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.
Seymour entered the contest the better placed of the two sides in third spot on the ladder, hunting a fourth straight win and coming off the back of a dominant four-quarter showing against Tatura.
But the Swans had shown plenty throughout the opening month of football, having shocked reigning premier Kyabram in round two, and despite a momentary dip in form following that win, still presented a dangerous challenge to the Lions.
It was the home side that got the initial jump, booting the first two majors of the contest via Nathan Rachele and Kade Anderson. While Seymour hit back through the left boot of Ricky Schraven, a Quade Johnstone goal on the stroke of quarter-time ensured it was the Swans that went in ahead at the first break, with Seymour trailing 8-19.
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. The home side pushed the margin out to 17 points at one stage, but 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 sneaked 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 it would have to overcome a 5.9 (39) to 8.7 (55) deficit to earn the four points.
The visitors got a perfect start to the last quarter 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 once again reduced the margin to 16 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 it.
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 it finished round six entrenched in the top six with a 4-2 record.
Huw Jones continued his stellar form for the Lions as their best off half-back in the loss, closely followed by Lachlan and Darcy Giles, while Nic Quigg and Riley Mason (two goals) rounded out the most influential.
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, 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.
Seymour will host an unbeaten Echuca at Kings Park on Saturday in a huge early season test for the Lions, a game which coincides with their 1966 Waranga North East Football Association and 1976 GVL premiership reunions.
A-grade netball
It was a different story in the netball, as the Lions dominated proceedings against the Swans to record consecutive Goulburn Valley League A-grade netball victories for the first time this season.
Seymour proved too strong for a solid Swans line-up, doing much of the damage in the opening 15 minutes en route to a 51-43 victory which has it sitting fifth with a 4-2 record after six rounds.
A 15-5 first term in favour of Seymour set the tone for the contest, and while some sharp shooting from the Swans saw them draw back to within five at the main break, the Lions still enjoyed a 30-25 lead and weren’t about to let it slip.
A formidable third term saw the Lions race back out to a nine-goal advantage by the final break, holding the home side to just five goals in an arm wrestle of a quarter. While the Swans were valiant, winning the final term, they were only able to reduce the margin by one, handing Seymour an eight-goal victory.
The Lions will look to keep the momentum rolling into this weekend when they face an Echuca side which has dropped only one contest for the season, in what shapes as an entertaining clash.
