The Sunbury Lions will use grand final heartache to spur the club forward in the Ballarat Football League.
The Lions were playing off against Darley in Saturday’s decider, their first senior grand final since 2016.
Just one player, Nathan Wood, had played in a senior grand final for the Lions.
In that time between grand finals, the Devils had won two premierships.
That experience shone through early for the Devils as they led 47-0 at quarter time putting the game almost to bed with three quarters remaining.
The Lions fought hard and won the game after quarter time, but the margin was too much with the Devils winning, 11.13 (79)-6.9 (45).
Lions coach Matt White said the Devils were just too good for them.
The Devils were the only team that they had not been able to beat this season,
“We felt we would be able to hold them and not let them kick seven or eight whatever it was,” he said.
“To be able to fight back the way we did but not put the score on the board hurt us.
“They didn’t have the answers, they had the attack first and we didn’t get off to the start we normally do.
“They are a bloody good team and hard to stop a team when they are playing like that.”
White said he felt there were some nerves early on but it was also the pressure put on them by Darley which forced them into fumbles and mistakes they normally wouldn’t make.
White said while they were really disappointed, they knew they had gone down to a really good side.
“We’ll learn from it,” he said. “And to steal Dan’s [Jordan] we will learn from everything and every game.
“Twelve months ago we played in an elimination final and lost, this year a 70 point win to the exact same team.
“We know if we get Darley in a grand final next year, it won’t be a 70 point win but we’ll have a fair crack at it.
“We’re coming after them now, we have to.”
White said overall things were starting to come together for the club.
Their reserves won their grand final with Joel Muir named best on ground.
White said five or six players in their senior side this year had been part of reserves grand finals before.
“We know we have some kids that are going to step up,” he said. “Guys played games this year who know what reserves grade grand finals are like.
“They hopefully get a chance at senior finals next year.”
The culture the Lions are building saw them name an extended grand final bench with the injured Cody Bramble and Josh Guthrie named.
White said both would have given anything to play and naming them on the bench was due to what they had done for the football club.
White said it had been an amazing year for the club with seven of their eight sides making grand finals.
“Really fantastic year, proud efforts. We’ll come back stronger next year.”
