Roos outlast Lions after early roar

STONY Creek’s finals aspirations for this season might have been killed off a few weeks ago, but that didn’t mean that the Lions didn’t fully intend to cause one of the upsets of the season by taking the scalp of the 2024 premiership favourite Fish Creek.

For a while, they looked on track until the visitors did what they do late in any game, in which they are, under pressure.

Stony Creek 9-3-57 was defeated by the Kangaroos 16-9-105.

Jarrod Walker, Fish Creek coach, said: “Got really pushed on the weekend for three quarters, Stony Creek had some high-quality players across the ground which made it a hard-fought contest all day.

We were able to kick away in the third quarter and create a bit of a lead and then hold onto it for the last quarter.”

For the Lions, it was yet another example of them having the personnel to match it with any side in the competition, but it is also no secret that given the closeness of the Mid Gippsland Football Netball League, every side needs to give four quarters.

Chris Verboon, Stony Creek coach, said: “Our first half of footy showed we can match it with Fish Creek. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it for four quarters. Fish Creek’s third quarter showed why they are on top of the ladder. There is a lot we can take out of the game and work on this week.”

The challenge that follows for Stony Creek is no less demanding, having to take on the might of Yinnar, a side that is coming off a rare loss and will be desperate to bounce back.