Tara Murray
The Sunbury Lions got back to the things they stand for in the Ballarat Football League and with it returned to the winners list.
Coming off their most disappointing performance of the season the week before against Melton, the Lions knew they had work to do Redan.
Sunbury was at home in the battle of the Lions and escaped the worst of the conditions that peppered Ballarat.
Lions coach Matt White said it was nice to be able to respond in that way, winning 9.12 (66)-5.5 (35).
“We didn’t get off to the greatest start,” he said. “We were able to arm wrestle it back in slippery and muddy conditions.
“We were to kick straight in the last quarter and were able to run away with it.”
White said they had a few conversations during the week about the performance against the Bloods.
He said there had been a few things in their game that had creeped in the last few weeks that had been a bit of a concern.
“We knew that we had to regroup,” he said. “We were able to fight back in the end.
“We reacted really well and there was more of a connection between the players than the previous week.
“We wanted to make sure we were picking each other up off the ground, standing up for each other and talking as much as we can.”
Just eight points separated the sides at three quarter time.
The Lions kicked 5.1 to make sure of the win.
Nathan Doyle kicked three goals for the Lions, all in the final quarter.
Mitch McLean and Jake Sutton kicked two goals each.
White said they had plenty of contributors.
“Ben Cameron was back and was really good,” he said. “Josh Lee in his first game was good down back.
“Nathan Doyle had a poor first half before he worked into the game and kicked three and got a bit of the ball.
“Josh Guthrie, you know what you’re going to get from him in the middle of the ground, and Brock Landt is a bit of a barometer for us.
“His possessions were down but the way he attacks the ball and some of his efforts are what we stand for as a club.”
The Lions move back up to third spot on the ladder.
They had a bye this week.
Sitting four games clear of seventh, the Lions have just about sealed a finals spot, but White said they’re not going to take the foot off the pedal.
“We want to win all four games,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what the team name is.
“We’re going out there to win every game and hopefully play finals.”
