LIONS EYE REVENGE
Familiar foe awaiting in blockbuster
While he admits it’s harder said than done to bury the memories of last year’s grand final defeat, Huonville Lions vicecaptain Rhys Ward says it will no doubt spur his side on in Saturday’s clash against reigning premiers Cygnet.
The two arch rivals are set to lock horns for the first time since the Port handed Ward’s side their only loss of 2023 – a heartbreaking 36-point defeat in the 2023 grand final.
The grand final rematch will be exclusively live streamed for free – on KommunityTV and the Hobart Mercury digital masthead. The exclusive double header coverage, which also includes a SFLW clash between Port and the Lions, kicks off at 2pm, Saturday.
The Lions were in the driver’s seat of last year’s grand final, up by 23 points at halftime, but would go on to score just 10 points in the second-half as the Port went on a 10-goal run at the other end.
Ward said that while they had tried to put the painful memories of last year behind them, they would be hoping to get some measure of revenge over Cygnet on Saturday.
“You certainly try to get it out of your mind and not think about it too much but that is easier said than done,” Ward said.
“It is definitely still there and hopefully we can get one back this week. Obviously being the battle of the Huon it is one we pin in the calendar but we are all about the long journey this year and trying to pencil some games together with the new squad.”
It was more than a successful return to the field for Huonville in round two with the Lions handing Claremont a 349-point thrashing after drawing the bye in round one.
The 54.25 (349) to 0.0 (0) scoreline was one of the more one-sided SFL affairs in recent memory and while Ward said it was a less than ideal preparation heading into a grand final rematch, it was still a good chance to dust off the cobwebs after a pre-season under new coach Callen Daly.
“Probably not the battle we wanted to have straight up but you can always take lots of positives out of it,” he said.
“You never know what ideal preparation is. Just to have a game on the track before playing Cygnet is a good thing for sure. It was a chance for all our new guys to play together also.”
Cygnet will head into the game with a 2-0 record following a 104-point trouncing of New Norfolk in round one and a 31-point win over Sorell last week.
Skipper Joe Direen is set to notch up game 200 in the clash with the prolific goal kicker snagging 12 majors in the opening two rounds. “It’s awesome to bring up the milestone in a game like this,” he said.
“I probably won’t think about it too much though. My focus is on going out and winning the game but it’s nice to be in good form and kicking straight at the minute.”
In other round three SFL matches, Dodges Ferry host Sorell at Shark Park, Brighton face New Norfolk at Boyer Oval while Hobart play Lindisfarne on Friday night.