The Oaks opened the match full of running with Paul Fermanis and Elvis Alimovski in everything early.
Alimovski booted the first two goals of the game and it was obvious from the outset that the sheer class of Fermanis was something the Lions would struggle to combat.
The former Port Melbourne and Oakleigh Chargers star put his stamp on the game in the second term with a miraculous goal from the boundary after sprinting away from two opponents, and things just got worse for the Beena from there.
Fermanis ended with four goals and Alimovski three, but the Oaks had winners all around the ground.
Grant Pitts was superb in the ruck and used the open spaces of Newcomen Road to perfection.
Dean Higginbotham was also active early for the winners with two first-quarter goals and by half-time, the Lions were staring down the barrel of a six-goal deficit.
When Murrumbeena rover Peter Fotiniotis finally snagged the Lions' first goal ten minutes into the third quarter, the Oaks' lead was eight goals, with no miracle in sight for the maroon-and-golds.
Darren Sinclair, who has been used sparingly in recent weeks, provided an added spark for the Oaks when he came off the bench, not that they needed any.
Daniel Clarke was another who created countless opportunites for the Districts, along with Jason Brown and Daniel Saldhana.
Experienced defender Dom Carosella was a rock across half-back, while man-mountain Maueli Valenti weighed in with a couple of handy goals.
In what was a forgettable day for the Lions, Mark McDonald and skipper Shaun Hawking battled hard, while Adam Williamson tried in vain to rally those around him.
Michael McCormack also gave everything for four quarters, while Michael Shannon was another to do well.
High-flying Shannon Morgan finished on strongly with a huge last quarter that yielded two goals and a candidate for the mark-of-the-year.
Last Modified on 01/09/2008 13:57