Talking Parrots Podcast

As captain-coach of our first premiership in the Latrobe Valley/Gippsland League—one of the most famous Grand Final victories in Leongatha's history—Terry Benton holds a special place in the hearts of the Parrot faithful. Some still suggest Benton is the club's greatest player and coach, such was his impact during his four years as a player with the club (1970-73). Benton won the League...

Over generations, the Salmon name has been royalty at Leongatha, and Ian 'Curly' Salmon remains one of Gippsland's greatest sportsmen. Four senior premierships with the Parrots (1970, 1977, 1979 & 1982), four best and fairest awards (1970, 1978, 1980 & 1984), a League B&F (1980) and a Stan Aitken Medal (1982) make for one of the most impressive resumes in LFNC history. S...

Ross Johnson played seven VFL games with Hawthorn (1971-72), winning the 1972 reserves premiership with the Hawks alongside future Legend, Michael Tuck. In 1975, after two seasons as playing coach of Coleraine in the Western Border League, Johnson was headhunted to coach Leongatha during what proved a transitional period for the Parrots. The club missed the finals in '75, but Johnson blooded...

As surely one of Leongatha's best ever first-year recruits, WA-born Ben Harding enjoyed a remarkable debut season at the Parrots in 2025. Playing predominantly on the wing, he not only claimed the Gippsland League senior best & fairest award (Trood Award & Rodda Medal), but was a key member of the side that comfortably defeated Traralgon in the Grand Final. For Harding—who quickly bec...

In this special edition of the Talking Parrots Podcast, Mary Haywood remembers her late husband Trevor's remarkable career at Leongatha which included an equal-club-record five senior premierships. This podcast is proudly brought to you by the good team at All Weather Blinds (to arrange for a free consultation, please contact Noah on 0429 321 456) and daneddybooks.com. Go Parrots! 

One of the all-time great Parrots, Adrian Campbell came to Leongatha via Traralgon, Footscray and Melbourne. He played in the 1995, 1997 & 2001 senior premierships and in 1997 became the first Parrot to kick 100 goals in a season; in two games that year, Campbell kicked bags of 17 and a league-record 19 goals, famously topping the ton on Grand Final day. Then, during a challenging period in th...

Former Parrots president, Don Allen, reflects on his time at Leongatha (2004-05), which coincided with several major projects, including a re-sizing of the football ground, a much-needed irrigation upgrade, and improvements to the social club, among other things.  

When the Leongatha Football Netball Club one day establishes a Hall of Fame, Gary Webster, with a resume as fine as any footballer in club history, will surely be an inaugural inductee. 'Webby' played 233 senior games (top five all-time), won four premierships (1989, '95, '97 as captain, and 2001) and two club best & fairest awards (1991, 1993), received 10 interleague guer...

In this special extended podcast, four of Leongatha's 2017 premiership heroes - forwards Jack Ginnane & Chris Dunne, plus co-captain Hayden Browne & coach Beau Vernon - look back at the heart-stopping one-point Grand Final victory over Maffra, which famously ended a 16-year premiership drought for the Parrots.  

One of just eight to play 300 senior games (football and netball) at Leongatha in the Gippsland League era, Ken Fleming is one of the club's finest servants. A four-time premiership player (1979 reserves; 1989, '95 and '97 seniors) and four-time reserves best and fairest winner (1983-85, 1992), the popular life member was one of the most tenacious to ever represent the Parrots. In t...

On the cusp of breaking Leongatha's senior games-played record, which he currently shares with former great, Peter Helms (235 games), four-time premiership defender Sean Westaway reflects on the many kilometres he's travelled over a 15-year senior career to remain loyal to the Parrots. The son of 1977 premiership player, Andrew Westaway, Sean will go down as one of the club's finest...

Returning to Leongatha after a brief stint with Stony Creek FNC, netball great Kate McCarthy sits down with both Dan and Ernie to reflect on a fine career in green and gold that has included three premierships (2003-04 A-grade, 2012 B-grade), four club best & fairest awards (2005-06 and 2014 A-grade, 2011 B-grade) and a League B&F (2011 B-grade). One of the Parrots' most successful fo...

In this special edition podcast, three former Leongatha presidents—Graham Fixter (1983-84), Keith Kuhne (1995-2000) & Glenn Wright (2006-10)—reflect on their respective eras in the presidential chair and discuss the different challenges they all faced in trying to lead the Parrots to glory. Along with their wives—Elaine, Pat & Shirleyanne—the six popular club servants each have green &...

Success and Des Thorson went hand-in-hand throughout his remarkable three-decade career with Stony Creek (1971-76), Leongatha (1977-82 & 1984-87) and Meeniyan-Dumbalk United (1988-94) football clubs. Three premierships with the Parrots (1977, '79 & '82), a drought-breaking flag at Stony (1983), then two more with MDU (1988 & '90), plus another at Leongatha as coach of th...

Speaking from his home in Queensland, former Parrot, Laurie Moloney (1970, 22 games), recalls his childhood spent in South Gippsland in the 1960s, being part of a famous premiership at Leongatha - its first in the Gippsland League - then his 80-game career at Essendon (1971-76).  

In this humorous episode, popular Leongatha-born brothers, Dyson & Aaron Heppell, reflect on their respective journeys to Essendon, where Dyson has played 235 games in red & black (2011-23), captained the club (2017-22), won a Crichton Medal (2014), received an All-Australian jacket (2014) and won the AFL's Rising Star award in 2011. Unlucky to be overlooked for a position on the seni...

The Lynch name is royalty in Gippsland sporting circles; Wayne Lynch & his late brother Peter are legendary at Leongatha. In this episode, Wayne is joined by Peter's wife, Bronwyn, to discuss the family's roots in Yarram & their time at the Parrots, which included the 1979 & 1982 premierships & a string of individual honours.  

In a rare visit to his former hometown, Tim Maxwell - a dual Leongatha premiership player (1977, 1979) & triple best & fairest winner (1975-77) - remembers fondly his time in the district where, as the son of local legend, Keith 'Pud' Maxwell, Tim carved his own name into Parrots folklore.  In this enlightening step back in time, Tim waxes lyrical on all the men, women & loca...

Having been granted unprecedented access to record the coach's pre-game & in-game addresses throughout 2023, Dan Eddy sits down with Parrots coach, Trent McMicking, to discuss at length his life in football & specifically the memorable 2023 GFNL season, which saw McMicking become just the seventh coach in Leongatha's 129-year history to win two premierships. 

In this special extended podcast, three of Leongatha's 1979 premiership heroes - Chris Howard, Chris McRae and Ian Salmon - revisit the '79 LVFL Grand Final, providing a fascinating account of a record-setting premiership for the Parrots over Traralgon. 

In this second part of the 1982 LVFL Grand Final recap, played between Leongatha and Warragul, Parrots coach Neville Stone, full-forward Graeme Salmon, and wingman Peter McCaughan, dissect the game quarter-by-quarter and discuss their respective careers post the Grand Final.

In episode one of a two-part recap of the 1982 Latrobe Valley Football League Grand Final, Leongatha's dual premiership coach, Neville Stone, plus full-forward, Graeme Salmon, and wingman, Peter McCaughan, discuss their respective journeys to the Parrots and their recollections of the club and its people during the late 1970s, early 1980s period.

Two of the greats from the Parrots' successful 1960s era, Kevin Howard (a triple premiership player, captain & later president) & Alan Sperling (three senior premierships & a reserves flag), discuss the club's time in the South Gippsland Football Association, and their remarkable family connections which have spanned the entire 129 years of Leongatha Football Netball Club&apo...

Dual best and fairest winner, Peter Helms, discusses his remarkable career at Leongatha, which included the 1989, 1995 and 2001 senior premierships and the distinction of setting the club's senior games-played record, which he still holds some two decades after hanging up his boots. 

Leongatha's first 300-game netballer, Nicola Marriott, discusses her remarkable career to date with the Parrots, which includes four premierships (under-13s 2007, u-17s 2010-11, B-grade 2012), seven club best & fairest awards (2 x u-17s, 1 x B-grade, 4 x A-grade), plus two League best-player awards (u-17s in 2005, A-grade 2021). With no end in sight, the popular former captain looks set t...