Great Western gave up another early lead in a loss to Moyston-Willaura at the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Lions have been impressive in their last few encounters against strong teams but have been unable to capitalise on strong starts.
The home side booted seven goals in the first term to lead by 15 points at the first break.
The Pumas hit back in the second term, keeping Great Western goalless to trail by just one-point at the main break.
Both teams put their best attacking foot forward in the second half, with 24 goals being kicked between the two sides.
Moyston-Willaura was on the better end of the shootout, kicking nine of their 15 second half majors in the final term to win 21.21 (147) to 16.12 (108).
The Pumas had 10 individual goalkickers while Great Western had 11 in a strong display of attacking football.
“The footy was played in great spirits and it would have been fantastic to watch from a spectator’s point of view with so many goals kicked,” Great Western coach Will Bell said.
“It was high-paced, with the ball moving from one end to the other quickly. It was really high scoring game, the way footy should be.”
Bell said his side missed opportunities in the second quarter to close out the game when they had the chance.
“We had about 10 inside 50s for no goals in the second quarter which cost us a bit,” he said.
“We could have had a comfortable lead but we left the door open for them.
“It is still a bit shattering we didn’t go the whole distance.”
Read more: Rovers strengthen grip on top five spot
The 39-point loss is a big improvement on recent seasons for the Lions, who lost last year’s corresponding game by more than 130 points.
“It is a huge win on a development point of view. It shows we are heading in the right direction,” Bell said.
“We had eight guys under 20 years old play on Saturday. It paints a picture of where we can go in the next few years.”
Nigel Sibson kicked three goals as Great Western’s best while Rhys Cronin was once again impressive for the Pumas.
“Rhys was a standout best on ground. He hurt us on the outside with his ball movement and pace,” Bell said.
