John Lamont, right, will be hoping to inspire Mooroopna to glory during the twilight of his reign.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
Mooroopna head coach John Lamont is relishing the prospect of a derby clash against neighbours Shepparton in the Goulburn Valley League semi-final - following on from a gutsy three-point victory over Seymour.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The departing Cats coach will be hoping that a fairytale end to his tenure may still be in the offing, not least after that statement triumph against the Lions down at Tatura Park on August 29.
The Mooroopna helmsman masterminded a three-point win, as the Cats came from behind in what proved to be a war of attrition in the elimination final to set up a blockbuster battle with Shepparton next week.
With the Bears having been the league’s most dominant outfit during the home-and-away campaign, few would bet against the side in the maroon and gold potentially going all the way in 2026.
However, there is no doubting the spirit and togetherness within Mooroopna’s locker room, with this fighting mentality exemplified by the turnaround in fortunes after half-time against Seymour.
Trailing by 15 points at the main break, the Cats rallied impressively after the interval, kicking five after half-time to edge out a thrilling victory.
Now, legendary coach Lamont is hopeful that this emphatic comeback will serve as a catalyst for more memorable moments during the twilight of his reign in charge at the Cattery.
“The boys got a lot of satisfaction from the result, we had learned a lot from the round 18 game against Echuca,” he told the News.
“We reviewed (the Echuca game) as we’re always looking to improve and consolidate what we are doing - so we took a lot from that game.
Mooroopna coach John Lamont is hoping to inspire his team to glory in the twilight of his reign.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
“We put some things into place and we felt we took a real step forward against Seymour, we got a lot of understanding of what is required to win a final.
“Then I guess there is that added drama of the end of the game, which added jubilation for the supporters and members - so their excitement rubs off for our playing group.”
With the Mooroopna camp currently in buoyant mood following that impressive triumph over Seymour, Lamont weighed up the challenge facing his players up against the Bears next time out.
Prior to Shepparton’ defeat against Echuca in the qualifying final on August 29, the Bears had lost just once this calendar year.
“You want to keep going but we’re not under any illusions - the Bears have been the top team and have only lost one game for the year before,” Lamont said.
“It’s a great challenge for us, it’ll be an interesting game as we played them five weeks ago at Deakin Reserve and only lost by a couple of points.
“It was a good, consistent game and I think they’ve got a couple of players back in, but I would like to think we’re better as well.
“Our blokes will get a lot out of the Seymour game and they’re really looking forward to it.
“It’s a great time of the year to be playing and the boys love it.”
Mooroopna will face off against local rival Shepparton in the semi-final at King’s Park in Seymour on Saturday, September 5 from 2pm.
