Sport

McMahon Shield is back

By Oliver Shedden

Oct 9, 2025

Echuca will be the hunted in the 2025-26 McMahon Shield season after defeating Rochester in the grand final last summer. Photo: Bruce Povey. Photo by Bruce Povey

With football and netball in the rearview mirror, all eyes now turn to the bat and ball as Goulburn Murray Cricket’s McMahon Shield gets under way on Saturday, October 11.

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At the end of last season, the GMC allowed the clubs to vote on whether the A-grade competition should move to an exclusively one-day format — with the motion passed.

As such, there will no longer be two-day matches, something that many clubs believe levels the playing field.

Four-time reigning champions Echuca will begin their title defence against competition superstar Regis Chakabva and Bamawm-Lockington United at Bamawm Recreation Reserve.

Fellow grand finalist Rochester will look to go one better this summer and will begin its quest to return to the big dance against Tongala at Windridge Oval.

With the addition of young gun bat Kobyn James, Moama is confident it can go all the way this season and will be half of perhaps the most tantalising game of round one, facing fellow 2024-25 semi-finalist Kyabram Fire Brigade at Northern Oval.

After missing the finals last season, both Echuca South and Leitchville-Gunbower will look to get on the front foot on Saturday at Echuca South Recreation Reserve.

Last season’s wooden-spooner Nondies-Cohuna will get an extra week of training under its belt with the bye before opening its campaign against Tongala at Tongala Recreation reserve in round two.

All games for round one are slated for an 11am start.