IT was a tough day out for the senior side against the Shepparton Bears Saturday afternoon in the annual ANZAC round of Goulburn Valley Football, with the Lions going down to Shepparton Bears 64 to 121.
The Lions entered the clash with a host of key players on the sidelines with injury and VFL commitments, but that wasn’t going to hold the team back from giving it their best crack.
The Bears proved their worth early as they jumped out of the blocks in the first quarter, kicking five goals to one against the undermanned Lions brigade, who missed a few crucial shots on goal that would’ve settle the match.
Nathan Beattie and Lachlan Waite both excelled finding plenty of the football and halted the momentum of the Bears elite on ball brigade. In the second, the Bears blew the game open, kicking six goals to Seymour’s one.
While the second half saw an improved effort across the board, the Lions weren’t able to peg back the difference. Riley Mason and Nathan Fowler were prolific up forwards, despite minimal opportunity as the Bears proved themselves as real contenders for 2024.
The Lions will now reset, before taking on the Benalla Saints next weekend. Goals came from R. Mason 3, N. Fowler 2, R. Schraven 1, M. Lawrence 1. Best on the day were L. Waite, C. Thomson, N. Beattie, J. Murphy, C. Powell. Nathan Beattie shone with 33 disposals (2 goals, 12 marks), Jack Murphy notched up 29 disposals (9 marks, 4 clearances, 5 score involvements), Lachlan Waite (17 disposals, 8 marks), – Chayse Thompson 22 disposals (77 per cent disposal efficiency) and Huwy Jones (23 disposals, 5 rebound 50’s).
Lions assistant coach Jack Murphy said the game was a similar story to last week with the team being out worked, out hunted, and out played in the second term.
“This really put us on the back foot for the rest of the game. They have some genuine stars, but to the credit of the Bears, their mid-table guys really put on a show and proved how strong their depth is within their senior side,” Murphy said.
“We are strict on not making any excuses. Yes, we have 12-13 guys out from our semi-final side, but we pride ourselves on being able to bring the next man up and for them to impact the game. Unfortunately, across the board the impact isn’t where we need or would like it to be.
“On the flip side, we have been able to blood through a lot of young and inexperienced players. Although these losses are hard to take, they will help build confidence and understanding in our young side on what it takes to compete in a premier country football competition,” Murphy added.
