A five-goal-to-nil final quarter has lifted Mansfield to a thrilling 10.17 (77) to 11.5 (71) win over a wounded Seymour outfit at Mansfield Recreation Reserve.
Ben Christopher was the hero for the Eagles in the dying stages, kicking the winning goal with just two minutes left to seal his side’s second straight victory over a top-three team from last season.
While it was a disappointing finish to the day for Ben Davey and his Lions, he said there was plenty of positives to take out of the way his young team performed in hostile territory.
“It was really disappointing we didn’t get the job done, but I couldn’t fault our boys on how well they played,” Davey said.
“The effort they put up for the whole game was second to none. We just ended up running out of gas a bit towards the end.”
Already missing reigning Morrison Medallist Jack O’Sullivan, spearhead Michael Hartley and prime mover James Wooster, the Lions were dealt a triple blow when Rory Scopel left the ground with a groin injury and Ben Tarran and Josh Alford both suffered concussions after a pair of nasty collisions.
“In the end they (the Eagles) deserved to win. They pretty much did to us in the last term what we did to them in the first three quarters and with just the one rotation we weren’t able to hang on,” Davey said.
“When Mansfield get going on their home ground they are very hard to stop, and with the crowd behind them they ran over the top of us.”
With Hartley out of the side, Harley Taylor-Lloyd stepped up with five goals, while Ben Rigoni continued his excellent season with a dominant performance through the midfield.
With his team trailing by an even five goals at the final change, Mansfield coach Chad Owens said he always had confidence the game would turn in the final term.
“At three-quarter-time we were still very confident we could win the game,” Owens said.
“We had the exact same amount of scoring shots, we just weren’t taking ours and they were taking theirs, and once we cleaned up our work around the stoppages in that last term the game turned.
“Once we got that momentum it became quite difficult for them to stop. Cameron Arnold and Ben Christopher got on top down forward and with a rowdy crowd behind us we managed to get over the line.”
About 4800 people packed into Mansfield Recreation Reserve for the Eagles’ annual Easter Saturday clash and were treated to arguably the game of the season to date, as both sides traded blows in what was a highly skilled exhibit of GVL football.
Battling out a tight first quarter, Seymour quickly got the better of the contest in the second term, with a clinical six goals for the period helping open up a comfortable 19-point lead at the main change.
“They were just smacking us at stoppages (in the first half), they were getting really good entries inside 50 and took their chances really well,” Owens said.
“They also just outran us and we were just too slow and reactive in that first half, allowing them to open us up.”
Needing to respond, the Eagles managed to get the game back on their terms in the third term despite some inaccuracy, before ultimately running over the Lions with a brutal final stanza.
“It shows what we are made of. When the game is not on our terms, we can still find a way to win, which is really pleasing,” Owens said of his team’s ability to get back in the game.
“We know we are super fit, which is why we’re confident we could win. The belief in the group is strong, which is really exciting.”
In the reserves, the Lions began their 2022 campaign with a 33-point loss to the Eagles.
Not registering a score to half-time, Seymour did show signs of life in the second half, kicking six majors to Mansfield’s four to trim the margin by the final siren.
But it was clear it was outclassed by a team hitting a great patch of form.
Oliver Lubeck, Seamus Feery and Jay Eager were the standouts in maroon, while Max Jones capitalised in front of goal with two majors.
It was a similar story in the thirds, as Mansfield flexed its muscles with a dominant 89-point triumph.
The Eagles controlled proceedings from start to finish and the Lions could not get anything going, with the performances of Angus Murray, Regan Gardner and Alexander Elliott the only positives from the day.