Lucas Rachele was named among Shepparton Swans’ best in the thrilling win over Seymour at Princess Park on Saturday. Photo: Rechelle Zammit.
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Rechelle Zammit
The top six Goulburn Valley League senior football showdown between Shepparton Swans and Seymour delivered a classic close finish on Saturday afternoon, with the two sides, who are both hunting deep runs in September this season, delivering an absolute nailbiter.
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Hosting the Lions at Princess Park, it was the Swans who came out on top, weathering a Seymour final quarter fightback to prevail 11.8 (74) to 9.12 (66) in what was the game of the round.
Having shocked Kyabram in round two, the Swans had suffered a dip in form, losing the next two contests before narrowly prevailing by three points over Benalla last weekend, and were looking to make it consecutive wins when they faced a threatening Seymour outfit at the weekend, with the Lions entering the clash in third spot.
It would be the home side that got the initial jump, too, booting the first two majors of the contest via Nathan Rachele and Kade Anderson, and while Seymour hit back through the left boot of Ricky Schraven, a Quade Johnstone goal on the stroke of quarter time ensured the Swans enjoyed a 19-8 lead at the first break.
Jaron Murphy pulled the visitors back within a kick with the first goal of the second term, but Will Dwyer hit straight back for the Swans, and while the home side pushed the margin out to 17 points at one stage, the Lions fought back with a pair of majors to Riley Mason, eventually winning the term by a point to trail by 10 at the half.
Neither side could find the middle of the big sticks after the main break, with 10 behinds recorded for the term, five of which came before Anderson nailed his second of the afternoon, and the first for either side in the quarter, to push the margin out to a game-high 19 points, which became 25 shortly after as Harrison Mazzella hit the scoreboard, and it looked as though the Swans had broken the contest wide open.
But Nicholas Davey snuck one through for the Lions late in the term to reduce the margin back to 16 at the final change and keep his side in with a fighting chance, although they would have to overcome a 5.9 (39) to 8.7 (55) to earn the four points.
The visitors got the perfect start they were after, too, as Murphy slotted his second to once again draw Seymour within 10 points, but it seemed a threshold the Lions were unable to cross, as Max Clohesy and then Anderson responded, giving the Swans a seemingly healthy 22-point buffer halfway through the final term.
Lions co-captain Jack Murphy would once again reduce the margin to 16, though, as Seymour surged, but it was immediately nullified by Rory Duffy, who once again reinstated the 22-point margin for the Swans.
The Lions refused to die, though, and two near misses were followed up with goals to Jaron Murphy and Tom Jeffrey as the Swans’ lead dwindled down to eight points, and Seymour had all the momentum behind them.
But it proved too little, too late for the Lions, as the home side did just enough to hold on for the win, claiming a second big scalp this season to correct course and ensure they finish round six entrenched in the top six with a 4-2 record.
Zac Clohesy was named the Swans’ best in the win, closely followed by young gun Xavier Janke, who has stepped up to play every game in the senior side this season following just two games at the level las year, while Ollie Warburton, Max Clohesy (one goal) and Anderson (four goals) rounded out the best.
Huw Jones continued his stellar form for the Lions as their best off half back in the loss, while Jaron Murphy booted a team-high three goals off a wing, taking his season tally to an impressive 16 goals.
The result tightens things up inside the top six, too, with the Swans now sitting fifth, level on four wins with both Seymour in fourth and Mansfield in third, while Kyabram and Benalla are the closest challengers in sixth and seventh, respectively, both on three wins.
Round seven presents another tough task for the Swans, who will travel to Moon Oval to take on 2025 grand finalist Rochester, with the Tigers winning two of their last three to find some form after a sluggish start, while Seymour will host an unbeaten Echuca at Kings Park, a game which coincides with their 1966 Waranga North East Football Association and 1976 GVL premiership reunions.
