Geelong Amateur sends shockwaves through Bellarine with upset win over Torquay in Sam Lloyd’s first game as co-coach

Geelong Amateur made a major statement in former Richmond and Western Bulldogs forward Sam Lloyd’s first game as playing co-coach. But the Ammos don’t expect to see Torquay like that again in 2025.

Mitch Day bagged seven goals in his Ammos return. Picture: Phil Yeo

It was a result that sent shockwaves through the Bellarine.

Back-to-back premiers Torquay, who had lost just two games in the past two seasons, suffered a 43-point loss at the hands of Geelong Amateur on the Tigers’ home turf..

The upset win was a major statement for the Ammos in former Richmond and Western Bulldogs forward Sam Lloyd’s first game as playing co-coach, the 35-year-old finishing with three goals and a handful of behinds.

The Ammos knocked them off in a thriller last year at the same venue by a solitary point, but this was different.

Was it Dom Gleeson’s men who had a rare off day, or was it the Ammos playing out of their skin?

Geelong Amateur co-coach Riley Kershaw doesn’t expect to see Torquay play like that again in 2025.

Sam Lloyd addresses his charges. Picture: Phil Yeo

“I don’t know whether that’s them being off, or it surmounted to us having that pressure around the footy,” Kershaw said.

“I haven’t really seen Torquay make simple skill execution errors like them previously, and that is nothing against them – that speaks to how highly we think of them.

“Whether it was our pressure around the footy or those guys were just having an off day, I don’t think you’ll get that again. So we’re well aware of that.

“Torquay in year’s gone by, they are the benchmark – we still probably consider them the benchmark. So just because we get them in round one, it doesn’t mean they can’t beat you the next time we play them.”

The Ammos kicked four goals to three behinds in the opening term and pushed it out 41 points at the main break.

An inaccurate Torquay came hard in the second half but Geelong Amateur’s back six were able to absorb the pressure to secure a 15.15 (105) to 8.14 (62) win.

At the other end, returning forward Mitch Day wound back the clock to his dominant stretch in the Bellarine, kicking seven goals in his first game for the club since 2019.

Lloyd could have had a bag of goals himself if he had kicked straight, and he has added a lot to the club since joining the Ammos at the end of last year.

Geelong Amateur pulled off a stunning win. Picture: Phil Yeo

“He has still got some run in those old legs,” Kershaw said with a chuckle.

“He kicked 3.5 or 3.6 maybe, so you won’t see Sammy Lloyd miss that many again hopefully. He looks really good, even his pressure around the footy.

“Sammy is exceptional, not only has he got the IQ out on the footy field and helping guys develop, he is quite an extraordinary.

“He’s got that country boy warmth that footy clubs need and ever since he stepped into the footy club, everyone has just gravitated towards him. So can’t speak highly enough of the character of him.”

But it was another ex-AFL player in Hamish Shepheard – who Lloyd lured with him from the Deniliquin Rams – who was best on ground in the eyes of Kershaw.

“Hard to go past Mitch Day kicking seven, but the return of Hamish Shepherd caught my eye. Anyone there at the ground it felt like he had 25 marks,” Kershaw said.

“But our mids were awesome as well. (Tom Gribble’s) first half, (Riley Ferguson’s) first half as well, they were exceptional.

“You look across the line we didn’t have any real passengers, so it was a real collective effort.”

Tom Gribble celebrates a goal last season. Picture: Mark Wilson

A dual Liston Trophy winner, Gribble looked a lock for the Les Ash Medal in his first season out of the VFL in 2024, but didn’t finish in the top 10 nor the BFNL team of the year.

Kershaw concede that Gribble himself wasn’t happy with some of his form last year, but said the ball-magnet been playing a different role to his VFL days, where he racked up the Sherrin for fun.

“’Gribbs’ to his own admission probably didn’t play some of the footy that he wanted to last year, but ever since that point he has been absolutely fantastic,” Kershaw said.

“The way he has been training in the off-season and just the buy-in that he has for the footy club and the genuine want that he has for success, he is just a competitive beast.

“Gribbs’ role has changed, as does all the other guys that come into our side. They are probably not the guys that they used to be, but they are all on the same page that they need to park their ego or whatever it might be for the time being in the quest for what we’re after.”

After a shock exit in last year’s elimination final, that premiership quest has begun in the best possible fashion for this talent-stacked side.

Originally published as Geelong Amateur sends shockwaves through Bellarine with upset win over Torquay in Sam Lloyd’s first game as co-coach