Hay Lions Seniors team brought home the cup after 28 years, and they look rightfully stoked with their efforts. Pictured are the team with coaches, and the very proud Buck Howard. Image: Jan Zambon.

By Lindy Stwart - Hay Lions

Every heart was beating true for the red, gold, and blue on Saturday when the Lions took on the Ultima Kangaroos in the 2023 Senior Grand final.

For the two bottom dwellers on the ladder in 2022, it was a huge resurgence, with Hay and Ultima both earning their spots after dispelling all other contenders.

Lions had rolled through Macorna like a tsunami in the first elimination final and gritted out the prelim to come out victors against Moulamein, earning the chance to hunt down the top dogs in the biggest game of the season.

Ultima had been the dominant team all year holding on to top spot three games clear of second placed Swans, with a huge percentage and only one loss against the Lions in round 11, deserving favouritism.

While other teams had been very public about their recruiting intentions in the off season, Lions newly appointed coaches Mick Cattanach and Jason Aylett went about their business quietly under the radar.

They signed a mob from Darwin Waratahs and the Cattanach brothers to boost the local contingent. Acquiring a bonus pickup of a couple of AFL draftees also added an unanticipated touch of X factor to the playing list.

This combination of locals and imports would turn out to create the perfect storm when it mattered most.

At the start of the season the vision was to finish in the top four and win the flag.

It doesn’t matter how you get there in the premiership race, it’s whether you take your moments. In front of a huge supporter base, including 92 and 95 past premiership players, the Lions took their moment on Saturday.

At the end of the four quarters, a new history had been created. Under hot conditions, the Lions started well winning the toss and gaining first use of the breeze. As expected, when playing Ultima, the opening minutes were stoppage heavy, with shutdown pressure suffocating and momentum hard to get.

The opening goal of the game went to Ultima cashing in on a Hay turnover in the defensive 50.

Their jubilation was however short lived with an instant response from the Lions through a deep inside 50 kick from Ferg Cattanach, with a tap down by Watson to a crumbing Joel Crocker who snapped to put Hay on the board.

From then on forward half pressure was all Lions. From a domination of inside 50 entries the Lions surged with a quick fire four-goal streak before Ultima knew what had hit them.

Watson, having his second score involvement through quick hands over the top of the Ultima defenders to Will Clark in front of goals soon to be followed by a magnificent 60 metre drop punt from Jenson Hargreaves to take the lions to three straight.

In the space of five minutes the Lions kicked their fourth in a row via the ever-reliable Ferg Cattanach capitalising on a precision hit up from Jack Headon.

Kangaroos secured their second goal of the quarter from another defensive turnover by the Lions.

While temporarily stalling the clearance and scoring domination by the Lions amongst the stoppages, it wasn’t long before Will Clark kicked his second goal to give the Lions five for the quarter and an 11 point buffer heading into the first break.

This near flawless start on the scoreboard was exactly what the coaches had hoped for.

Ultima, up the wind end for the second quarter, would have been hoping to take charge of the game like Hay had in the first.

While there were ample scoring options from clearances, both teams were guilty of kicking more points than goals.

While they closed the gap, for Ultima, kicking five points and only two majors, it was the beginning of what was to be a horror run on the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Kyle Symons while dominating around the ground had an unbackable chance just before half-time to put the Kangaroos in front but strayed the kick to notch up the last point of the quarter. Prior to this, Daniel Zambon made a dash up the centre breaking the scoring drought kicking a critical solo goal from the top of the 50 to keep the Lions in front by three points heading into the major break.

For the Lions Dom Booth brought grunt factor in bucket loads, explosive and damaging out of the centre, roving to the rucking of James Moran and Paddy Jubb superbly.

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Daniel Gash was clever and calm under pressure, instigating many backline transitions that snuck under the radar, and strategically shutting down Ultima’s dangerous forward press as only a player with vast finals experience can do.

Jack Headon threaded himself up through the middle of packs like a needle, taking multiple contested marks and using his run and carry game to gain valuable ground and open up scoring opportunities.

James Moran was energised and worked tirelessly in the ruck using his height and aerial prowess to contest hard for the Lions onballers.

Declan Watson had to contend with the usual double attention and while yet to hit the scoreboard had impacted the game in many ways using his size, speed, and ability to apply unrelenting forward 50 tackle pressure and score assists to other forwards.

At half-time, Hay had a great lead, 6:4 40 to Ultima 5:7 37.

Ultima pushed hard in the third term with plenty of ball from stoppages and a glut of possession awarded through frees against the Lions.

Kyle Symons was presented with another chance to give the Kangaroos the lead for the first time early in the third again straying his kick adding another gut-wrenching point.

With the margin reduced to a nail biting two points, the Lions again found their way to reduce scoreboard pressure through a down the line transition, and quick hands from Jack Cattanach to Declan Watson deep in the square, resulting in the first goal to Hay after the early misses from both teams.

With both teams feeling finals pressure the only other goal for the quarter was kicked by veteran Simon Bunyan marking cleanly 30 out to give the Lions more breathing space. Ultima were their own worst enemies succumbing to the heat of the contest and failing to find the middle of the sticks, kicking 5 behinds, and letting the Lions go out to their biggest lead of the game.

The wind advantage, quite an influence in the first three quarters, did a complete turnaround in the last with Hay fortunately on the right receiving end.

The heat started to take its toll on many players, with tanks running close to empty for both teams. With so much at stake it was going to be a matter of who could dig deep to find that something extra. While the Lions went in with a 14 point lead the game was still open for the taking.

Though Ultima kept their eye on some of the red gold and blue they couldn’t cover everyone and the Lions swooped.

Strong contested roving at the top of the 50 by Dom Booth getting foot to ball with the sweeping Jenson Hargreaves doing what he does best.

Twenty out on an angle, pounce, snap to gift the Lions a 20-point lead and all the momentum.

In the last when Ultima desperately needed to bring something different to counteract the Lions attack, they couldn’t.

Ultima simply ran out of legs and options and at the 25-minute mark Declan Watson put the result in no doubt with a sublime nail in the coffin goal from 40 out to give the Lions an unbeatable 26-point lead.

Scoreboard impact was the telling story in the second half with the Lions kicking five goals while Ultima could only manage one solitary goal in their worst performance of the season.

For the last five minutes the coaches could relax and players were able to soak up and enjoy the rest of the game with all 22 players no doubt wanting to be on when the siren sounded.

The strategic combination of talent, youth and speed, old heads and footy smarts, a fearsome running game and rock-solid defence took the Lions all the way through the final’s series from underdogs to contenders to premiers, and how sweet it was!

The weight of 28 years was over!

The win was set up by the Lions five goal first quarter playing with speed and dare and it was catch-up for Ultima from there on in.

This makes this number five premiership losses out of five appearances since 2016 for the Kangaroos who were left reeling from gettable goal misses that proved the difference in the end.

The Lions stood up when it mattered most, with all players playing their role and swinging things back in Hay’s favour when things started to get tight.

For Daniel Zambon, what a day to produce your best game of the season providing next level defensive pressure and kicking that goal amongst the chaos when the game could have swung the other way.

In the perfect ruck balance, Paddy Jubb combining with work horse James Moran gave our onballers a constant supply of good ball. Jubby, relentless and fearless, imposed himself on the game with his no compromise intimidation and hardness at the contest.

The silky Joel Crocker consistently cleared the ball in stoppage mayhem with his elite decision making when under the most pressure igniting the Lions attack.

Umpire voted best on ground Will Clark was up and about early impacting around the ground and on the scoreboard, while having to shake a heavy tag from Ultima’s Thomas Bull.

Ferg Cattanach never disappoints and today was no exception.

With the safest set of hands in the business Ferg provided the crucial hit up point in the middle to switch play while applying intensive defensive pressure to nullify oppositional ball get.

And last but not the least, fairy tales can come true with Simon Bunyan now able to hang up the boots with no regrets.

Goal scorers: Jenson Hargreaves, Will Clark Declan Watson two, Simon Bunyan Joel Crocker Ferg Cattanach Jack Cattanach Daniel Zambon one each.

One out of one for coaches Cattanach and Aylett, and with the promise of a home grand final in 2024, the Lions will now set their sights on back-to-back Premiership glory!

Photo gallery images: Katie Arandt