Parrots impress against Redlegs
Parrots'big man Chris Verboon gets his hand on the ball.
LEONGATHA journeyed to Bairnsdale in the opening match of the Gippsland League, winning a stirring encounter against a young and fast Redlegs outfit.
The Parrots new recruits in Cade Maskell, Aaron Hillberg and Paddy McGrath all made shining debuts for the Green and Gold whilst Tom Marriott celebrated a welcome return to the club with a best on ground performance.
Marriott was almost a Dane Swan type as he shook off opposition players to run amuck. A memorable piece of play in the last quarter had the Parrot supporters smiling as he ran the full length of the ground, bouncing the ball, shrugging tackles and booting a pin point pass to Hayden Browne on a lead. Unfortunately Browne’s shot at goal missed.
Marriott is really strong and hard over the ball and will take plenty of beating this season.
Cade Maskell will prove an excellent pick-up for Leongatha. Running across half back and midfield Maskell was lively all day and has a penetrating left foot kick.
Aaron Hillberg played his first game at centre half forward and provided an excellent target with his strong leads and safe pair of hands. Hillberg finished off his work, kicking 5 goals.
Leongatha has a superb forward structure with lots of options, taking pressure off full forward Dwayne Holt, although Holt still finished with three majors.
Holt is joined up forward by names such as Mark Truscio, Nick Nagel, Cade Maskell, and Aaron Hillberg giving the Parrots plenty of ammunition near the goals.
The forward structure means newly named captain Chris Verboon can move this year from centre half forward to a permanent centre half back, a position he thrives in.
Paddy McGrath, also a first gamer coming from Drouin, played an excellent midfield game; the consistent league representative also a big plus for Leongatha.
Returning to the club, David Veale was originally going to help out in a non-playing capacity. But after training hard and feeling fit, Veale was slotted into the senior rucking role, a role he handled well on Saturday. With Chris Rump set to return in a couple of weeks, the Parrots have also ticked the rucking box.
Across half back and in the midfield Zac Vernon also stood out.
Leongatha ran out on the Bairnsdale ground knowing that the young and fit Redlegs side with a new coach would really be fired up to win at home.
After winning two thirds premierships in a row, Bairnsdale was blooding some of these fine young players in the seniors.
But it was Leongatha who got out of the blocks to boot four goals to one in the opening term.
A four goal to one second term for the Parrots had them with a handy break at the half time break, Leongatha was travelling well.
But Bairnsdale came out determined in the third quarter. With a couple of sloppy turnovers by the Parrots combined with some fast, running goals Bairnsdale hit back with a seven goal to four goal third quarter.
The lapse of concentration had let Bairnsdale back in the game, a fact coach Thursfield would have pointed out at the last change.
Whatever Thursfield said at the break paid dividends as Leongatha was again stunned into action with several goals. By mid-term Leongatha held a five goal buffer and one Bairnsdale was unlikely to peg back. Some late quarter goals by the Redlegs put the final margin back to a respectable four goals.
Leongatha face a huge test this Saturday when they host current premiers and favourites for the 2013 flag in Sale, who defeated Traralgon by 22 points on the weekend.
Leongatha will be without a full strength side but will still have a very good team to hit the ground.
Julian Stone will be tested for a sore knee but should come up. Chris Rump and coach Thursfield are still about 2-3 weeks away from playing but ex-Richmond player Pat Contin, Matt Willcox and Stu Kilsby will likely put their hands up for senior selection.
It should be a cracker of a game so get down to Parrot Park this Saturday!
Short URL: /?p=6937
Posted by 
