Lions go back to back to end the season

Best: Venditti, N.Thomas, Uysal, A.Saad, Featherstone, Hartley
Goals: Hill 3, D.Cooper 2, Uysal 2, Younan, Featherstone, Carnell, Clark, N.Thomas, A.Saad

Coburg has finished Season 2014 on the strongest note possible recording a 17-point victory at Casey Fields to knock off the Scorpions for the second time this season.

The game was hotly contested with both sides wanting to end their seasons on a high note as they look towards 2015.

Coburg, off the back of a morale-boosting win over Frankston last week started strongly with Frosty Miller medal hopeful Lech Featherstone getting his 1^st of the afternoon on the quarter-time siren.

But Casey, who were out to ensure they didn’t surrender their 14^thposition on the ladder hit back in the second term with captain Evan Panozza and Joe Fisscher getting into the game and taking the lead with red-time goals. A late Matthew Clark goal would tie the game up heading into the second half.

Both sides returned after the break with nothing to lose. A light drizzle began to spray across the oval and contested ball was going to become ever more crucial to the outcome of the game.

A goal-for goal term seemed a fitting conclusion, as no side was willing to give up on the four points. Coach Peter German addressed the huddle for the last time in 2014, and you could feel there was something more to come from the final term that could be indicative of their season, something of the underdog nature that defines the class of 2014.

Rolling stoppages plagued the early part of the final term. Suddenly, on centre wing, a thumping hitout from Ben Sortino, a man rarely overwhelmed by the underdog nature broke the play and set up a collector’s item from Adam Saad to drill the first goal of the final term to the Lions.

Now we could hear them roar.

The following centre bounce, another quick clearance and the Lions goaled twice in 30 seconds, this time through rising young key forward Dion Hill and the Lions smelt blood.

Two more goals to Hill and Daniel Cooper iced the game in time-on as the Lions kicked four goals to one in the final term to run out 17-point winners.

Ozgur Uysal (26 disposals, 11 clearances, 2 goals) continued his hot run of form being the dominant inside midfielder and breaking the lines, whilst fellow ball magnet Daniel Venditti improved the defensive side of the game, amassing 14 tackles.

Full-forward Lech Featherstone’s year has been one of the true highlights for the Coburg community. Yesterday, he sacrificed personal accolades for the team, and created a duo with Ben Sortino that set up the ‘Burgers to win the clearances by 9 to win the midfield battle.

The Lions end their first season back stand alone in 14^th position, and in truth have exceeded many expectations for the youngest team in the VFL.