The Geelong interleague side, coached on Saturday for the first time by Jeremy Dyer, nearly kicked itself out of the game at Shepparton’s Deakin Reserve.

Despite the visiting team peppering the goals, Goulburn Valley was able to hit the front in the second quarter. But Geelong straightened up to win 12.30 (102) to 9.13 (67).

Dyer said he gave the side a “kick in the pants” at half-time.

“We just wanted to play how we play at GFL level, and move the ball and link up, which we did to a tee. We just didn’t put it on the scoreboard,” he said.

“Then we just got a bit ahead of ourselves in the second quarter and we just didn’t work hard enough to get our hands on the ball.

“Once we rectified a few things and got back into playing the way we wanted to play, it showed our style of play hurt them a lot more than they did to us.”

Injuries ruled out key players from both sides last week. Goulburn Valley lost its captain, Tim Looby, and vice-captain, Jason Morgan, among others, and St Albans spearhead Jase Perkins and defenders Paul Hinkley and Tom Stewart were ruled out for Geelong. The Goulburn Valley camp was dealt another blow on Saturday with Benalla’s Jake Pallpratt sustaining a serious knee injury, while a hamstring injury ended Colac’s Ryan Monaghan’s day for Geelong.

Peninsula, who lost to Geelong by 85 points last year, earned another tilt at the top ranking by defeating the Ovens and Murray league in Albury by 10 points. “You can’t worry about who you play. You just hope you get a good buy-in and representation and if we do that the GFL is a strong enough league that you’re going to put a good side out on the park,” Dyer said.

Goulburn Valley coach Travis Ryan, who didn’t confirm post-match if he would coach next year, said his team was outrun in the midfield.