In what shapes as one of country football's biggest mismatches, the Lions - already depleted and battling for survival - are down to the bare bones with 12 of the players who faced Rutherglen last week now unavailable for selection.

Club officials were ready to pull out of the round three match at Wahgunyah despite the financial ramifications.

The reserves game has been forfeited but in a huge show of character, the remaining players insisted on Thursday night the senior game should go ahead.

"We were looking at forfeiting the whole day, which financially would have been devastating for us," Wahgunyah president Darryl Hore said.

"As a club, we looked at it and thought 'maybe a forfeit is our option for the day' but the playing group had other ideas.

"We spoke to the players and they said 'we're not happy with that, we're going to form a team and push on anyway.'

"It was unbelievable.

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"Chiltern are a great side this year, possibly the ones to beat, and our players know what the outcome is probably going to be.

"But they said 'we're here to play so let's just do it.'"

Wahgunyah have shipped almost 900 points in their first three games, while the much-fancied Swans beat minor premiers Yackandandah in their last outing.

But even with the odds stacked against them, the Lions players are determined to keep showing their pride in the jumper through the toughest of times.

"The support the guys showed us on Thursday night was just unbelievable," Hore said.

"We couldn't ever have expected it.

"As a committee, at the start of the year, we knew there might be times during the year that we'd have to forfeit and we prepared ourselves for that but what we didn't prepare ourselves for was the support of the players.

"Of the 21 players from last week, we've lost 12, some through work and others due to COVID, and we'd prepared ourselves for a forfeit but we didn't prepare ourselves for the attitude of the playing group.

"We'll probably cop some slack next week but we're super proud of the guys."

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