.
But they’ve got to get over the benchmark team in the competition for the past decade, and Leongatha would go a long way to setting back Moe’s tilt if they could contend with Keilty this Saturday.
The Gippsland League is playing its curtain-raiser games according to the book for Qualifying and Elimination finals but it would have made more sense for Wonthaggi and Sale to play their Reserves Elimination Final at Wonthaggi on Saturday, not at Warragul on Sunday. Leongatha and Moe could also have played the Under 16s Elimination Final at Wonthaggi on Saturday, not Warragul on Sunday.
Also of interest at Wonthaggi on Saturday is the A Grade (Qualifying Final) between Morwell and Leongatha with the Leongatha girls pushing Morwell all the way at their last meeting on July 29, producing a final score line of 42-41 in Morwell’s favour. Should be a cracker.
Football finals
Saturday, September 2 - Wonthaggi
- Seniors: Moe v Leongatha 2.20pm
- Reserves: Traralgon v Maffra 12.30pm
- Thirds: Leongatha v Warragul 10.45am
- Fourths: Maffra v Bairnsdale 9am
Sunday, September 3 - Warragul
- Seniors: Traralgon v Sale 2.20pm
- Reserves: Wonthaggi v Sale 12.30pm
- Thirds: Maffra v Bairnsdale 10.45am
- Fourths: Moe v Leongatha 9am
Netball finals
Saturday, September 2 - Wonthaggi
- 13 & Under Sale v Moe 9am
- 15 & Under Sale v Leongatha 10.05am
- 17 & Under Leongatha v Sale 11.10am
- C Grade Maffra v Drouin 12.15pm
- B Grade Leongatha v Drouin 1.20pm
- A Grade Morwell v Leongatha 2.35pm
Sunday, September 3 - Warragul
- 13 & Under Bairnsdale v Maffra 9am
- 15 & Under Bairnsdale v Maffra 10.05am
- 17 & Under Wonthaggi v Maffra 11.10am
- C Grade Morwell v Bairnsdale 12.15pm
- B Grade Moe v Morwell 1.20pm
- A Grade Drouin v Warragul 2.35pm