The Sunbury Lions are losing their predictability and that is delivering massive benefits for the Ballarat Football League side.
Having spent the first part of the season learning on the go, the Lions are starting to play consistent football for longer periods.
On Saturday, the Lions had their best win of the season so far by capturing the scalp of Redan.
It was the first time this season they’ve beaten a team above them on the ladder.
The Lions took control of the game in the second quarter with six goals to one.
The Lions did enough in the second half to seal the 13.5 (83)-7.12 (54) win.
Lions coach Ben Jordan described his players’ efforts as sensational.
“We hadn’t beaten a team above us, but I felt it was coming for a while,” he said.
“We had really good pressure and contested footy. A win like this brings confidence.”
Jordan said better ball movement was the key to getting the win.
Skipper Andrew Duhau and his midfield partners, Greg Hay and Tom Donoghue, along with ruckman David Kovacevic, set up the
win.
“There hasn’t been a lot of periods where we’ve had good ball movement,” Jordan said. We had been a bit predictable. We got the ball moving and got it in cleanly and to dangerous spots.
“We have worked on it a lot … we need to rotate and create different forward options, and in the second quarter we were able to do that.”
The Lions, who had 11 goal scorers, weren’t able to apply the same pressure on the scoreboard in the second half, but Jordan said their defence stood strong at the other end.
He said the likes of Dwain Sanderson and Reece Wood were building some good defensive chemistry.
The win is the Lions’ second in a row and fourth for the season. They are fifth on the ladder ahead of a clash with Ballarat that will be the last of the Lions four match streak of playing matches in Ballarat.
Jordan said leading goal-kicker Ben Said, a late withdrawal on Saturday, would return but didn’t think there would be many other changes.
“Ballarat had a bye this week,” Jordan said. “They’re another side which runs the footy well and can score quick goals. There’s no point having a win like we did if we can’t back it up.
“If we could win three out of four on the road, we would love it.”
