Sebas eager to build on superb start to season

SEBASTOPOL playing coach Tony Lockyer says the Burra are more determined than ever to block out the external noise after their impressive start to the 2026 BFNL season rolled on against Redan on Anzac Day.

The Burra moved to 3-0 with a commanding 25.14 (164) to 9.6 (60) win over the Lions at Marty Busch Recreation Reserve.

Heading into a clash against Lake Wendouree this Saturday at C.E. Brown Reserve, they hold down top spot on the ladder, with reigning premier Darley the only other 3-0 team after disposing of Bacchus Marsh on the weekend.

But despite the obvious improvement from last season, Lockyer insisted the Burra would not be resting on their laurels or getting ahead of themselves.

“There are still some parts of our game we need to fix up, but our ball movement was pretty good and we were able to put some real scoreboard pressure on them, particularly in the second quarter,” he said.

“We really extended the margin and were able to kick on from there.

“Redan kept coming and challenging us – to their credit they never gave up.”

Having worked diligently for a 21-point quarter time lead, a devastating seven-goal second quarter to the Lions’ solitary behind set the tone for a big second half for the Burra.

In another sign of their increased scoring capability this season, seven goals in the third term were followed by six in the final term to round out a 104-point victory.

It came after Sebastopol certainly had their problems with Redan last season, with the Lions winning the teams’ early season contest and the Burra only narrowly prevailing later in the season as they continued a late charge to finals that ultimately fell short.

A focus throughout pre-season, Lockyer lauded the Burra’s speedier and more efficient ball use during the early part of the season.

“We’ve really worked on looking after the footy and it’s great to see that come to fruition,” he said.

“To start the season with three wins is excellent, especially against some good opposition.

“But we are certainly aware there are areas we still need to work on.

“I’d say it’s been a long time since we’ve been 3-0. We traditionally have started the season slow and have been chasing our tail a bit in the second half of the year.

“That’s another thing we wanted to do well this year, start the year with a few wins.

“It’s nice to bank some early results.”

 

Another of the many highlights for the Burra was their even spread of goalkickers.

Thirteen players contributed to the 26-goal haul, led by key forward Joel Edwards with five and the returning Luke Kiel with three.

After slotting nine across the first two rounds, Adam Forbes was one of six Burra players to kick two.

Recruited from St Jospeh’s in the Geelong league, Edwards has added another dimension to the Burra forward line with his sure hands and precision with the ball.

Fellow Joeys recruit Felix Henderson was in everything, while Jack Bambury, Ben and Toby Hutt and Kiel all played their roles to perfection on a night when the Burra were strong across the board.

Lachlan Kroussoratis, Taj Bond, Rory Bell, Flynn Batrouney, Oliver Pittard and Liam Hoy rated as the Lions’ best.

Lockyer said an ongoing challenge for the Burra would be building on their improvement.

“There’s still parts of our ball movement that need to improve and parts our defensive game; we’re looking at a range of areas where we can keep getting marginal games,” he said.

“It’s such a quality and even comp that you can’t rest on your laurels for one moment.

“You need to keep trying to improve. If you are slightly off on any given day, anyone can beat anyone in this comp.”

The Burra lost Jake Wilkinson early in the game with a leg injury, leaving them with three players on the bench.

In brighter news, Henderson medallist Lachlan Cassidy and former VFL-listed player Bailey Medwell are inching closer to a return.