Power shock premier Parrots
Gippsland League teams Wonthaggi and Maffra had a “very good” Friday hosting the first weekend of a split round three.
Wonthaggi Power, that won only two games last season and was coming off a less than promising performance in losing to Morwell the previous week, shocked defending premier Leongatha.
At Maffra it wasn’t the victory by the home side over neighbours Sale that startled. It was the extent of it – 74 points.
Both clashes drew big crowds on the long weekend with conditions ideal.
Wonthaggi was in celebration mood on Friday evening after a 9-10 to 7-8 win, the second in three rounds, that could well set up their season.
The sea breeze, that often influences games there, did play a part. Twelve of the 16 goals for the match were kicked at one end of the ground.
Before Friday, Leongatha had notched hard-fought wins in its opening games against Maffra and Traralgon, both matches played at Leongatha, but Wonthaggi was a slightly better team for almost all of the game.
However, the result was not sealed until late when Power, with the benefit of the breeze, kicked three goals to one in the final quarter.
Some new recruits from the eastern suburbs have given the Power line-up a significant boost.
Mitchell Hayes and Lachlan Jones, both from Waverley Blues, and Timothy Knowles, recruited from Mulgrave, were all prominent in setting the Parrots on the back foot.
Young tall Toma Huther continued his fine start to the season heading the scoring with three goals and reliable onballer Aiden Lindsay and Steven Scott were effective across the four quarters.
Leongatha still has some of its better players sidelined with injuries.
Friday’s result may prove to be just a “blip” in the year overall but that doesn’t take anything away from Power’s performance.
Key defenders Chris Verboon and Sean Westaway were terrific and instrumental in keeping the Parrots in with a chance deep into the contest.
Cam Olden, Tom Vanderkolk, Travis Nash and Jacob Lamers also showed good form and the dependable Chris Dunne again presented the main danger up forward, kicking three of the six goals.
Maffra and Sale rarely don’t give spectators plenty of excitement when they meet and positions of the ladder are of little relevance.
But any excitement quickly disappeared for the big crowd at Maffra.
Sale, winner of its opening two games, looked a class below the rampant Eagles that stormed to an emphatic – and ominous – 15-12 to 4-4 victory.
Maffra worked to a handy 13-point lead in the opening quarter and then applied the blow torch kicking 6-3 in the second term while denying the Magpies any score.
Ominous also - for opposition teams for the rest of the year - was the inclusion in the Maffra side for the first time since his junior years a decade ago of 197-centimetre tall former AFL player John Butcher.
He wasn’t a stand-out on Friday but his presence was significant and will become even more so as he settles into the line-up.
Hard runners James Read, Jack Johnstone, Danny Butcher, Mitch Bennett and Ed Carr led a terrific across the ground team effort with the experienced and classy Sam Pleming also showing he’s set for another top season.
Bennett, Curtley Nettleton with three goals each and Alex Carr and Dan Bedggood with two headed the Eagles’ scoring.
Winners were difficult to name for Sale but Mitch Thacker, veteran Chris Laverty, Mitch and Nic Dose and Jayden Allison never gave the game away.
Brad Dessent kicked two goals.