Lions' second-rower Harry Kukla proved untouchable in scoring a hat-trick to inspire his side's 38-10 victory while No.8 Lily Bone was equally as outstanding, but they were just two of the incredible individual performances from two impressive sides that thrilled the bumper Endeavour Oval crowd.

That's the message both sides' coaches delivered after the game too, which had undeniably grand final preview vibes. Emus and Orange City sit first and second respectively and with three weeks left in the regular season that shouldn't change, barring disaster.

"It was just a really great game of rugby, a hard-fought one and it looks like the future of both clubs are safe to me. Good on Orange City too, they were really just too good for us [on Saturday]," Emus coach Paul Ringland said.

"That's exactly right, there's some real talent in both sides and I think with them beating us the first time around and us winning this one, it bodes really well for some exciting finals rugby," Lions coach Deryck Ward said.

While Kukla and Bone absolutely stole the show through the Lions' pack, the likes of Tama Nixon, Gus Tremain and Andrew Ingham were excellent as well while for Emus Gus Cornish, Patrick Toberty and Levi Poihakena-Jackson were superb.

The scoreline was ultimately quite lopsided as the Lions blew the game out in the second half, but it was largely a brutal arm-wrestle between two sides desperate for bragging rights.

So much so, was just 5-all at half-time and then 10-all not long into the second half, before the Lions ran away with the round 12 clash, scoring four tries in the final 15 minutes to secure the 28-point win.

"The scoreline maybe didn't reflect how tough and close the game was but I think it did reflect Orange City's performance, they really were very good. They stuck at it and got the reward in the end," Ringland said, his side remains six points clear on top of the ladder though.

"We're not looking to minor premierships or anything like that. I don't like using the cliches but it is week-to-week for us and we'll just keep trying to improve."

Emus had the better of the opening stages but it was the Lions who opened the scoring seven minutes in, Kukla finding space down the right edge and going 50 metres untouched against the run of play.

The greens hit back through Poihakena-Jackson just three minutes later and with neither side converting or able to cross again, the traditional rivals went into the break deadlocked at 5-all.

Toberty, Emus' No.8, barged over straight after the break from a penalty to give his side the lead for the first time but they didn't hold it for long, Nixon stormed over from close range after a slick passage from the Lions' outside men.

WATCH: Orange City's Tama Nixon barges over after a slick backline movement...

Again neither was converted and the clash remained deadlocked, this time at 10-all, before the Lions started their rampage in the dying stages.

Kuklas's second half brace came either side of a Tremain five-pointer, the latter knocking over one conversion while Hayden Buesnel kicked another to push Orange City's lead to 21.

That became 28 after Kukla broke free and, with his fourth try looming, decided to dish it off to the supporting Jamie Adams to score on full-time, Buesnel's conversion capping a magnificent win.

"It was a good win. Both sides had their representative players out the last time we played so it was good to see where we're both at once everyone is back," Ward said.

"Emus played really well I think we just outlasted them a little bit, no doubt both sides will be better come finals time, we're looking forward to that."