Ben bucks the trend for Lions

The prolific ball winner was ranked the competition’s number one player for contested possessions and ground-ball gets, while he was ranked second for tackles and fifth for clearances — standing head and shoulders (figuratively speaking) above his teammates in all three categories.

His 2022 season wasn’t spent entirely at the bottom of the packs; in fact, he was the 10th ranked player for disposals in the Goulburn Valley competition.

It was, however, in the highly contested categories of the GVL Data statistical information that he featured most prominently.

With the recent injury concerns of prolific Benalla midfielder William Martinello, the man who wears Seymour’s number two guernsey was the top contested ball winner this season.

He didn’t miss a game this year and more than half of his 400+ disposals were won in a contested situation.

Only a handful of players collected more than 200 contested possessions this season — among them Benalla’s Christopher Welsh, Echuca’s Jack McHale and the Swans’ will-o’-the-wisp Zach Banch.

Rigoni, however, led all comers in the statistic and daylight separated him from teammate Jack Murphy.

Murphy, who benefited considerably from Rigoni’s handball prowess, was the second ranked Lion on the contested ball winning list. He came in at number 34 (with 127 contested possessions) on the GVL Data list.

Riley Mason (57th on the list) was the next best contested ball winner, with 106 for the season.

Rigoni had the most handballs of any player in the GVL (241). Murphy and Dylan Scopel were the only other Seymour players in the top 50 in the statistic.

Rigoni’s status as the number one player in the GVL for ground-ball gets was also in contrast to his teammates; Murphy and Nathan Beattie the only other Lions in the competition’s top 50.

The 21-year-old former Broadford junior played under-18 football alongside several of his current teammates, having combined to form a strong under-18 Lions team, which twice went deep into the finals series.

The team lost a preliminary final one year and a grand final another year, with Rigoni Beattie, Nick Davey, Cooper Lubeck, Essendon’s Sam Durham and Dylan Cooke all part of that team.

Coach Ben Davey said Rigoni’s last month of football had been super.

“He played a lot of the first half of the year under duress,” he said.

“He was injured and then played a couple of games when he was sick. There was one game, against Euroa, when he shouldn’t have played.

“It wasn’t until six weeks ago that he really got going.”

Davey’s strong connections to AFL club North Melbourne enabled Rigoni the opportunity to complete a pre-season at Arden St.

He was one of the last cut from the VFL squad.

“He will get another crack this year, spending pre-season either at North or one of the other clubs,” Davey said.

Seymour was heavily depleted with injuries this season, which probably heightened the role of Rigoni as the team’s standout inside midfielder.

“Because we have been so depleted with injuries we have played a lot more of an outside game,” Davey said.

The Lions have also had a regular ruckman for the last month.

Jordan Angus has played more than 70 per cent game time in his four matches with the Lions.

Angus joined the Lions from Essendon District Football League Club Doutta Stars after spending stints in the NAB League with the Calder Cannons for three seasons.

The man mountain had his best game against Mooroopna when he had 36 hit-outs, took five marks and gathered 12 possessions.

He also had four clearances, providing that important “big body’’ support to Rigoni in clearance situations.

Rigoni was ranked fifth in the competition for clearances, averaging more than six a game. Again he was alone at the top of the list, from a Seymour point of view.

Murphy and Beattie were the only other Lions ranked inside the top 50 for the category.

Only three players in the competition laid more than 100 tackles for the season, Rigoni averaging seven a week — second only to Shepparton United’s Adam Pigatto.

Rigoni’s season highs are well worth investigating further, his best game arguably against Euroa in round 16.

He had 27 possessions (18 contested), won 10 clearances, laid 11 tackles and had three inside-50s for the afternoon.

His 130 GVL Data points against Shepparton in round eight came on the back of 33 possessions, seven tackles, six inside-50s and a goal.

Seymour’s season-long team statistics showed just how “against the trend’’ Rigoni’s figures were in regard to the style of the Lions.

Seymour was ninth (third last) for clearances this season and eighth for contested possessions.

The Lions were fourth for disposals and third for uncontested possessions, indicating just how careful they were in finding a teammate in clear air.

Further underlining this statistic is the fact that the Lions took more uncontested marks than any other team in the competition.

Rigoni’s handball-happy status also flies in the face of Seymour’s game style, as the team was ranked second for total kicks in the GVL this year.