On the mark: Riley Mason was on target, but the Lions lacked firepower in going down to Shepparton. Photos: Wayne Herring
It was a tough run out for Seymour’s top divisions in the Goulburn Valley League last weekend.
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In fact, it looked far worse than tough early on in the senior football clash with Shepparton on Saturday.
Four weeks after the competition’s start in Mansfield, Kings Park finally got its first taste of the action in 2024. But there was no happy homecoming to be found.
Cain Murray hit the scoreboard first for Seymour in answering an early Luke Smith major — you’ll get used to reading that name — before Smith’s second a couple of minutes later preceded a flurry of Bears offence.
All told, the Lions conceded the next 28 points before Riley Mason split the middle early in the second term to give his side a pulse, only for Smith’s third and fourth goals of the day to sink any hopes of momentum.
A diabolical lack of resistance led to Seymour staring down a 60-point deficit at the major break, before the early third term mirrored the first two with a quick Lions goal cancelled out with interest.
The Lions came out a more competitive side, there’s no doubt about that, but the damage was done and could arguably have been even more severe with the Bears fluffing a handful of chances before three-quarter time.
The gap blew out to as many as 69 points in the game’s dying minutes before the Lions rallied in dead time through Ricky Schraven, Nathan Fowler and Max Lawrence to salvage some semblance of pride from an 18.13 (121) to 10.4 (64) defeat that left the home side at 0-3.
In arms: Seymour's football and netball contingent embarked on some pre-match reflection as part of Anzac Round. (Photo: Wayne Herring)
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Out in front: Seymour’s Riley Mason. (Photo: Wayne Herring)
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Take your place: Umpires gather pre-match.
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A moment of pause: Puckapunyal Military Area representatives participate in the pre-match observance. (Photo: Wayne Herring)
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In silence: Seymour's netball contingent joins the footballers for the observance. (Photo: Wayne Herring)
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Looking to pass: Seymour’s Olivia Barry. (Photo: Wayne Herring)
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Tough going: Seymour’s Ruby Martin under close watch. (Photo: Wayne Herring)
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Incoming: Seymour’s Ruby Martin in space. (Photo: Wayne Herring)
Mason led Seymour with three majors, becoming the first Lion to reach double digits this season, while Nathan Beattie and Nathan Fowler contributed two apiece.
But there was simply no answer for Smith’s prowess as the Bears onballer finished with 40 touches, 10 clearances and eight goals in a display even eyewitnesses may have struggled to believe was real.
While nowhere near as severe, the Seymour A-grade netball encounter left the Lions’ girls empty-handed as well.
Despite missing star Sarah Szczykulski to Victorian Netball League commitments, the Lions would have felt right in the contest through large chunks of the first half, but never found the string of successes needed to put up a pertinent challenge.
Things changed in the third term as changes rang through the squad, with Ellie Fuhrmeister getting on top of the contest in the arc to reduce the gap to five goals with a quarter to play.
The final term brought a barrage as Shepparton’s Kim Borger embarked on a frenzy of pinpoint goal-shooting to put the result beyond doubt, with the Lions eventually falling 66-51, their second loss in three games.
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