The Swans prevailed 12.18 (90) to 12.10 (82) in Saturday’s Goulburn Valley League round 17 clash, banking four crucial premiership points as the race for finals positions tightened further.
The Lions kicked the first three goals of the contest through Jaron Murphy, Rory Kennedy and Riley Mason, while the Swans could muster only four behinds as Seymour established a 20-4 quarter-time advantage.
The Swans began to work their way into the contest during the second term, with Will Dwyer and Zac Alderton finding the goals.
However, their inaccuracy continued to prove costly and Seymour carried a 31-19 advantage into the main break after the Swans had kicked 2.7 across the opening half.
Then came the game-changing third quarter.
Shepparton Swans exploded after the interval, piling on 5.9 to Seymour’s 3.1 to turn a 12-point deficit into an eight-point lead.
Harper Simpson kicked two goals for the term, while Steele Simpson, Andrew Riordan and Nathan Rachele also struck as the visitors surged to 9.16 (70) at three-quarter-time.
The Swans had opportunities to put the game further beyond Seymour, but their inaccurate 18 behinds for the afternoon ensured the Lions remained within striking distance.
Seymour duly came again in the fourth.
Tom Stapleton and Mason kicked goals as the Lions reduced the margin, with Seymour eventually producing its most prolific quarter of the afternoon with 5.2.
But the Swans found the answers when they needed them.
Lucas Rachele booted two final-quarter goals, with Joeve Cooper and Riordan also converting as the visitors matched Seymour's 32 points for the term and protected their eight-point three-quarter-time advantage all the way to the siren.
It was a balanced scoring effort from the Swans, with Lucas Rachele, Riordan and Harper Simpson each kicking two goals, while six other players contributed one apiece.
For Seymour, Mason was the standout in front of goal with four majors, while Murphy finished with two.
The result could prove significant in the increasingly congested GVL finals race.
The Swans moved to 9-7-1 and 38 points with the victory, leaving them fifth on the ladder and only two points behind both third-placed Seymour and fourth-placed Mooroopna.
With just one home-and-away round remaining, only four points separate third from seventh, as Swans coach Linc Sullivan reflected on his side’s showing in week 17.
“Coming off a good performance against Rochester, we were really happy as we are starting to get our injured players back to strengthen us up, so we are getting very close to (full strength),” he said.
“Our pressure game is our strength and we had that on point against Seymour. I feel we had winners across the ground in most positions.
“I thought our midfield starting three were enormous, particularly Zac (Alderton) he’s had an interrupted year - he’s that big brute in the midfield and he showed his best of a couple of years ago.”
