The first round of the Goulburn Valley League under-18s football season kicked off last weekend.
Seymour started its premiership campaign off with a commanding win over Benalla by 40 points.
The Lions ran out to a convincing 10.12 (72) to 4.8 (32) win at Kings Park.
The game was over at quarter time with Seymour coming out of the blocks with a bang kicking 5.3 (33) to 1.1 (7) and really taking full control of the game from that first bounce.
Standouts for Seymour were Jonty Mann who kicked two goals and earned himself best-on ground, as well as Angus Murray and Regan Gardner who also both played well.
Charlie McCarthy impressed for Benalla and was judged best on ground.
Meanwhile, Mansfield defeated Euroa in a thrilling seven-point cracker at Euroa Memorial Oval.
The Magpies came agonisingly close, but the Eagles came out with a 13.6 (84) to 12.5 (77) victory in Euroa.
The first half was dominated by Euroa who kicked accurately.
The Magpies entered score at the main break was 8.0 (48) to 3.5 (23).
But Mansfield came storming out of the blocks after halftime with a five-goal to two quarter which set up a thrilling final quarter.
Another five-goal quarter gave Mansfield the unlikeliest of victories.
The match was dominated by Mansfield’s Charlie Christopher, who booted three goals as well as Max Mahony and Chad Turner (three).
In other games, Echuca destroyed Rochester by 155 points at Moon Oval in a game that was over in the first quarter.
Echuca proved far too strong for Rochester and ran away with a dominant 24.21 (165) to 1.4 (10) win.
Any chance of a Rochester fightback was shattered in the second quarter as Echuca absolutely blew them out of the water and inevitably won the game.
Echuca’s Max Hagan was clinical with six goals and was judged best afield.
Hugh Byrne also finished with four goals.
To Deakin Reserve and Mooroopna defeated Shepparton in a thrilling low-scoring affair.
The Cats held their nerve in a tight tussle and came out with a 6.2 (38) to 4.11 (35) win.
The match was an absolute grind with both teams not kicking a goal in the first term and both sides also having scoreless quarters throughout the contest.
The Bears’ inaccuracy cost them in the end kicking 11 behinds.
Mooroopna’s captain Campbell McElhinney was dominant for the Cats, along with Riley Moon, who finished with three goals.
Muna Brown, Liam Leahy and Will Wood all finished with one major each.
To the final game of the round and Shepparton United defeated the Shepparton Swans in an entertaining back-and-forth contest.
United did enough in the end to hold the Swans at bay and won 12.10 (82) to 10.8 (68).
The match see-sawed with United kicking five goals to none in the first quarter, followed by a five-goal quarter to the Swans in the second term.
That was the theme for most of the game, but in the end United proved too strong running away a 14-point victor.
United’s Oscar Ryan was awarded best-on-ground in his side’s victory.
Other strong performances were Mitchell Serra, who kicked three goals, while Jordan Wiggins chipped in with two.
Mason Reeves was the shining light for the Swans with three goals.
- Liam Prior is a student at Goulburn Valley Grammar School and is undertaking work experience at The News.