The longest winning streak in local footy is finally over after more than two years. Here’s how it all came to an end.
Moe president Manny Gelagotis says his club has arrived as a premiership threat in the Gippsland league after its biggest win in years.
The Lions ended the longest streak in Victorian footy on Saturday with a 27-point win over Leongatha.
For the first time since April 18, 2021, the Parrots lost a match in the league, ending their 34-game unbeaten run.
The contest was won in the second quarter with Moe kicking to a decisive 21-point lead after kicking four goals in the term and keeping the Parrots to one goal for the half.
They held on despite a challenge from the Parrots in the third term to win 12.5 (77) to 6.14 (50).
The Parrots were left to rue inaccurate kicking in front of goal.
“I think the boys have announced their arrival that they will be strong contenders,” the Lions president said.
“They (the Parrots) did start well but Moe over the four quarters were better. I thought it was a sustainable four quarter effort.
“We’ve been hit by injuries and we had four or five elite footballers out today. So the win just holds us in good stead for the future.”
Gelagotis said a win like Saturday had been in the pipeline for the Lions.
“During the Covid years we’ve been a bit stiff, he said.
“We’ve had a competitive squad but for different reasons at the critical times we have broken down.
“We’ve always believed we would get to this point.”
Gelagotis said the win adds to what the club have done over the past decade.
Moe have had eight players drafted to the AFL in the past nine years with Bailey Humphrey (Gold Coast) the latest to be selected.
“We started with a clean slate (then),” Gelagotis said.
“We really cleaned the club up externally and internally.
“If I’m not wrong in 2014 or 15, 16 of our kids from the under-16 teams are either playing AFL (now) or playing in our seniors.
“We feel the last three or four years we’ve been in a premiership window and been unlucky.
“We always felt this year was the year for us to step up.”
In other results on the day, Traralgon defeated Bairnsdale by 39 points with Sale beating Morwell by four points.
A six goal haul to Daniel Bedggood helped Maffra to a 47-point win over Drouin with Wonthaggi smashing Warragul by 138 points.
Originally published as Moe stuns Leongatha to end local footy’s biggest streak