Despite going into the match with high hopes, Bairnsdale was outclassed by Leongatha to the tune of 35 points in the Gippsland League reserves grand final last Saturday at the Morwell Recreation Reserve.
The Redlegs went into the game full of confidence, having been impressive in their other finals assignments, even pushing the Parrots on their home deck in the qualifying final.
The game was played in blustery condition, which tended to change direction at regular intervals, but it was safe to say Leongatha did have the advantage of wind in the first term.
Although the Parrots didn’t use it as well as they would have liked, they certainly controlled the narrative, only allowing the Redlegs, two inside 50s for the quarter.
The Bairnsdale backline was superb continually thwarting the Parrots attack with a big fist, strong mark or by pushing the ball wide towards the boundary.
Unfortunately time and time again, the second or third kick out of defence was marked by a Leongatha player in the centre or on the wings.
Bairnsdale could have benefitted from a send off, when Charlie Cook was clobbered high off the ball, but it eluded the eyes of all 10 umpires.
Eventually Leongatha was able to get a goal 13 minutes in, when Jacob Lamers read the play better than anyone else, the ball carrying the pack and he made no mistake from short range.
The Bairnsdale coaching stuff would have been happy to be within nine points at the break, such was the dominance of the Parrots.
The Redlegs were keen for a big quarter with the breeze, but it didn’t eventuate, the Parrots kicking three goals to one, and if you didn’t know better you would have thought they were kicking with the breeze.
Goals to Beau Grabham and Darcy Hume asserted Leongatha’s authority, before a Rohan Blandford major late in term stemmed the lead back to just 16 points.
All the hard work was undone by a goal to Trent McRae as half time beckoned, the Parrots leading by 22 at the long break.
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Defenders such as Charlie Cook, Dan Eastman, Paul Bills, Charlie Mann, Damon O’Connor and Liam Russell continued to defend grimly.
Unfortunately Mann went down with a serious ankle injury just on half time, his loss felt in the second half.
The Redlegs were up and about in the third term and the ball began to find its way inside 50 more often, but the
Leongatha defenders were ruthless and not keen to even concede a point.
Leongatha kicked two goals to one for the term, the Redlegs major coming on the siren from Jason Waddell, the three quarter time margin 30 points.
Bairnsdale gave its all in the final term, led by big hearted ruckman Liam Bleyswyk and Jamie Dore.
Bairnsdale tried to make an impression on the scoreboard, but they were continually denied, the final nail going into the coffin
11 minutes into the term when Noah Fixter kicked truly for the Parrots.
Bairnsdale coach Paul Capes was full of praise for his side, happy that they have pegged some ground back on the Parrots this season, but mindful there is still some way to go.
“A few years ago, we didn’t have a development side, now we are playing off for the premiership, we are coming, but aren’t there yet,” Capes said.
Best players for Bairnsdale were Cook, O’Connor, Bleyswyk, Tyson Matthews, Eastman and Dore.
