Having cemented their status as ‘best of the rest’ and ensuring they would finish the year in seventh, the Lions looked to claim one final scalp as they hosted finals-bound Shepparton at Kings Park on Saturday with the chance to make life that little bit more difficult for the Bears in September.
And in a rock solid first bounce to final siren victory, Seymour managed exactly that, with the 14.7 (91) to 8.13 (61) victory demoting Shepparton from fifth to sixth, meaning the Bears will have to do it the hardest way possible if they are to capture September glory.
With the most recent clash between the pair going the way of Seymour in round seven, the Lions opened the scoring in their quest to make it two from two against the Bears in 2025, with Collingwood VFL-listed talent Riley Mason booting his side’s first two majors, but Shepparton found an answer each time to ensure it was goal for goal early.
Young Lion Ben McCarthy, in his second senior game, slotted his first of the afternoon to give Seymour the definitive break, which was compounded by a Max McLean goal soon after, to hand the home side an eight-point lead at quarter-time.
By half-time the lead had grown to 24 points following the most comprehensive quarter of the day, as Seymour denied the visitor a major while slamming through three of its own, with Darcy Giles, Nathan Beattie and Lucas Cavigan capitalising in front of the big sticks to see the Lions enter the sheds ahead 45-21.
The third term was on track to eclipse the Lions’ efforts in the second, too, as Mason added another pair early before Giles added his second, stretching the lead to a game-high 46 points midway through the third quarter.
But a flurry of four straight Shepparton majors to end the term cut the lead back to 22 points at the final change of ends and kept the Bears well and truly in the contest.
A Zac Metcalf major to open the fourth quarter saw the Seymour advantage slashed again to 15 points, and it seemed as though the Bears were on track to mow down the home side for a famous win.
Thirteen points would be as close as they got, however, with Mason slamming through his fifth of the afternoon to steady the Lions, before Nathan Fowler and Jack Peris gave Seymour plenty of breathing space with their first majors for the afternoon, and Beattie put the icing on the cake with his second.
Peris was named the Lions’ best in the victory, capping an impressive first year at the club for the former AFL Saint and current VFL Bomber, while Mason’s five majors brought his tally to 27 for the season, making him the Lions’ leading goal-kicker despite playing only five GVL games this season.
The eventual 30-point victory makes it four straight to round out the season for the Lions, and with a host of stars including Peris, Beattie, Fowler and co-coach Jack Murphy re-signing for 2026 alongside the returning Huw Jones, there is a lot to like about Seymour ahead of next season.
Shepparton on the other hand will continue its season this week in the pursuit of ultimate glory, although the loss on Saturday means it will face third-placed Mansfield rather than fourth-placed Echuca.
