Not often do you get the chance to win a football game off your own boot, but for Seymour youngster Ben Rigoni, that’s exactly what happened when he slotted a goal after the siren to gift the Lions a one-point win over Tatura on Saturday.
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In what was touted as the biggest match of the round, with fourth placed Seymour hosting third placed Tatura at Kings Park, the clash failed to disappoint, with the Lions overcoming a 35-point half time deficit to challenge the Bulldogs in the second half.
And with the final result resting on the shoulders of Rigoni, Seymour’s senior co-coach Ben Clifton admitted post-match what exactly went through his head when the number 49 was taking his shot.
‘‘I was thinking more about him as a individual — his run up, the way that he kicked it,’’ Clifton said.
‘‘You shouldn’t win or lose off of that.
‘‘But credit to Ben, he was cool, calm and collected and went back and slotted it.’’
With third on the ladder up for grabs for the victors, the match proved to be a topsy turvy one.
‘‘Our first quarter was good, our second terrible,’’ Clifton said.
‘‘The third was the best quarter of footy we’ve played this season, and the fourth was a battle.
‘‘I don’t know the exact stat, but someone said there were, like 12 or 13 lead changes across the game.’’
It was the Lions’ six unanswered goals across the third term that saw the home side turn a 35-point deficit into a five-point lead heading into the final quarter.
‘‘At half time I challenged them as a team and as individuals,’’ Clifton said.
‘‘I really put it on them, if they cared about themselves and the team, that this was the biggest game of our season so far and there was plenty to play for.’’
And with the outcome of the match firmly in Seymour’s hands ahead of the final quarter, what the Lions needed was a strong final showing to record their sixth win of the season.
‘‘We needed to reset,’’ Clifton said.
‘‘Yes, we played a great third quarter, but we needed to continue that form into the last quarter.
‘‘We needed to focus on our skills and hitting targets, and being defensively minded of our opposition.’’
And despite the Bulldogs looking likely to seal the win before that kick after the siren, the Lions ultimately proved they had what it takes to challenge the best in the competition.
‘‘Everyone stood up in that second half,’’ Clifton said.
‘‘Tom Freeman was strong all day, and Jase (Cole) was good in the second half, after a quieter first half by his standards.
‘‘And Alex Johnston and Dylan Scopel really stood up in defence.’’
Moving into outright third in the competition, Seymour will return to Kings Park on Saturday to host Rochester in Round 11 of the GVL season.
With the Tigers coming off their own win against Mansfield on Saturday, Clifton said his team would need to play more consistent football going forward.
‘‘We can’t rely on having a third quarter like that again,’’ he said.
‘‘Consistency is definitely a massive focus this weekend.
‘‘We might have got away with it against Tatura, and hopefully that will help us build, but Rochester are proving they’re not a easy side and are getting better each week.’’
With the Lions’ reserves squad producing a dominant 93-point win of their own against Tatura, there continues to be a number of players knocking down the door for senior selection.
While Zac Keogh is a definite to return from injury against Rochester, Clifton said players like Nick Clydesdale, Mitch McLean and Mickey Bradbury were all in mind for elevation. ‘‘There are plenty of options,’’ he said.
Final score: Seymour 13.13 (91) def Tatura 13.12 (90)
Goal kickers: R. Scopel 3, J. Anderson 3, H. Wade, D. Cook, P. Soloman, B. Rigoni, T. Hedley, K. Winter-Irving, B. Cox
Best players: T. Freeman, D. Cook, J. Cole, R. Scopel, D. Scopel, S. Feery