Easter Saturday presents a huge chance for Seymour to get its season off to a big start, too, taking on Benalla at Benalla Showgrounds, with the Saints fielding new-look sides in both the senior football and A grade netball.
On the field, the Lions are searching for an improvement on their 2025 season, which saw them finish ‘best of the rest’ in seventh spot on the ladder, missing finals with a 10-8 record, one win shy of September action.
Having blooded plenty of young stars such as Lucas Cavigan, Ben McCarthy, Dylan Davis and Jackson Mansfield, the youthful Lions brigade will only continue to improve in 2026, especially when playing alongside the experienced head Seymour has brought in this season.
Former Lion Xavier Dimasi returns to Seymour following an extremely successful stint at Whittlesea in the Northern Football League, captaining the club and winning two senior best and fairest awards, to go with a league best and fairest.
Jaron Murphy also joins from Whittlesea, a four-time Northern Football League Team of the Year member, while Tom Stapleton shores up Seymour’s ruck stocks, the 201cm big man crossing over from Parkside.
All three additions have made an immediate impact, too, being heavily involved in Seymour’s recent practice match win over Bendigo league side Sandhurst.
Stapleton was named best afield for the Lions, with Dimasi almost among the most influential, while Murphy snagged a major in the 12.8 (80) to 10.7 (67) victory.
Riley Mason is back full time in 2026 following a stint at Collingwood’s VFL side, and looks to be at the peak of his powers, booting five goals in the win, while the usual suspects in Nathan Beattie and Jack Murphy dominated through the middle to be named in the best, with the signs all positive for the Lions ahead of the 2026 GVL tilt.
On the netball court, Lions superstar Elle McDonald has taken over at the helm of the A grade side following the departure of Casey Adamson, who is now plying her trade for the Giants in the Suncorp Super Netball competition.
The capped England international has inherited a stacked Seymour lineup, with the Lions the only team to take points off premier Shepparton last season en route to a third-placed finish on the ladder, and all signs point to another deep run in 2026.
The likes of Sarah Szczykulski and Ally Black have already featured in multiple state league hit-outs for Victorian Netball League side Boroondara Express, including the season opener against McDonald’s Bendigo Strikers, highlighting the class that the Lions possess, while the likes of 2025 A grade best and fairest Ellie Fuhrmeister and Rosie O’Sullivan add another dimension across the court.
Both the reserves football and B reserve netball sides will begin their premiership defence, too, as they look for further success after stellar 2025 campaigns, while the B grade netball side is out for redemption following defeat in the decider.
