Seymour’s reserves footballers’ finals campaign began with a bang on Saturday afternoon, with a 15-point elimination final victory over Euroa.
The Lions went into the match-up full of confidence after a crushing 102-point final-round victory over Mooroopna the previous week.
Despite being lower on the table, Seymour went into the clash with Euroa as favourite, having accounted for the Magpies by 28 points earlier in the year.
With the B-grade netballers also in action next door, Echuca’s Victoria Park resembled Kings Park as the Lions faithful made the 124km trip north to the border.
The windy conditions were evident on the scoreboard as the first half produced two vastly different quarters.
The Lions drew first blood with a three-goal-to-zero first quarter, but the Magpies struck back with three unanswered goals in the second term to take a two-point lead into half-time.
The third term finally brought some balanced scoring at both ends.
Euroa kicked two goals, courtesy of J.D Hayes and Caden Robinson, against the wind compared to the Lions’ four with the advantage.
The tenseness of the game was clear at the start of the final term, which started with five behinds, two to the Magpies and three to the Lions, who were barely hanging on to their 10-point margin.
Heart rates spiked across the ground with four minutes to go as Euroa narrowed the margin to four points, courtesy of Robert Wilson.
With the season on the line, Riley Graham stepped up with two minutes on the clock to see his side through with his third goal of the game.
Jaxon Lantzke then finally settled the game with a goal with 20 seconds remaining, sending Seymour through to the semis.
The Lions’ schedule only gets more challenging from here.
Next up is the undefeated Echuca, who has dismantled Seymour by 67 and 94 points in their two games this season.
The sides do battle at Kyabram Recreation Reserve at noon on Saturday, September 7.