Beginning with a clash between fierce rivals Seymour and Mansfield at Kings Park, the Lions clinched a season-defining one-point win courtesy of Rory Scopel’s late heroics.
Meanwhile at Moon Oval, Rochester held off a late Kyabram charge to break a three-game losing streak and maintain its spot in the top six with a three-point win.
With two games decided by less than a kick, through the power of GVL Data we’ll delve right into their thrilling finishes and the differing circumstances by which the Lions and Tigers recorded their victories.
Heading into the final term trailing by 11 points, Seymour would have to produce a stirring come-from-behind victory as rain pelted down at Kings Park.
Key stats
Lions’ final quarter domination
Inside 50s
Seymour: 16
Mansfield: 7
Clearances
Seymour: 11
Mansfield: 6
Tackles
Seymour: 20
Mansfield: 16
One percenters
Seymour: 12
Mansfield: 7
And for the Lions it all started in the midfield.
Led by the likes of Ben Rigoni, Jack Murphy and Dylan Scopel, Seymour dominated the final-quarter clearances, winning 12 to Mansfield’s seven.
The pressure they applied on the Eagles was also telling, as they laid an impressive 20 tackles in the fourth quarter, with no Mansfield player awarded an easy touch.
This hard work would give them the ascendancy they needed in the all-important territory battle, going plus nine for inside-50s, where they managed to kick the three goals needed to steal the famous victory.
Over at Rochester it was different story.
Needing a win to keep its spot in the six, Rochester held a comfortable 16-point lead at the final change courtesy of a dominant second term.
But if there is one thing we have learnt over the past decade, it is to never count out the might of Kyabram, as Paul Newman’s men mounted a final-quarter charge.
Similar to the Lions, it was the inside-50 count where the Bombers got on top, recording 14 to Rochester’s nine as they piled on three goals to get within a kick.
But to the Tigers’ credit their midfielders rose to the challenge, laying a staggering 22 tackles and winning the clearance count by four in the final term, to ensure there would be no repeat of the heroics we saw at Kings Park.
Key stats
Rochester holds on
Inside 50s
Rochester: 9
Kyabram: 14
Clearances
Rochester: 10
Kyabram: 6
Tackles
Rochester: 22
Kyabram: 12
One percenters
Rochester: 9
Kyabram: 4
Rochester’s ability to hold on in the dying stages could mean the difference between a tilt at premiership glory or an early holiday come finals time.