Hard nut: Tom Bennett was a force for Benalla against Seymour.
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Brenden Paddock
Though the scoreboard failed to favour Benalla in its opening Goulburn Valley League clash against Seymour, there’s no doubting there were certain areas which the side excelled in.
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Delving into the match statistics, the Saints had the edge over its round-one opponent in various departments, and as many anticipated heading into the Good Friday blockbuster, the centre of the ground is where things heated up.
Pre-match, Seymour coach Ben Davey indicated he had be expecting a stern midfield battle, and he was right.
Benalla was plus-25 in contested disposals, while the Saints bettered Seymour’s total midfield turnovers of 27 by a margin of nine.
The home side also led in groundball gets, racking up 75 compared to Seymour’s 57.
It was a day for Benalla’s onballers, with Chris Welsh (99), Will Martiniello (95) and Josh Marchbank (92) racking up the highest ranking point totals among the Saints.
Utility Tom Bennett was another to star for the Saints with 21 disposals, while Nick Mellington oozed class with 17 disposals — 12 of which were contested — as well as seven inside-50s and five clearances.
However, getting things ticking on the big screen was where Benalla lacked.
The side’s goal accuracy sat at just 26 per cent to Seymour’s 56, with the Lions plus-22 in-score involvements.
A late flurry from Josh Mellington helped the Saints notch 4.2 to outscore Seymour in the last quarter, but previous inaccuracy ultimately hampered the hosts in the grand scheme of the game.
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