Want a challenge Sale?
You got it.
This is going to be harder than facing off spinners on Stick Cricket.
The Magpies take on Leongatha tomorrow in Round 4 of the Gippsland League.
Sale makes the journey to Parrot Park for the Grand Final rematch, taking on an opponent that has just kept winning ever since that day.Leongatha’s mark now stands at 31 consecutive wins, dating all the way back to mid-2021.
The Parrots are coming off a 97-point drubbing of Warragul, in which stocky forward Jack Ginnane announced his return to the field with 11 goals.
Ginnane missed the premiership last season due to suspension for rough conduct. The much publicised eight week verdict was fought all the way to the Supreme Court.
Sale got a much-needed win on the board last week against Maffra, in what was a typically tight Battle of the Birds clash.
The Magpies broke away late, thanks to the efforts of Jack McLaren and Hudson Holmes against his old team.
That first win would have made Sale officials sleep just a little bit easier, but come Monday, it would have been straight back to business – regardless of the fact it was a long weekend.
It has been a somewhat unfortunate start to the year for the black and white, as they have reportedly had literally an entire teams worth of players on the side lines.
This has perhaps been most evident in the reserves team. Only seven of the 22 that played in the Grand Final last year took to the field six days ago.
While you can only play with what you have, a Grand Final rematch is sure to bring out the best in most players, especially those who relish the big stage.
Sale was brave in the decider last year, and equally so in the opening round of the season, going down narrowly to a much-fancied Wonthaggi on their home deck.
The Magpies might look to turn their unavailability list, which includes key forward Brad Dessent and underrated winger Pat Tainsh, into a positive, and knowing playing-coach Jack Johnstone, he won’t accept it as an excuse for poor performance.
Heading into this clash, Sale could look to draw on the pressure they applied to Wonthaggi in last year’s preliminary final.
By all accounts, the Power simply couldn’t handle what the Magpies threw at them, and as good as Leongatha might be, every team can only hold up for so long under enough heat.
Sale will look to bring a lot of physicality to the contest, which has been an area of strength in the last two years.
Where the game might be decided however is inside the Magpies front half.
In a lot of those 31 wins for Leongatha, the Parrots have been happy to concede clearance, having full faith in their defence to win the ball back and counterattack.
This will put the onus on Sale forwards such as Jarrod Freeman, Jayden Allison and captain Jack Leslie to compete manically to keep the ball locked in, as well as the midfield group led by Johnstone to know when to pull the trigger on certain kicks.
Just like Stick Cricket – it’s all about your timing.
Maffra, you’ve also got a challenge.
The Eagles will welcome Wonthaggi, who are making the long trip over from South Gippsland.
The home side can expect to face a fired-up opposition desperate to snap a two-game losing streak.
Such a form-line could play into the hands of Maffra, as all the pressure is on the Power – a team expected to be among the top three this season.
The Eagles, by contrast, are in a transition period, although previewing this match does create an interesting case study into how Maffra might be going about any such transition.
Maffra perhaps shelved development for a week in the previous game against Sale, calling on veterans such as Jordan Stubbe and Winston Gieschen to go up against the fully developed men of the Magpies.
With Wonthaggi at a similar stage on the football cycle to Sale, the Eagles (without knowing the team when this went to print) might be looking to simply pick their best side rather than one that might serve it better in the long run.
Maffra new recruit Nathan Pollard was given a tagging job last week, and he could potentially go to Power playmaker Isaac Chugg tomorrow.
Chugg, who played for Collingwood last year, was best afield for Wonthaggi last round.
While the Maffra model during their most recent success (two premierships from four consecutive Grand Finals between 2016-19) revolved around a chip-and-draw style, the game has moved on from that time to reward teams that explode forward of centre.
With this in mind, the Eagles will need to go fast against Wonthaggi tomorrow, to not allow their defence any time to set up.
In other games, Traralgon heads to Drouin, while Morwell and Moe each have hosting duty, taking on Warragul and Bairnsdale respectively.
The Maroons sent an ominous warning to the competition last weekend, smashing Morwell, as did Moe, who defeated Wonthaggi.
