Gippsland: Leongatha easy winners over Sale in grand final replay
See all the action in pictures from a big weekend of footy in the Gippsland and Sunraysia leagues.
Leongatha is perfectly positioned to defend the Gippsland league premiership with a long list of grand final players from last year still to return to the team, which is undefeated after four rounds.
The Parrots thrashed Sale in the grand final replay on Saturday with a record-breaking margin of 132 points.
Two players who didn’t play in last year’s premiership decider, forwards Jenson Garnham and Jack Ginnane, combined to kick a staggering 19 goals between them.
The premiership players missing against Sale and due to return in coming weeks include Josh Hopkins, Aaron Hillberg, Justin Pellicano, Will Littlejohn, Ned Hanily and Cam Olden.
First-year Parrots player Garnham finished with a record 11 goals and Ginnane followed up his 11 goals from the last round with another eight.
Leongatha extended its longest winning streak in the Gippsland league to 32 matches and is closing in on Traralgon’s 35 wins in a row from 1998 to 2000.
Maffra holds the record for the most wins in succession with 45 from 2003 to 2005.
Leongatha coach Trent McMicking said his two forwards cashed in on some great work up the ground.
“They’ve both got beautiful hands and kicked the ball beautifully as well,” he said.
“They had it on a platter with a very serviceable midfield.
“We used the ball much better than we have all year.”
Garnham, who kicked five goals on debut in round 1, booted six in the first half with his record-breaking 10th goal coming midway through the final quarter.
He broke the record of nine held by Glen Thorson since 1988.
Garnham was recruited from Inverloch-Kongwak and played most of last year with Gippsland Power.
Midfielders Tom Marriott and Aaron Heppell led the charge in the midfield for Leongatha with Heppell’s brother and Essendon veteran Dyson watching the match from the sidelines.
Leongatha also booted its biggest score against Sale with its 27.13 (175) bettering the previous highest total of 24.24 (168) in 1979.
Sale is in early season trouble with only one win against arch rival Maffra from its first four matches.
The Magpies have struggled to kick a winning score in the absence of a settled forward line with playing coach Jack Johnstone kicking two goals against Leongatha.
Leongatha sits second on the ladder behind the only other undefeated team, Moe, which beat Bairnsdale by 50 points on Saturday.
Leongatha and Moe meet in round 7 with Leongatha heading to Bairnsdale on Saturday and Moe to play Sale.
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