By Nicholas Duck
Sometimes all you can do is acknowledge greatness.
Leongatha stormed their way to their third premiership in four years courtesy of an utterly dominant 95-point thumping of Traralgon .
One of the more even seasons in recent years gave way to an absolute fizzler of a grand final for the neutrals. The Parrots were completely ruthless from the first bounce, kicking six unanswered goals in the first term with the breeze at their backs.
From there they were relentless, putting through score after score to leave the Maroons wondering what exactly just happened.
The 19.11 (125) to 4.6 (30) trouncing also secures a slice of redemption for the vaunted Parrots, who were brought undone in the decider 12 months ago by their conquered foe.
In both grand finals Leongatha entered as favourites and this time around they more than earned that title, putting together one of the most complete and comprehensive grand final performances the Gippsland League has ever seen.
But are we really surprised at this point? This is a team that has now featured in nine consecutive grand finals. For other clubs a flag is a once in a lifetime opportunity. For the Parrots veterans it's another Saturday in September.
Leading from the front was hometown hero and former Essendon captain Dyson Heppell.
Heppell, in his first year back playing with his original club, teamed up with his brother Aaron and Kim Drew beautifully to give their side an imposing ascendancy at the clearances.
Dyson was such a standout that he won both the best on ground medals the Gippsland League has to offer – the first player to do so since 2014.
Jack Hume was another Parrot to put in an outstanding effort on the wing and down back while Jenson Garnham kicked seven goals for the victors, including four in the first half when the game was there to be won.
Timothy Sauvarin finished off their best, playing a steady hand down back to help keep Traralgon to their lowest score of the season.
For the Maroons what else is left to do than pick up the pieces? The reigning premiers were nowhere to be found when the whips were cracking and as a result the game was basically gone by quarter time.
One goal in the first half of a grand final might haunt this group during the off-season, even if most of their players can console themselves with 2024's success.
Liam Willaton was the pick of a bunch that didn't have many playing well, along with Blair Roscoe, Tye Hourigan, Luis D'Angelo, Conor Little and Connor Ambler.
As the wind headed towards the town end of the ground to begin the game so too did the footy. Leongatha burst out of the blocks early thanks to some immaculate work at the contest.
A strong mark and goal from Aaron Heppell got the scoring underway and from there the goals flowed, Traralgon struggling to get the ball past the halfway mark.
Where you might have expected the breeze to cause issues when it came to set shots, the truth was anything but.
Patrick Ireland, Drew and Garnham – twice – all brought their kicks back perfectly as Nicholas Argento also broke through to snap one on the run, putting the margin at 37 by quarter time.
Even without the wind at their backs the Parrot pressure continued to win out. Garnham outmuscled Mitch Membrey in a marking contest and slotted his third to put the margin even further out, the hopes of a Maroons comeback all but gone and the game all but won.
Leongatha had eight on the board before Loprese could finally get Traralgon on the board for what would end up being their only goal of the first half.
The Maroons, normally known for their slick and often lethal ball movement, could hardly string together any sort of chains from their back half, breaking down as the Parrots refused to give them any breathing space.
Dyson Heppell joined the party in the third quarter, gathering a ball at ground level and putting it through to go with his exemplary clearance work.
The rest of the match played out about as expected until the final siren, where Leongatha got the chance to celebrate yet another year of excellence on the field.
Their program has long been the envy of many a country footy side and Saturday was just the latest chapter in a very successful story.
Their reserves were a similar story, holding on for a 4.0 (24) to 2.9 (21) win despite failing to score in the second half.
The thirds saw Maffra secure a comfortable 12.4 (76) to 3.6 (24) win over Leongatha off the back of six goals to Jack McQuillen, while in the fourths Maffra scored one of the biggest upset wins you're likely to see, knocking of the previously unbeaten Traralgon 4.7 (31) to 4.3 (27).
