LIAM DURKIN
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
GRAND FINAL
By LIAM DURKIN
ON the evidence available, there appears to be no logic tipping against Leongatha this Saturday.
The Parrots haven’t lost a game this season – in fact they haven’t lost a game since April last year.
Most of the 22 expected to take the field have been and done senior Grand Finals before, and even more importantly, most are well into their prime.
Successful teams are built on trust, and Leonagatha players would have built up absolute trust in each other during their winning streak.
There is surely nothing more satisfying as a footballer to know if you run to the right area someone is going to a) see you, and b) hit you.
Like all good teams, there isn’t anything overly spectacular about the way Leongatha plays.
Granted they have a few superstars in Tom Marriott, Aaron Heppell and Cameron Olden, but the majority are honest role players happy to contribute.
With this discipline, the Parrots generally grind teams down rather than blow them off the park early.
This would indicate Leongatha are extremely fit, and have depth to rotate on and off the ground.
Which leaves the question: does Sale actually stand a chance?
Well, the Magpies are the best first quarter side in the competition, and if they can get off to a fast start, it might sow some seeds of doubt.
An underdog with confidence is a dangerous beast, and as has happened many times before: undefeated teams get rolled in Grand Finals.
More technically, Sale has been identified by most league pundits as the side that best matches up to Leongatha.
The Magpies play a very physical brand, and players the likes of Shannen Lange, Will Leslie and Jack Johnstone will see Marriott and co as nothing more than people with a green and gold jumper on.
While I detest using the term, Sale genuinely has nothing to lose.
Leongatha has beaten everyone this season, so it wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary if they do it again on Saturday.
If Sale is to win, they may adopt the Hawthorn mentality that saw them claim the flag in 2008.
The Hawthorn players reasoned that with no one expecting them to beat Geelong, they had a licence to go out and play with absolute freedom.
As a result, they had no fear of the outcome, and duly walked away with the premiership.
All that said, I will stick to my guns: Leongatha by 25 points.
