Giddings kick sends Towners home in Preliminary Final

IN one of the most dramatic Preliminary Final finishes in Geelong Football League history, Leopold’s Connor Giddings has sent the Lions through to the Grand Final on a kick after the final siren.

The kick from Giddings roughly 30 metres in front on a slight angle put Leopold into the GFL decider with a 10.7.67 to 8.14.62 win over Newtown & Chilwell at Windsor Park.

Both sides were within arm’s reach of one another right until the final play of the game, but Leopold coach Garry Hocking urged his team to fight until the end with a 13-point advantage at the final intermission.

Thankfully for the Lions, Giddings’ kick after the siren was enough to get Leopold over the line and set up a rematch of the 2016 Grand Final against St Mary’s.

Giddings and Leopold star Marcus Thomson were the leading kickers for the Lions with two apiece.

James Edmonds, Tom Feely, Liam Herbert, Marcus Herbert, Mitchell Patten and Logan Wagener all hit the scoresheet in the process.

Newtown forward Matthew Boag notched up two goals on the day for the Eagles, with Lachlan Bond, Gennaro Bove, Ned Harris, Matty Lloyd, Matthew McMahon and Thomas Panuccio adding their names to Newtown’s goal-kickers.

Leopold and St Mary’s will lock horns at St Albans Reserve on Saturday, September 17 to decide the 2022 GFL Premiers.