That’s the message coach Ben Davey will be delivering to his troops this week after the Lions fell to a strong Shepparton Swans outfit at Kings Park on Saturday, although the final score belies the competitiveness of the contest.
In a much-improved showing from its round one effort, Seymour challenged the Swans throughout, with the margin ballooning late as the Lions went down 11.5 (71) to 16.13 (109).
After being jumped by the visitors, who recorded the first two majors of the afternoon, Seymour settled and found its groove, replying with the next two goals through Dylan Scopel and Lachlan Waite to enter the quarter-time break just one point in arrears.
The Lions’ momentum continued as they added the first two goals of the second term, making it four unanswered for the contest, and looked as though they could build a significant gap between themselves and the opposition.
But the Swans rallied and put the next four goals on the board, taking a 15-point lead into the main break, one they didn’t relinquish for the remainder of the contest.
It wasn’t for lack of trying from Seymour, who closed within 10 points on multiple occasions throughout the third term, but down to a single rotation on the bench in the final term, combined with a 37-minute third term and the mercury reaching the mid-30s, the Lions were unable to sustain the pressure in the fourth quarter.
Davey, although enthused by the endeavour shown by his troops, lamented basic errors at crucial times that cost his side, while also commending the Swans for their efforts.
“It was a much better effort compared to last week, which wasn’t too hard,” he said in the rooms following the clash.
“Our first quarter last week was all right, and our effort today was better, but we still got caught out with basic fundamentals, just getting caught out with decision-making and turnovers at bad times in bad parts of the ground.
“They (Shepparton) are a good team, they deserve a lot more credit than what a lot of people are giving them.”
Once again there were glimpses of brilliance from the Lions, including a period where they were able to retain possession and work their way up the ground in methodical fashion, shifting the Swans’ defence before biting off a daring kick through the middle to punish them on the scoreboard.
“They had a pretty good second quarter and got in front of us, and that’s what I thought we had to try and do to slow them down a bit,” Davey said.
“(We had to) use the ball and drag them out and move it down and pick our way through them, and when we did that, I thought we were pretty good a few times.
“But it’s the same thing — with a young group, keeping switched on the whole time can be pretty hard.”
Where the Swans got on top was on the outside, spreading well as soon as they forced a turnover and hurting the Lions with their run on the way to goal.
But Seymour managed to stay in the contest through the likes of Nic Quigg and Nathan Beattie at stoppage, with both finding plenty of the ball, although it was Beattie’s leadership around the ground which stood out, directing teammates and leading by example, stepping up when the game was still there to be won in the third term.
“He’s terrific, ‘Nug’. He’s taken a real step this year, leadership-wise,” Davey said.
“He wants to be a driver of high standards and hard work and he wants success. He hates losing, he’s a real competitor.
“He’s made the transition from being someone that you could say was young and having a real crack, now he’s decided ‘well, I’m better than that, I’m a leader, I’m a good Goulburn Valley footballer’.
“We just need more guys to make the next step like that, and it’s pretty much just a decision in their head sometimes to say ‘I’ve played 50 games, it’s time to get going. Am I going to stay the same or am I going to take the next step?’
“That’s what we need probably a dozen guys to do.”
Co-coach Jack Murphy was also brilliant through the midfield, earning his place in the best alongside Quigg, Beattie and Dylan Cook, while Seamus Feery competed hard all afternoon after injury forced his move into the ruck, where he held his own despite a significant size advantage to the Swans.
The Lions will regroup throughout the week ahead of an Easter Saturday battle in the High Country against Mansfield, who is yet to drop a game so far in 2025.
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