GVL | Echuca cruises past gallant Bears

Despite a tight opening stanza, Echuca extended a 13-point quarter-time lead to 31 at half-time.

The full quality of the Murray Bombers came to the fore in the third quarter, piling on six goals to two.

Echuca proceeded to restrict the Bears to four behinds in the final term to put the game to bed.

Tenace, in his first game back after a five-week hamstring injury, was dominant down forward in tandem with Daniel Willis (four goals) and Ruory Kirkby (three).

Jordan McGregor, Rhiley Lau, and Jed Warrin led the Bears’ resistance alongside Anthony Andronaco, who booted two goals.

It was a far cry from Shepparton’s 156-point capitulation to Echuca in round six, and Murray Bombers coach Simon Maddox said the scoreboard didn’t reflect the Bears’ pressure game.

“We didn’t reach any huge heights,” Maddox said.

“Credit where credit’s due, the scoreboard doesn’t really reflect the pressure Shepparton put us under.

“To walk away with an 80-point win is really pleasing.”

With finals on the horizon, Maddox said it was pleasing to see a raft of returning players afforded the opportunity to blow out the cobwebs, including mercurial midfielder Jack McHale.

“That was really pleasing for Liam to come back and get straight amongst it,” he said.

“He was our most dominant forward on the ground.

“There was a good spread of midfielders and it was good to get Jack McHale back in. He looked a bit rusty, obviously not playing for four weeks.

“The guys who have missed through injury and byes looked a bit rusty so it was good for them to get out there and knock a bit of that rust out.”

Jack Evans and Jackson Stewart were prominent on each wing for Echuca, while Logan Prout’s excellent season down back continued.

The result means Echuca retains ownership of an 18-game winning streak that stretches back to June 2021.

It also means that Echuca has all but wrapped up the GVL minor premiership, still two games clear of Mansfield in second with games against Shepparton United and Mooroopna to come.

A win against the Demons at Victoria Park this Saturday will clinch it, and Maddox said the Murray Bombers could grow stronger still as they chased their first senior flag since 2002.

“We’ve still got four or five to come back,” he said.

“It’s creating really good competition for spots. There’s probably a few blokes in the Reserves who are stiff not to play senior footy.

“That depth is exactly what you want heading into finals.”