Wonthaggi Power takes the fight to Leongatha and MND

WONTHAGGI Power has emerged as a resurgent force in the race for the premiership in the Gippsland League after recording a hard-fought, three-point win over near neighbours, Leongatha, the reigning premiers, at Wonthaggi on Sunday.

While these local derbies, between Wonthaggi and Leongatha, have been eagerly anticipated over the years, the day took on added significance with the two clubs coming together to raise awareness and much-needed research funds for the Fight Against Motor Nurone Disease (MND).

The feature event, an ice-bucket relay, which included eight legends from both clubs of the calibre of Ross Lovett, Rod Tack and Aaron Ware from Wonthaggi and Darren Read, Al Fixter and Paul Lepage from Leongatha went a long way to helping the host club raise $20,000 for Fight MND.

It was against that backdrop, between the reserves and senior games, and with a huge holiday weekend crowd in attendance that the match got underway and the contest certainly lived up to expectations.

A scramble of points by an inaccurate Wonthaggi, in the opening minutes of the game, had them momentarily in front but they didn’t hit the lead again until just before three-quarter time when Cooper McInnes, well held by Tim Sauvarin, finally straightened them up with a goal.

But a dominant third quarter of 2.6 by Wonthaggi to one point by Leongatha was the sign of things to come in the last and when Jaxon Foon accepted a neat pass from Daniel Bourke right in front, in the first couple of minutes, they were on their way.

They might have had a couple more soon after when Cooper McInnes supplied a silver-service handpass to Lachie Ferguson on the burst and when Sauvarin again punched clear but finally it was the Blair brothers – Jarryd and Jack – who delivered the coup de grâce.

Jarryd had been an in-and-under dynamo all day for Power and cruised forward at the 9-minute mark to accept a soft pass from Ferguson, 30 metres out, but on an acute angle in front of the Wonthaggi faithful.

The shot sailed through at height, putting Wonthaggi 14 points clear in a low-scoring affair, and a pumped-up Blair saluted the crowd with gusto.

Leongatha’s players redoubled their efforts to respond but Wonthaggi’s defenders, including Bray, Reid, Thomas, Chugg, Muratore, Glenn and co were simply impassible.

The Power’s back six is establishing a reputation as the league’s most miserly defence and they managed to hold Leongatha to just three goals after half time.

Five minutes after Blair’s strike, Aaron Heppell was on the move to a tap from Justin Pellicano, and slotted through an opportunist goal in typical fashion to cut the lead back to eight points.

But Wonthaggi was equal to the task and with Reid, Chugg and Bourke having a hand in the lead up, Jack Blair found space up forward and repeated the dose from the same pocket as his brother to stretch the lead back beyond two goals again.

There were some great moments in the run to the line with a big vocal crowd staying right to the end. Ty Hall crashed the pack in the centre for the Parrots, Tim Sauvarin saved another goal, and Justin Pellicano handed out a big “don’t argue” before passing to Tallin Brill who reduced the margin to nine points again.

A great tackle by Patrick Ireland kept the ball alive for the Parrots and when Ayden Williams, Nick Argento and Zavier Lamers combined for a goal, there were still six or seven minutes left with Leongatha trailing by just three points.

Play see-sawed between half back lines as it had done for much of the day but there was to be no further scores, points or goals, and Wonthaggi hung on for a memorable three-point victory.

Speaking about the win after the game, Power coach Tristan Francis said he respected the pressure Leongatha brought to the contest and was determined to kerb one of their main strengths, the way they rebounded off half back, while also limiting their uncontested marks.

He also paid tribute to his defenders.

“We pride ourselves on having a really good defence and we were able to shift Shannon Bray back there this week and they really held up well for us again, as they do every week.”

He also noted the importance of the occasion.

“Obviously MND is very close to our club’s heart and it was great to see the turn out today, a massive crowd, and I’d say a lot of money was raised for a really worthy cause.”

Both teams were without some key players, including Brodie Mabilia for Power and the Leongatha premiership duo of Cade Maskell and Kim Drew. Hayden Lindsay was also out with concussion.

Leongatha was further hampered in the midfield by the loss of Luke Bowman to injury early in the match.

On a positive note, Wonthaggi welcomed 17-year-old Billy Wyhoon in for his first senior game, being singled out for high praise by coach Francis in the after-match. Maskell and Drew are set to return next week.