Lions extend reign over South Barwon

DESPITE sitting seventh on the ladder, reigning premier Leopold has entered the GFL league bye with confidence after again accounting for South Barwon.

The Lions continued their phenomenal record against the Swans – who they have beaten in the past two grand finals – with a 42-point triumph at McDonald Reserve.

Leopold assistant coach Tim Connolly said it was hard to put a finger on the key to the Lions’ success against South Barwon.

“Their defenders are quite good and they intercept and they can bounce off that, they back themselves in the air,” he said.

“We’ve got some pretty good aerial-type forwards.

“So it’s when our forwards are playing well aerially, which we back them in every week, it can take away a little bit from their A game, which can obviously work in our favour if we can nullify that.”

The Lions only led by five points at three-quarter-time but then kicked seven goals to one in the final term.

“For us to get a goal, I think it was like 27 seconds or something into the last quarter, got us up and going,” Connolly said.

“And then you get another goal, so it goes to three goals and then I suppose they have to start chasing the game.

“So they’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive, which can sort of open them up going back the other way.”

The assistant coach said the Lions had learnt from their consecutive losses to Newtown and Chilwell and St Mary’s before playing the Swans.

“We had too many guys in and around the contest and then when the ball left, we were getting beaten on the outside.

“So that was a bit of a focus last weekend to trust the one or two around the ball.”

The Lions, who have a 3-3 win-loss record, play Lara away on June 7 after the league bye.