Echuca has won the 2026 Goulburn Valley League grand final.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
The final say of the Goulburn Valley League grand final had to go to Echuca’s miracle man.
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Aiden Mills, denied a chance to compete in finals last year amid his brain cancer battle, made a fairytale move forward in the fading stages of the decider against Shepparton, soaring high and striking true to kick a goal and send the bottle green faithful into raptures.
His next shot came as the final siren sounded.
The dashing defender struck a second, and Echuca confirmed its status as one of the league’s greatest ever teams with a mammoth 81-point win, winning a fourth flag in five seasons.
It’s a remarkable feat considering they had played without a home ground for the entire 2026 season - their 150th one at that.
Before the Mills magic, AFL-bound Cody Walker ended his time at Echuca - for now - by following in his father Andrew’s footsteps in becoming a senior flag player at the club by the border, also snagging a major late in a fairytale ending to the season.
It was another massive margin but one of its most emotional wins.
But the Murray Bombers ecstasy was Shepparton’s agony once more.
Two years after falling to the GVL benchmark by 96 points, the Bears’ grand final day demons came to the fore, a dejected Shepparton outfit seeing history repeat in the biggest game of the season and a promising season fizzling out.
And from the first siren to the last, Echuca lived up to its favouritism by leading the whole 120 minutes.
On a pristine day at Deakin Reserve, All-Australian GWS star and Shepparton export Lachie Ash conducted the toss of the coin and successful Echuca co-captains Mitch Wales and Jack McHale chose the Skene St end to kick to.
But it was their co-coach who completely lit up the early going in the decider to set the tone for the day’s demolition.
Angus Byrne proved unstoppable in the early going in just his sixth game of the season, the bulking forward on the end of nearly every forward 50 entry to slot four opening quarter goals and signal the Murray Bombers’ intent.
Shepparton’s first score didn’t come until the 16-minute mark - a behind amid an Echuca barrage that eventually saw Sam Edgar, Jesse Touhey, and Darby Jones convert.
Mercurial midfielder Luke Smith finally broke through for the Bears with a check-side kick out of the pack, but in a flash Shepparton was already 34 points arrears.
And if it was a mountain to climb already, the peak just continued to rise.
Liam Gronow rebounded strongly from a big first-quarter hit with an accurate set shot to get Echuca out to 40 points, and the green wave of pressure saw the experienced Sam Reid notch his name in the goalscorers.
Lewis McShane, Luke Smith and Liam Duguid battled hard to wrestle back control, earning repeat opportunities but unable to capitalise as Shepparton hit a wayward six behinds.
Gronow’s second goal of the term was a deflating one, but Echuca was dealt a blow with Sam Reid’s day done with a leg injury that required him to be stretched off the ground.
He had been one of Echuca’s best to that point, but his work had already slammed one nail in the coffin of the Bears alongside Jack Evans, McHale - the half-time lead was 54 points after deadeye Byrne’s fifth goal of the day.
The first half been a smashing at the coalface for the Bears.
“We just lost clearances,” Shepparton co-coach Jason Wells said.
“I think at half-time, we were negative 14.
“We just haven't done that all year so we just lost our way around his footy.
“It wasn't just centre, it was stoppage experiences it was throw ins, you name it.”
Liam Duguid inspired a switch in momentum early in the third quarter alongside Morrison Medallist Ash Holland, booting the first goal.
But the Bears inaccuracy was its undoing, moving to 2.11 amid Echuca’s barrage.
Their transition play proved a bridge too much to quell and Jackson Stewart and Darby Jones proved the beneficiaries, kicking the Murray Bombers out to more than 10 goals.
Byrne’s case for best-on-ground honours improved further with his sixth major of the day, the contested marking machine presenting not just down forward around the ground in an unbeatable showing.
The party was already well underway for Echuca, but Byrne and co-coach Simon Maddox nonetheless wanted a full four-quarter performance.
They got it, with a six-goal final quarter sending the Murray Bombers to a 21.15 (141) to 8.12 (60) triumph that sent four-time premiership mentor Simon Maddox out on a high note.
The Bears had been served well by the GVL’s player of the finals recipient Luke Smith, Liam Duguid, and Ash Holland, but once more they were forced to watch Echuca unfurl the flag over the McDonald Stand railing.
Midfield workhorses McHale and the Evans - both Jack and Tom - had spearheaded a comprehensive midfield poleaxing and Liam Gronow finished with three goals.
But it was Byrne, finishing with six goals and vice-like hands, who walked away from Deakin Reserve with three medals around his neck: the AFL Victoria Country, Wilf Cox, and premiership medallion.
What else can you say - down by the Murray, one of the GVL’s finest ever teams will hang a fourth senior flag up in the rafters.
