KEEP FINALS CENTRAL

Saturday’s grand final at Moe will be the last in a three-year trail of rotating the premiership decider and other finals at the central Latrobe Valley venues - Morwell, Traralgon and Moe.

The clubs and the league’s board of management will decide whether the system will continue. It should. The three grounds are without doubt the best in the league.

They have been presented in superb condition for this year’s series.

With the wide geographical spread of the competition from Bairnsdale in the far east, to Wonthaggi in the far south and Drouin and Warragul at the western end it makes sense to centralise the finals.

Morwell, Traralgon and Moe also provide the best viewing for spectators. nnn The Gippsland League season has had plenty of highlights.

Not the least were the evenness of the competition - Leongatha’s unbeaten home and away season the exception and the battle between a number of clubs for the last two positions in the “five” that went down to the wire.

I haven’t checked but suspect would be very few, if any other, leagues where the “winner” of the wooden spoon won four games.

Great, also, to see that the “final five” featured three of the clubs from the league’s “outer regions” - Leongatha, Warragul and Drouin.

And then there was the upset of the year when Maffra toppled Leongatha in the second semi-final.

All adds up to a grand finale at Moe on Saturday. nnn Warragul rover Brad Scalzo’s win last night in the Trood Award Rodda medal count was some icing on the cake.

Bitter disappointment no doubt for his team mate Nathaniel Paredes who was pipped at the post with the last vote in the count.