The Cats were well and truly in the ascendency, as they held the kings of the jungle scoreless.
After quarter time it was a different story, as the Seymour players looked fierce and like the GVL minor premiership contenders they are — so what changed?
Seymour: first quarter vs second quarter
Clearances
First quarter: 3
Second quarter: 9
Inside 50s
First quarter: 6
Second quarter: 12
Forward-50 entry efficiency
First quarter: 16 per cent
Second quarter: 66 per cent
Tackles
First quarter: 13
Second quarter: 12
The clearances were the biggest difference between the Lions going pointless in the first period to scoring five unanswered goals in the second, in terms of statistics.
The Cats won 11 of the 14 stoppages in the first stanza, including all four centre clearances.
The Lions turned this around after the first break, winning nine of the 16 clearances.
Seymour was able to move the ball into the forward 50 more freely in the second spell and doubled its inside-50 count from the first quarter.
One of the most dramatic statistics was the turnaround in the efficiency of these inside-50 kicks. It jumped by 50 percentage points, as the Lions found their feet.
In comparison, the Cats’ forward-50 entry efficiency dropped from 62 per cent to 45 per cent in the second quarter, and they had one less inside-50 kick than their rivals.
It’s all right scoring goals, but Seymour also had to stop the Cats’ attacking onslaught and did so effectively by keeping up its defensive work rate.
There was only a difference of one tackle between Seymour’s first and second quarters.
The statistical turnaround once again shows that the Lions thrive under pressure, making them a dangerous proposition for any team they face in finals.
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