LEONGATHA MARCH CONTINUES Toss of coin put Hawks on back foot
What was always a big mountain to climb, tackling runaway ladder leader Leongatha, was made harder for Drouin on Saturday by the toss of the coin.
Leongatha won the toss and kicked with the benefit of a strong southsouth-westerly wind before the ball became heavy.
At quarter time the Parrots had 5-3 on the board and Drouin hadn’t scored but the wind wasn’t solely the reason.
The Hawks failed to guard space across the ground, not so much in Leongatha’s forward 50metre arc, but critically out wide on the half back line and across the middle of the ground.
It enabled the Parrots to choose from several attacking options.
After than Drouin really held its own.
At the final siren it was Leongatha 11-12 to 6-5.
The half time gap of 40 points was never going to be reeled in.
Second quarter goals by Jordan Kingi, Ben Hughes and Dan Nicholls built some Drouin confidence on a day when players had to contend with weather conditions that swung wildly.
Rain from about 8-11 a.m. had the ground boggy by time the seniors started, the strong wind eased a little in the second quarter until a squall with gale force wind and heavy rain hit just before half time, it was virtually clear skies again as the second half started, the wind eased before dropping entirely for the last quarter, then it got very dark and in the latter part of the final term the rain was back again.
Two Leongatha goals in six minutes started the third quarter but it wouldn’t score another in the next 55 minutes until the final siren.
Credit to Drouin for that.
For most of the game the Hawks had ascendancy with its on-ballers and across the middle of the ground.
Coach and ruckman Bob McCallum was well on top of Leongatha’s Ben Willis and Luke Duffy, Liam Axford, Brad Virgona and Jordan Kingi, aided at times by Todd Beck, gave the Hawks plenty of the ball.
They had to battle hard in attack in the heavy conditions to capitalise and the defence, helped by stronger defensive pressure around the ground, held firm.
The Drouin backmen’s attack on the ball and quick run caught the Parrots off guard, Tom Barr, David Olsen and James McKellar led the way with that.
McKellar, who spent the match opposed to the league’s leading goalkicker Chris Dunne, did more than a commendable job.
Dunne might have finished with three goals, two of them as Leongatha had the upper hand in the first quarter, but McKellar can’t be held responsible for them.
Dunne’s first came after McKellar beat him to the ball followed up to win possession and then had a 50-50 free paid against him when tackled.
The ball swiftly went to Dunne 30 metres in the clear. His second for the term was a kick off the ground after a goal square scramble.
The Drouin defence will miss Barr who has had a terrific season but heads overseas this week for employment.
On the plus side Duffy is back permanently and was voted Drouin’s best on Saturday.
The Hawks’ forwards battled hard in conditions that got progressively tougher during the match.
Hughes was busy and a good avenue of attack finishing with two goals as did Beck, always dangerous drifting forward.
McCallum, Beck, Axford, McKellar and Hughes, along with Duffy, were named Drouin’s best but plenty of others were solid contributors.
Leongatha’s skill level around the ground marking in the difficult conditions, foot and handpassing - was a step up from Drouin’s.
Not unexpected from a side that has comfortably brushed aside any opposition this year.