With just three games remaining in the home-and-away season, the Lions simply must come away with three wins, or they will be spending September on the beaches of Bali or slopes of Mount Buller rather than in the heat of finals battle.
Euroa, which has dropped only one match since round two, will be looking to keep the good times rolling and send Seymour packing, as it hopes to maintain its stranglehold on second spot on the ladder.
So with the stakes raised to their absolute peak, what are the factors likely to decide this critical round 16 clash?
Thanks to the power of GVL Data, let’s dive into the numbers.
When looking at the Magpies, the eye is immediately drawn to their cast of stars, especially those forward of the ball.
Sporting an exciting mix of talls and smalls, Euroa’s attacking set-up is the envy of the competition, with three of its players in the top 10 of the league’s goal-kicking list — the only team with such representation at the top end of the tally.
Key stats
Goulburn Valley League top 10 goal-kickers
1. Chris Nield (Mooroopna): 62
2. Ruory Kirkby (Echuca): 57
3. Jett Trotter (Euroa): 38
4. Steven Stroobants (Rochester): 36
5. Tristan Davies (Euroa): 35
6. Mitch Cricelli (Rochester): 35
7. Will Foster (Mansfield): 35
8. Ben Christopher (Mansfield): 34
9. Erish Uthayakumar (Euroa): 33
10. Anthony Andronaco (Shepparton): 32
Livewire small Jett Trotter leads the way with 38 majors, with talls Tristan Davies (35) and Erish Uthayakumar (33) closely following.
When the two sides met back in round three, this trio was at the forefront for the black and white, combining for eight goals in what was a clinical 28-point victory at Memorial Oval.
Uthayakumar and Davies were the stars in front of the sticks that day, booting three apiece, while Trotter was at his dangerous best across half-forward, collecting 17 disposals and kicking two goals.
But it isn’t just these three the Seymour brains trust will have to worry about.
Since that round three clash, Euroa has experimented in putting Ben Giobbi forward and seen some great results, with the midfield maestro booting 21 goals from his past 10 games.
This includes two hauls of five, with the first coming in round nine against Mansfield and the second in last week’s big win over Shepparton United.
At a glance
Ben Giobbi dominates at Deakin
Goals: 5
Disposals: 20
Inside 50s: 3
Kicking efficiency: 79 per cent
Marks: 8
Score assists: 3
Data points: 105
Throw in the pressure of unassuming forward Jack McKernan, who has also contributed with 20 goals in 2022, and the Lions’ defence will have its hands full come Saturday afternoon.
Coach Scott Rowan said the versatility of his forward line had been pivotal to Euroa’s success this season.
“We’ve been tweaking it a little bit over the past few weeks, but overall we are very happy with the set-up we’ve got,” Rowan said.
“It’s not left to just one or two blokes, it’s the entire group that contributes in their own way and they are a really tight-knit bunch.
“I’m confident they’ll stand up again this week and hopefully kick us a winning score.”
So for Lions coach Ben Davey the goal is simple, curtail the impact of the Magpies’ forwards and you’ll give yourselves a chance of coming away with the valuable four points.
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