Maroons, Parrots face final hurdle

Traralgon and Leongatha will battle it out in the replay of last season’s grand final in Saturday’s Gippsland League preliminary final.

The Parrots will be looking to right the wrongs of last week, after the minor premiers suffered their first loss of the season in their semi-final against Maffra.

Traralgon will be hoping to build on last week’s form after it displayed its class in a 49-point victory which ended Drouin’s season.

Prior to last week’s loss, Traralgon was the team which had come closest to besting the Parrots when it came within three points of ending Leongatha’s unbeaten run in round 10.

In that game Traralgon enjoyed a narrow 4.7 (31) to 3.5 (23) lead at three-quarter-time, but was undone in the last quarter.

The final result was Leongatha 6.5 (41) to Traralgon’s 5.8 (38).

Their previous match-up came in round one, when Traralgon went down by 31 points.

After Sunday’s semi-final win, Traralgon coach Mark Collison credited his team’s victory to putting together four quarters of strong football.

“We attacked well and defended well,” Collison said.

He will be hoping for a repeat of the performance, in which Lee Stockdale and Jason Winderlich led the way with six majors each.

Leongatha will be hoping to return to winning ways after last week’s shock loss.

The Parrots trailed at every change but were not far off the pace during the first half.

At half-time Leongatha trailed the Eagles by three points but was blown away in the third quarter.

A six-goal-to-none third quarter from Maffra meant the Parrots trailed by 30 at three-quarter-time.

However, they will take heart from their strong finish to the match.

Maffra kicked the first major of the final quarter, before Leongatha took control to kick the last four goals.

At the end of the match the Parrots had reduced the deficit to finish a respectable 11 points behind.

The two sides will face off at Traralgon Recreation Reserve at 2.20pm.