Eagles claim stirring victory in front of premiership heroes

And clinch it it did, dominating proceedings in the second half to claim the 12.4 (76) to 8.4 (52) win over Cobram.

The Eagles lost the first two quarters, although each by only a point, to trail 4.1 (25) to 4.3 (27) at the half, with an intense affair shaping up for a cracking finale.

As the sides came out after half-time, the occasion became even bigger with captain James Harney slotting goal number five for the match, bringing up his 100th major for the season, sparking wild celebrations from the United faithful.

Spurred on by the moment, the Eagles slotted five goals to two for the term, entering the final change with a 17-point advantage.

There would be no stopping the home side, winning the final term to emerge victorious by 24 points.

“It was really impressive actually, it was just what we really had been trying to do for a long time, and the last two weeks we’ve actually strung together four quarters,” Echuca United coach Farran Priest said.

“I was saying to the players after the game it’s actually really exciting, but disappointing at the same time, because if we were to hold that for the whole season, the season would have been different for us.

“But yesterday was unreal, we played for four quarters, our pressure and effort, the two things we pride ourselves on, was right up there, and obviously with Jimmy Harney kicking his 100th, it was special.”

The difference between the Eagles and Tigers at the weekend was not skill, but effort, according to Priest, with his young players committing fully to the pressure aspect of the game.

“Just our tackling pressure,” he said when asked where the Eagles got on top.

“We love to suck the life out of it and hunt and hunt and hunt.

“That was the most impressive part, which is something we do really well anyway, but yesterday it stood out, we never gave up, we created turnovers by adding the pressure on.

“There was a comment last night, that they are just a bunch of young kids that have a crack.

“We have a no frills (way of going) about it, it’s just on the back of effort, and that’s what we were really impressed with.”

Priest, who played a starring role in the premiership side that was celebrating the reunion on the sidelines, was overjoyed with the fact his old teammates were able to witness what was being built at ‘The Nest’.

“When the siren went, I was extremely proud,” he said.

“I think it’s probably the word I use about our squad consistently, because I am.

“They are a young team, we average probably 17, 18, 19-year-old kids in there, and with the added pressure of yesterday with the bigger crowd, it created a really good atmosphere, and the boys thrived on it.

“It was actually really good, and it was good for the older boys who were part of the 10-year reunion to come back and see what we’re trying to do, and they all said the same thing, everyone is quite young.

“You wouldn’t have noticed it given how they played, they get in there and have a dip, it was a great day.”

Despite finishing 10th and not playing finals, Priest considers the season a success, with the stated aim from earlier in the year being achieved.

“We always wanted to double our wins from last year, I mean three obviously wasn’t good enough, but we knew what we were building off,” he said.

“At the start of the year we sat down, we wanted to get six to eight wins, and I thought that was very gettable, and at times eight probably was gettable, but we got six, which is really good.

“I think it was nine games we got beaten by 100 points last year, and I think this year the biggest defeat was 60 something points.

“So it’s in your face, sticking out at you the growth of this group, and going into next year I hope we keep the squad together and keep adding to it, turn that six into 10, and hopefully that plays finals.”