GDFNL 2025: Thomson defeat Belmont Lions by 45 points but lose Lucas Boyd to quad injury

The Tigers were the in-form team of last year’s finals series to clinch the flag from fourth after putting early-season injuries behind them.

And they’ll look to do the same with five games left this season, fresh off a statement 45-point win over ladder-leaders Belmont Lions on Saturday.

You can tick the firing box, the fourth-placed Tigers ruthless in their opening and closing quarters against the Lions to seal the 15.16 (106) to 9.7 (61) win at Winter Reserve– their fourth in a row after a middling 4-4 start to the season.

But aided by a bye this week, they’ll need to get some body rights in the run home, losing Lucas Boyd to a quad injury in the second quarter after only just getting the star forward back from a calf injury.

It was a sour blow, with Boyd quickly getting back up and running to be the game’s dominant forward of the first half with three goals.

“Can’t catch a break at the moment Boydy, I thought he was fantastic in the first half, he was easily the best forward out there and we’ve just got to get him right to the back end of the season,” Lynch said.

“That’ll be our aim now to make sure he’s ready to go around finals time and humming.”

The Tigers were already without fellow forward Darcy Troop, who watched on from the sidelines with his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder against GW Giants a week earlier.

“I felt we really missed Darcy today, that connection through centre half forward, especially when Boydy went down, we sort of struggled to have that connection between back half and forward half,” Lynch said.

Veteran Jackson McLeod hobbled off early in the third, plagued by a knee which has troubled him all season – his latest niggle coming off the back of a high-flying grab.

“It was a fantastic mark and then I think he just landed awkwardly on it – he’s got a little bit of an issue going on there – but he’s still fronting up every weekend and gets a week off, which will help him,” Lynch said.

For the Lions, who have had their own share of injuries and were missing key names including David Van Allitt and Harry Thompson against the Tigers, it appeared trouble when Finnegan Guiney-White (knee) and Oliver Mayman (back) came off within minutes late in the first term, though both returned to the field and finished out the game.

Tale of two sprays

Despite entering Saturday the team to beat after an 11-1 start, Belmont looked a shell of themselves in the opening quarter.

The reigning premiers came out firing, kicking the first two goals within three minutes and bullying their opposition on the ball as they gained repeat inside 50 entries.

With the Lions’ defence scrambling to repel the Tigers’ advances, Brad Michell provided some drive forward - but even he fell into the same trap as many of his teammates as the Lions constantly turned the ball over by foot and hand, with a similar disconnection occurring forward with the few inside 50 entries they had.

It saw co-coach Andy Walsgott ready to give his side a earful at quarter time, blasting his players for “looking scared” before demanding more aggression in the second quarter.

The Lions responded, beating their rivals around the stoppages through the middle two terms, with three goals coming from clearances in the third quarter to get the home side back within 20 points at three-quarter time.

It was then Lynch turn to raise his voice a few decibels at three-quarter time – the coach decrying his side for “selfish and lazy” football and not the “honest and accountable” style he wanted to see.

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Putting it on several experienced players for their silly mistakes, and on younger players to “put on their big on pants”, Lynch got everything he asked for in the final term – the Tigers slamming on five consecutive goals to put the game to bed – with a brilliant Ben McPherson snap seconds before the siren little consolation for the Lions.

“They pretty much fixed every problem I spoke about at three quarter time,” Lynch said of his players’ response.

“Obviously around the stoppages, just letting them get that second layer of footy and I thought they were really good and I thought we got a real response from the kids in the last quarter as I said – put the big boy pants on – we need you to be big boys and they were in the last quarter, I thought they were fantastic, some big tackles.”

Originally published as GDFNL 2025: Thomson defeat Belmont Lions by 45 points but lose Lucas Boyd to quad injury