The Sunbury Lions have been rewarded for their hard work with their side’s third win of the Ballarat Football League season.
The Lions have had an inconsistent season so far, yet if luck had gone their way could easily have had another two wins.
On Saturday, they were tested by a much improved Sebastopol and passed with flying colours.
The Lions took a while to get going, but as the game wore on they looked the better side.
The Lions kicked away late in the game for a 17.11 (113)-7.6 (48) win.
Lions coach Ben Jordan said having to work hard for the win made it more rewarding.
“It wasn’t an easy win,” he said. “The boys had to earn it. In patches today, Sebastopol moved the ball well and competed around the footy.
“We were a bit wasteful and over-used the ball, but we worked our way into the game and the margin blew out.
“It was nice to get a 10-goal win – we needed a bit of percentage.”
The Lions’ shared the goals around, which is a big tick for the new-look forward line.
Jordan said that if the players could continue with the sort of winning form they displayed against Sebastopol, more big scores could be on the way.
He said they had winners all across the ground, with defenders Dwain Sanderson and Josh Guthrie, David Kovacevic, Andrew Duhau and Tom Donoghue in the middle, and Patrick MacDonough up forward the standouts.
A couple of younger players, Dean Muir and William Healy, who spent a lot of the match on former AFL player Brett Goodes, were also impressive.
The win leaves the Lions sitting sixth on the ladder.
They remain on the road this week to take on Redan in the battle of the Lions in what will be the second of four games in a row in Ballarat for Sunbury.
Jordan said it would be a big challenge, but that it was the side’s only run of games in Ballarat for the season.
“It means we have more home games in the run home,” he said.
The Lions will be without star defender Adam Short, who has been ruled out indefinitely.
Short has been in and out of the side the last few weeks with injury.
Jordan said they were looking to get lots of treatment into him so when he returns he would be fully fit.
The Lions will also lose Grant Valles who is heading overseas, while Tristan Lenaz pulled up sore, but Jordan was hopeful he would be fit for the Redan game.
Meanwhile, the top-of-the-ladder clash in A-grade netball was a fizzer with the Lions easily beating Sebastopol 69-29.
Chloe Curran scored 53 goals for the Lions, while Ruth Smith chipped in with 16. Curran was named best on court.
The Lions’ women’s football side had a bye. The Lions are one of two undefeated teams after seven rounds.
