When your side is sitting second on the ladder and has the scalp of the reigning premier under its belt, it’s no wonder Seymour gun Dylan Scopel is enjoying life at Kings Park.
But it’s the team dynamic on-and-off the field that has Scopel lapping up the fun.
As an outsider it’s hard to get a gauge of life inside the four walls at Kings Park, but when you notice club events, like their Boiler Room-theme, or witness the scenes in the rooms post win or defeat, it becomes a little easier to understand how much the 2023 Lions enjoy one another’s company.
Scopel, ahead of his 200th Goulburn Valley League appearance, said out of his past 13 seasons at Seymour this year was one of the most enjoyable to date.
“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had,” Scopel said of the 2023 campaign.
“Early years I probably took it more serious than I needed to be ... I’m really enjoying the company of the young boys. They keep me young.
“We’ve got some great young leaders coming through, Jack O’Sullivan, Jack Murphy, he’s destined for something bigger in a coaching realm, there’s some really good individuals and there’s a good mix between the group with young and old experience and a fair bit of talent and I think that reflects on the season we’ve had so far.
“The last of the three years we’ve really built and this year I think we’ve matured. We’ve had some dirty wins, ground out some wins, come from behind and I think that shows the maturity of the group coming through.
“In saying that, I don’t think we’ve proved anything yet and we’re really looking to go far.”
The 30-year-old isn’t one to take himself too seriously and is happy bouncing off the enthusiasm that his younger teammates bring to Saturdays.
Scopel was once in their shoes.
Throw back to when he made his senior debut in 2010 and he was wide-eyed as he watched Seymour premiership heroes Saad Saad and Paul and Brent Colbert run amok in the twilight years of their careers.
It was during those winters that helped define and mould Scopel into the star running defender that we see today.
“Myself and another guy, Nick Dundon, we were both 17-18 and the rest of the team, coming off the back of that golden era, were about 40 years old or so ― we felt like boys amongst men,” Scopel said.
“I think it’s held me in good stead for my future at the club and I learnt a lot off those guys.
“Saad Saad, Paul Scanlon, there’s a couple of pretty iconic names in the GVL ... I got to play alongside a lot of good footballers and, as I said, it’s been pretty beneficial to my football journey.
“Saad Saad on the field and Brett Meredith off the field. (Saad) honestly I’ve never played with anyone like him, some of his exploits have never been replicated. He was a bit of a spectacle to watch.”
Not one to rave about his own game, Scopel downplayed his own input to the current Lions squad.
“I missed that one (Echuca game), we actually got up and I was quite nervous at selection the following week because I thought that might have been the end of me, I might have been what was holding us back,” he said with a laugh.
“As far as my form, I feel like I’m slowing down, but I think I still add value with my experience.”
Averaging 21.4 disposals a game and ranked 10th in the league for most intercept possessions a game (5.4), the fierce leader has been a standout with his trademark run and carry out of defence.
But his impact to the squad is far greater than any statistical number.
As co-captain of the Lions, alongside Lachie Waite, Scopel’s played a profound role in shaping the likes of young guns Ben Rigoni, Nathan Beattie and Nic Quigg.
Even with his on-field exploits, he’s never one to shirk away from running back with the flight or putting his head over the ball, he leads by example.
Scopel said he was enjoying sharing the captaincy role between Waite and others in the squad.
“I think we share the load well,” he said.
“I’ve been in the role a few years now, but living in Melbourne it’s good to have Lachie, who’s still in Seymour on the ground every Tuesday and Thursday.
“I felt a bit too detached to have the role solely (living in Melbourne). But in saying that we have a leadership group of six other guys, three coaching staff and it honestly does feel like the load is shared anyway. It sort of feels like a team leadership really.”
There’s someone else in the playing group that Scopel can lean on for support.
His brother Rory.
The pair has been side-by-side in the senior line-up for almost a decade now and it’s another important aspect as to why the defender is enjoying his footy.
“I love it (playing with Rory). I’m sure the sentiment wouldn’t be reciprocated from him, but no, I do enjoy playing alongside my brother,” he said.
“It’s always a good chance to catch up on the weekend and it strengthens that relationship. We give ourselves plenty of bake on the field and we definitely go harder at each other than our teammates.
“It’s good to have a brother you can debrief a wash-up of a game or plan games with and it’s always nice to have a spot you can stay at for home games.”
There’s no doubt Scopel will use Rory’s place come Saturday night, with the Lions due to take on Tatura at home in round 17 action.
Although the significance of reaching 200 games isn’t lost on Scopel, he’s happy to continue riding the wave of momentum towards September action.
“I have 10 to 20 mates coming down and I think I’ll get absolutely blow torched from them over the fence,” he said with a laugh.
“I think it’s something I will look back on (playing 200 games), but in the meantime, I’ve got a few more important things at play.”
Sarah’s Day
This weekend is Sarah’s Day at Kings Park, with the Lions remembering much-loved figure Sarah Locke who lost her battle with breast cancer.
The club is hosting a high tea event in the clubrooms at 2pm and tickets can be bought for $20 here.
There will be raffles and other fundraisers on the day with all money raised going towards the Breast Cancer Network Australia foundation.
For more, head to Seymour Football Netball Club’s Facebook page.
“Any sort of contribution, grab a beanie, donate to the charity, there’s a function on at Kings Park, grab a ticket and come along,” Scopel said.
“She (Sophie Locke) is doing God’s work and it’s great to see her as an ambassador and what she’s doing on field as well.”