Mason by name, mason by nature.
During the week, Kilmore native Riley Mason can be found working in construction on the streets of the Melbourne metropolis or perhaps hunting fairways with his mates at the local golf club — producing only the occasional hook or slice.
Come Saturday, Mason will be at a football ground across the Goulburn Valley, playing for his beloved Seymour.
But where precisely on that ground is he?
That’s the question opposition defenders ask themselves as the mobile young gun floats from full-forward to the wing to a stoppage at half-back.
Mason has become a nightmare for opposing coaches to try and combat.
The key forward stands at 194cm tall and his frame has evolved from skinny and easily bumped off the ball to muscular and a contested beast.
The star Lion is having his best season to date in Goulburn Valley League — joined Seymour for the 2022 season — having kicked 36 goals from 11 games this season (previous best was 34 goals in 2023) and currently sits in third place on the league’s goal-kicking tally.
However, this key forward is no-one trick pony as Mason also ranks eighth in the league for total forward 50 tackles (17), only two behind Shepparton’s Lewis McShane and Joel Brett, who sit tied in second place.
Mason’s physical attributes have been on show for the Lions in 2024, as he is ranked first in the league for average contested marks (3.6 a game), 10th for goal assists (5.3), third for marks inside 50 (4.5) and 10th for score involvements (8.8).
He also averages more than 100 ranking points in each outing.
Statistical evidence/GVL Data chunder out of the way; the Seymour star started his football journey playing for junior side Broadford before being selected to represent his school, Assumption College.
After impressing at junior level, mainly as a winger-midfielder, Mason was selected as part of the Calder Cannons NAB League squad for the first time in 2019, playing three games.
“It was a pretty good experience (playing for the Cannons); when I was a bottom-ager, it was good to learn from the older boys and having Ross Smith as a coach who played VFL had a big impact on my footy,” Mason said.
“Then, in my top-age year after COVID-19 — when I was a 19-year-old — I was able to really develop my footy and I still have mates from playing.
“When I was underage, there was (soon to be AFL draftees) Harry Jones, Cody Brand, Josh Goater, Zac Taylor.”
In his NAB League days, Mason had AFL-ready talent around and inspiring him and, at Seymour, in 2024 things are no different.
The recruitment of Fremantle legend and Seymour-born David Mundy to the club at the start of the season brought a lot of buzz and excitement to Kings Park, including for Mason.
“(Mundy) has been huge,” he said.
“He has a ton of knowledge that he has brought to the group and just his voice on the ground and direction.
“Things you wouldn’t even think of that he sees and tells you and it just makes a huge difference for our club and everyone has learnt so much from him in his short time at Seymour.
“Everyone is loving having him around.”
Mason’s focus is directed at performing well for Seymour and helping the Lions bounce back in the final few rounds of the season.
However, the Goulburn Valley League star has one eye on the future, with Mason bold in sharing his football ambition.
“I do have aspirations to play VFL footy,” he said.
“I know I have a few offers there that I could take when I am ready to take my footy further to VFL level and see how I can perform down there (in Melbourne).
“It’s been good to play well, but there is a lot of hard work that goes into it behind the scenes that people don’t necessarily see to have good performances.”
The leap from top-flight community football to the VFL is significant, with the league arguably the AFL’s reserve competition at this point.
A self-confessed string bean as a junior, Mason has put a lot of time and effort into his physicality and contest work, which is now one of his main strengths and assets.
“As a junior, I was always a midfielder and then I went out to the wing,” he said.
“I was a late developer, so I was always a bit skinnier and smaller, but now I have started to put some size on, I have been able to work back up into the middle of the ground.
“I have always naturally had it (midfield ability); it was just my size didn’t allow me to play in those positions.”
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Imagine, for a moment, being a fly on the wall at a VFL club.
The senior coach is sitting in his office, with Mason facing him on the opposite side of the desk.
“Pitch to me why we should sign you”, you could picture the coach saying.
What would Mason’s response be?
“Contested marking (is a strength),” he said.
“Goal-kicking, also being 6’4” my ability — if I don’t take a mark — to impact on the ground.
“My tackling inside 50 has come a long way as well; I think I laid six tackles inside 50 for GVL in the (interleague) game against O&M.
“I have become a bit more physical as my body has gotten a bit bigger, so I have become more physical and that has definitely helped my game.”
Colour us at The News convinced; sign the young gun up.
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Now, back to reality.
Seymour’s 2024 season, while disappointing with a mix of injuries and losses, is not completely over, with finals still a (small) possibility.
Mason said the Lions’ culture had never fallen away this year, despite the drop-off from 2023, when they finished second on the ladder.
“Even though we have gone from being second to second last, our culture is still really tight and we still have great functions,” he said.
“Ben Davey (senior coach) has done a really good job at keeping the group tight and not just giving up on the season.
“We are always trying to work on something at training or on our game plan.
“Hopefully, we can keep pushing up the ladder and beat teams higher than us, like we did to Mansfield.”