Wonthaggi has played Leongatha in four grand finals, that we know of… 1931, 1961 and 1962 in the old South Gippsland league and 2001 in the Gippsland Latrobe Valley League.
The tally so far is three wins to Leongatha, in 1931, 1961 and 2001 and a glorious win by Wonthaggi in 1962.
The Peter McRae-coached 1962 Wonthaggi team defeated Leongatha in that game, Wonthaggi 9.10.64 to Leongatha 5.15.45, by 19 points.
So, if Wonthaggi beats Leongatha on Saturday to win their first Gippsland League premiership, it will be the first time in 61 years that they’ve beaten Leongatha in a grand final.
For Leongatha it will be their 12th Gippsland premiership.
“We weren’t supposed to win it,” said one of the members of the Wonthaggi premiership team of ‘62, Peter ‘Dickie’ Williams.
“The Leongatha team had 10 interleague players in it, and they are believed to have had a motorcade organised to celebrate their victory.”
But it was Wonthaggi all the way on the day.
And there were plenty of recognisable players’ names in the mix.
Laurie Huther, named the best ruckman in Wonthaggi Blues’ history (1955-2004) “was brilliant in the ruck” according to a report in the Korumburra Times. Coach Peter McRae engineered the win from centre half back, and Leo Tessari led a winning on-ball unit while Leongatha’s centre half back ‘Dooly’ Brydon and Wonthaggi’s Robbie Allan had a ding-dong at half forward.
Other players named in the best for Wonthaggi included Ray Dobbie “a rock” at full back, Grambeau up forward, Milkins and Robertson supporting Dobbie and McRae in defence but the paper said it wouldn’t single out any others “for the Blues did not have one passenger on the day”.
There were plenty of familiar names in the best for Leongatha on the day, defender Bill Powell, Jungworth and Fennell up forward, Ron Burrows brilliant on the wing, Ralph Miller on the ball, McKean, Ritchie and Coulter, while Leongatha’s highly regarded coach Rod Cameron also rated a mention.
But it was Wonthaggi’s day, starting well with two goals to nil in the first quarter, getting it out to 14 points against an inaccurate Leongatha by half time, 24 by three-quarter time and holding out for a 19-point win at the end.
The four grand final meetings between Leongatha and Wonthaggi include:
- 1931, Leongatha 14.8.92 defeated Wonthaggi Town: 5.10.40.
- 1961, Leongatha 10.12.72 defeated Wonthaggi 6.10.46.
- 1962, Wonthaggi 9.10.64 defeated Leongatha 5.15.45
- 2001, Leongatha 14.8.92 defeated Wonthaggi 12.11.83.
In the 2001 grand final, Leongatha got their lead out to 30 points at the start of the last quarter with Wonthaggi rattling home in the final 30 minutes to fail by 9 points at the end. Leongatha coach Anthony Pavey and Michael Johnston were named best, while Matt Mansfield, Billy Clarke, Rhett McLennan, Adrian Campbell, Peter Helms, Paul Le Page, Al Fixter and the late Neville Matthies (honorary team member) were others but both sides featured many stalwart players including Andrew Seccull up forward for Wonthaggi, Warren Everitt, Rob Railton, Adam Mabilia and many more.
In the other Gippsland grand final in which Wonthaggi has appeared, in 2002, Maffra 13.20 defeated Wonthaggi’s 13.5 and in 2014, Morwell 8.7.55 defeated Wonthaggi 5.7.37.
PHOTO: Members of the Wonthaggi Premiership team of 1962 L-R back row, N Robertson, L Huther, G Beaton, G Fraser, R Dobbie, R Beech, centre row, W Harvey (trainer), J Liddle, M Foster, P Haines, T Haines, J McCully, L Milkins, P Williams, J Bentick jnr (trainer), front row, R Allan, A Beaumont, P McRae, (captain-coach), J Bentick snr (president), R Brambeau (vc), L Tessari, R Gilmour.