Dederang-Mt Beauty coach Damien Jones surprised Bombers kicked highest score in league history

The hapless Lions were unmercifully spanked 63.12 (390) to 5.2 (32).

It easily eclipsed the previous highest score in the league's 77-year history which was Tallangatta's 49.23 (317) thumping of Wodonga Saints 2.5 (17) in 2015.

Jones said he reminded his players in his pre-match speech that it wasn't that long ago that the Bombers finished with the wooden spoon in 2017.

"I made a point before the game that we have been in a similar situation to Wahgunyah," Jones said.

"No side ever took it easy on us, so I didn't expect the players to take it easy on them and I said to show no mercy.

"We both lost the first round and were 0-1, so we needed to get back on the winners list.

"At half-time when we had done a bit of damage on the scoreboard, I just asked the players to remember back to when they used to get smashed by sides.

"To get the league record for the highest score was a bit of an unexpected bonus I guess.

"We didn't know after the game until one of the former club officials told us.

"We thought he meant it was the highest score kicked by Dederang, not the league record."

Despite rewriting history, Jones conceded lopsided scorelines were not a good advertisement for the league or football in general.

"You definitely don't want to see scorelines like that and it's not good for the league and definitely not good for Wahgunyah," he said.

"But hopefully for their sake, they take a bit out of it.

"As I said, Dederang was in a similar situation not that long ago.

"Our scores weren't quite that bad but the club has slowly been able to turn things around.

"You do feel sorry for them a little bit but we played pretty well."

ALSO IN SPORT

Wahgunyah was well below full-strength on the weekend and hope to welcome back half-a-dozen players for its Good Friday clash against Rutherglen.

Jones said he admired the older players for the Lions who were willing to pull on a jumper and play and do whatever they could to help the club survive.

"They had quite a few guys that are pushing 40 running around just because they are passionate about the club and want to keep it alive," he said.

"You have to admire that.

"Nobody wants to see clubs fold.

"But those older blokes are inevitably going to get injured and once they go down, who is going to replace them?

"They already don't have a third's side.

"The volunteers at the club are obviously doing a massive job.

"But to be on the receiving end of 40 plus goal floggings every week would be demoralising for everybody at the club."

After booting 15 and 17 goals in the first two quarters, Jones said the Bombers were disappointed to only kick nine goals during the third term.

After copping a rev at the last change, the players responded with a whopping 22 goals in the last quarter - which is nearly a goal a minute.

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