Both sides enter the Goulburn Valley League round eight clash with 5-2 records on the line and are jostling for position inside the competition’s top-four standings.
“It’s a real crunch game. A real crunch game. And then we have Echuca and Euroa to follow, so this is the test we are after,” Lamont said ahead of the meeting at Mooroopna.
“We were shattered after that first quarter after Seymour and we were coming hard against Kyabram, but at the end of the day weren’t good enough.”
Mooroopna’s first quarters against sides in the top-six have been woeful to say the least.
The Cats have coughed up a combined 14.1 to 2.0 to Seymour and Kyabram in the round four and five losses.
The past two weeks have been steps in the right direction against Rochester and Benalla, with the Cats piling on 13.3 to 3.4 in the first quarters.
“It is a very important game at home,” Lamont said.
“We have started well the last couple of weeks against some of the lower teams, we want to make sure we start well and are in the game at quarter-time.”
Key stats
Clearances
Mooroopna: Second
Mansfield: Fourth
Throw in clearances
Mooroopna: First
Mansfield: Seventh
Hit-outs
Mooroopna: Third
Mansfield: Fourth
Hit-outs to advantage
Mooroopna: Fifth
Mansfield: Fourth
Inside 50s
Mooroopna: Fourth
Mansfield: Third
Mooroopna’s work around stoppages is one area that Mansfield coach Chad Owens will look to diminish at the Cattery.
The Cats are ranked second in the competition for clearances and first for clearances at boundary throw-ins.
Lamont’s charges have an extra 23 more throw-in clearances than the next best.
On-ball jet Ethan Hunt and ruck Liam Betson sit equal fifth in the competition in that area of the game, while Hunt is ranked 10th for total clearances.
However, Owens has his own ace up his sleeve.
Lachie Murphy-Dale, the second best ranked clearance-getter, will go head-to-head with Hunt.
“I taught Ethan up in Queensland, so I know his game fairly well. He’s a terrific player and he’s going to accumulate the ball no matter what, it’s about how well we can monitor them around the ground,” Owens said.
“For us it’s more what happens after they get the clearance and whether or not they come out the front and hit up a teammate lace out.
“We feel we have a defensive set-up that works and we’re confident in that holding up.”
Owens revealed his side would be without star quartet Patty Marks, Jack Hutchins, Tom McDonagh and Cam Arnold for at least another week.
Lamont said he was wary of an outfit his side came up against three times last year and failed to win a single game against.
“Mansfield beat us three times last year; they are 5-2 the same as us and they are rolling along pretty well,” he said.
“Sometimes other teams just match up really well on you, and I thought there was an element of that. But I thought they just outplayed us three times.
“We are not under any illusions, we need to be on the job.”
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