A convincing win over the Bulldogs on the road has given the Lions a boost in confidence and has demonstrated a level of resilience in the side with finals ambitions.
From the outset, Stanhope appeared comfortable and dominated the opening quarter, kicking 4.2 while holding Merrigum to a single behind.
The Bulldogs found some rhythm in the second period, drilling four goals to put a dismal first-quarter effort behind them.
However, the Lions kept on charging, bagging another 3.1 to keep the Bulldogs at bay and hold a 20-point lead at the major break.
It was slow going for the hosts in the third term, as Stanhope was able to feed its forward line with ease.
That work in the midfield paid dividends for the Lions, who piled on 4.1 in the third quarter with Merrigum adding only 1.2 in reply.
A comfortable 37-point lead with just a quarter to play gave Stanhope breathing space.
The Bulldogs showed grit down the stretch, kicking 2.3 in an attempt to chase down a widening gap, but the Lions’ 4.2 final effort was enough to cruise to a solid 48-point victory.
Stanhope coach Tom Hepburn reflected on the contest and was happy with his team’s efforts, highlighting some key players.
“I think we were the better team but kept them in the game up until half-time but still managed to kick away in the second half,” he said.
“We got the ball deeper into our 50 and scored, which is something we probably lacked a bit last year.
“I thought Sam Spedding was really good, we also had a few players playing through injury like Jonathan Pearson, who kicked a few goals.”
Hepburn also outlined what his side had been working on this season and the feeling around the team to start the 2025 campaign.
“Obviously, we got beaten pretty bad by Murch, but we are just trying to work on our manning up out of the middle; against Merrigum we were able to win the ball more,” he said.
“Our main aim is to create structures that keep the ball in our forward line so that our forwards have more opportunity to kick goals.
“It’s nice to be on the winning side after that loss to Murch, and it has given our players a bit more confidence, so that has been good.”
Both Spedding (two goals) and Pearson (three) kicked multiple goals and were joined in the best-on list by Daniel Brock, Layne Baker, Oliver Silk and Craig Emmett.
The Lions will be up against it in round four when they do battle with a red-hot Lancaster side.
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