It was a thrilling opening round of Ovens and King senior football action, played out in perfect conditions across the region on Saturday.

At Whorouly, the Lions exacted revenge for their preliminary final loss to Greta by hammering the Blues by 44 points.

The Lions led at each break, banking the points 18.9 (117) to 11.7 (73).

The match was evenly poised early, with the Lions only leading by two goals at the half, but a dominant third term broke the game wide open.

A four goal to one third quarter saw Whorouly lead by more than five goals at the final break, and while both teams were struggling in the heat, the Lions had enough in the tank.

Lions Jessie Smith and Michael Newton booted five goals apiece, with Max Scott and Nic Carney solid down back.

For the Blues, Tom Fursdon and Josh Bell worked hard all day, while Harry Moran led on the stat sheet with four goals.

Over at Tarrawingee, the Bulldogs gave Bonnie Doon a scare in their clash, but the Bombers took the points 12.5 (55) to 8.7 (77).

A dominant first half from the Bombers saw them kick nine goals to four, but Tarrawingee surged back into the contest in the third term.

The Bulldogs kicked three goals to one to bring the margin back to 18 points at the final change of ends, but Bonnie Doon locked in and kicked two goals to one to close out the game.

Jackson Sole and James Law were exceptional for the Bombers, with Law, James Octigan and Beau Smith kicking true, while Ned Gorman was the only multiple goal kicker for the Bulldogs.

Milawa proved a lot of naysayers wrong after a tumultuous off-season, picking up the win over Moyhu 12.7 (79) to 9.10 (64).

Despite a major list turnover, the Demons kept their structures and worked hard early, taking a 14-point lead into the first break, but the Hoppers were just getting started.

A five goal to three second term saw Moyhu shoot ahead by half-time, with just two points in it at the long break.

The two teams stayed within a few goals of each other throughout the second half, a tense battle which kept the crowd on their toes and involved in the game.

The Demons were ahead by five points at three quarter time, but a strong final term would see them boot three goals to one to secure the win by 15 points.

Simon Pane was the damage dealer for the Demons up forward, finishing with five goals, while Brent Newton (three), and Aiden and Daniel Bihun (two each) were also impactful in front of goals.

Lachie Pensak was best on for the Hoppers, with Bailey Zimmermann, Josh Coonan (two goals) and Harrison Grant turning in brilliant performances.

Goorambat proved they’re able to kick a big score after polishing off Benalla All Blacks 17.10 (112) to 9.11 (65) at Friendlies Oval.

The Bats were in control all game, with key forward Dominic Payman slotting 10 majors for the match, earning him best on ground.

A five-goal margin at the half doubled through the third term, but Benalla refused to roll over, fighting hard right to the final siren.

Blake Marlborough and David Button were exceptional for the Panthers, while James Dalton and Matthew Priest were likewise solid.