If the Goulburn Valley League finals race was the Stawell Gift, Mooroopna would be almost at the finish line.
Although coach John Lamont’s reference to the famous race at the three-quarter time break may not have been about a post-season berth, it perfectly summed up the Cats’ demanding run home.
The Saturday afternoon blockbuster at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve saw the home side produce an impressive 10.11 (71) to 7.9 (51) win over Seymour, taking the team one step closer to a finals appearance.
It was a convincing win to the hoops on the day, with Mooroopna leading at every change to come out on top.
A forward pressure master-class had the home side in the box seat early, with the Cats keeping the ball inside their forward half for much of the first term.
Yet despite the early dominance they did not kick clear on the scoreboard, giving the visiting Lions a sniff at the win.
While there were some nervy moments in the final term as Seymour cut the margin, at the end of the day the Cats had the last laugh, picking up their 11th win of the season.
Lamont said he was pleased his side showed up to play.
“We controlled the first quarter and should’ve had a bigger lead, probably. We didn’t use the ball all that well,” Lamont said.
“I thought our defensive awareness and attitude was spot on, I probably could not have asked for better.
“We just kept our nose in front all day. I thought our intensity around the ball was good, I thought our pressure was good, but at times our composure with the footy and our ball use wasn’t what we would’ve liked.”
Lamont admitted Seymour was on top in the last term, however the Cats applied “just enough” pressure to keep the Lions at bay.
Fraser McElhinney made his debut for Mooroopna in the contest, while Dom Gugliotti, Liam Betson and Lucas Caccaviello stood out.
On the other side of the coin, the loss puts Seymour’s finals hopes on a knife’s edge, with the side dropping back to seventh place on the ladder.
Coach Ben Davey said the Lions had to “go back to the drawing board” and execute their pre-match plan better on the field.
“We knew exactly what they (Mooroopna) were like, really quick, young, a play on and take the game on team with two really good forwards,” Davey said.
“If you let them do that and there is space in the forward line then you’re in trouble.”
Davey identified Ben Rigoni as a player who performed well on the day, with Nick Quigg and Jordan Angus also putting in good shifts for the losing side.
“We didn’t have a whole lot of players that were good for four quarters,” he said.
“I can’t fault the effort of everybody, they all tried so hard, but sometimes it’s about being a bit smarter and cleaner.”
The result boosts Mooroopna’s hopes of securing its first finals appearance since 2014, while Seymour will need to be near perfect over the next three rounds if it is to sneak in to the top six.