After losing by 41 points to Shepparton East last week, the Lions bounced back sensationally in round eight to claim a dominant victory over dark-horse Violet Town.
Not only did Stanhope find points in spades, it also limited essentially all attacking production for the Towners at Violet Town Recreation Reserve.
While Stanhope put on 3.6 in the first quarter while limiting Violet Town to 1.1 in the first quarter, it didn’t reflect the devastation to come in the remaining three terms.
The Lions’ attack began to hum in the second period, but didn’t exactly kick straight, adding 5.7 to their tally in the lead-up to half-time.
Meanwhile, the Towners kicked a pair of goals to stay in it, but that would be the final majors they would kick in the contest.
Stanhope’s 42-point advantage at the start of the third quarter continued to blossom throughout the rest of the term, with the visitor nailing 6.7 while holding Violet Town to a single minor.
A tidy 5.5 in front of goal ended the Lions strong performance, walking the Towners off their own park with another lone behind effort.
The 19.25 (139) to 3.3 (21) rout would’ve surprised many, with Violet Town positioned higher in the standings, but alas, Stanhope may have more in the tank than meets the eye.
Usual suspect Jonathan Pearson left the game with a bag of goals, while captain Jack Donnell notched three of his own.
Donnell was joined by Oliver Silk, Matthew Ludbrook, Nathan O’Reilly, Zayne Gilbert and Mikali Harrison as the Lions’ best.
The next question will be whether Stanhope will be able to string more than one win together, as it hasn't been able to do it in 2025.
The Lions will have a great opportunity to do it when they return home to face Longwood in round nine.
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