GVL | Echuca powers through to grand final

Echuca booted seven of the first eight goals for the match, and its hot start laid the platform for a convincing 18.18 (126) to 8.4 (52) demolition as Ruory Kirkby ran rampant with six goals.

More importantly, the win allows the Murray Bombers an opportunity to clinch its first senior football flag since 2002 and rectify the heartbreak of its 2019 grand final defeat to Kyabram.

For co-coach Simon Maddox, relief was the word that sprang to mind post-game.

“It’s probably relief more than anything,” Maddox said.

“You come hoping to play your best footy, confident you’ll play your best footy. When you come and do that, that’s probably where the relief stems from.

“Barring our conversion on goal, I thought we executed all other elements of our game really well. I thought our press was really good and I thought we won the midfield battle.”

In a sunny start in the High Country, Echuca shined brightest.

Angus Byrne snagged two early goals for the Murray Bombers to open proceedings, before Euroa’s Lachlan Hill converted Euroa’s first major.

Kirkby’s first of the day opened up an early advantage before Jack Evans and Matt Lias rounded out a five-goal opening quarter to see Echuca leading by 30 points at the first change.

That was extended to 42 points early in the second term with Lias and Will Monahan finding the goals, although replies from Nathan Stewart and Jett Trotter ensured the Magpies kept in touch at half-time.

Kirkby’s second goal of the day stretched the lead out to 38 points, but Trotter once again struck back as tempers flared around the ground.

Late strikes to Trotter and Harrison Jarvie saw Euroa close the gap to 35 points, but a seven-goal final quarter rounded out a superb performance for the men in green, whose transition football proved near unstoppable.

It is the second final Echuca has won by 10 or more goals following its dominant display over Mansfield last week.

“We’ve had bigger wins, but when you’re playing Euroa in a semi-final a long way from home, it probably was (Echuca’s best game of the season),” Maddox said.

“We knew we were coming home from the scoring end. We’re pretty fit, so we know we can finish off games strong.

“Given it was a five-goal difference, if two goals go back the other way all of a sudden it’s back to 18 points.

“It was important we kept that breathing space, and not only did we do that but we opened it up in the last quarter.”

Ben Reid, Angus Byrne and Kirkby were the standouts for Echuca, but Maddox was quick to praise the “unsung heroes” of the side.

“I thought Ben Reid down back gave us voice, leadership and drive all day. Kirkby ended up kicking six, he had a good day,” Maddox said.

“We have a few unsung heroes. Cooper Barber just put pressure on in the forward line, (Matt) Lias, (Riley) Smith and Jack Evans didn’t stop running all day. It was a really good team effort.”

But as the lead-up to the September 25 grand final begins, one talking point will be Jack McHale’s third quarter bump on Max Gleeson, one that looks poised to draw the scrutiny of the GVL tribunal.

McHale served a two-week suspension earlier in the season following an incident against Euroa in round 13.

Despite the incident, Maddox praised his side’s otherwise level heads in what has proved to be a series of fierce encounters with the Magpies this season.

“I really praised our maturity after the game,” Maddox said.

“(The Magpies) are a side that can be pretty hostile to play the way they go about it, and when you’re in front in that last quarter, you don’t want anything silly.

“I was really pleased with our maturity and the way we handled a few spot fires. Twelve months ago, those kind of things may have ruffled our feathers.”

For Echuca, it’s a grand final three years in the making as COVID-19 put paid to any chance of a premiership dash since the club’s 22-point defeat in the 2019 decider.

“We lost to Ky — that was the last grand final we were in and we never really fired a shot,” Maddox said.

“We were never too far away, but we never challenged them. We haven’t had that opportunity for redemption until now.

“For a lot of our guys that played in that grand final, it’s been a long wait with COVID to hopefully get what we deserve.

“Three years counts for nothing. It all comes down to what happens on that day. There have been plenty of sides that have earned and deserved that haven’t achieved.

“For us, the next two hours we play will be the biggest two hours of a lot of these guys’ lives.

“It will be big for us because we’ve been at the top for so long but haven’t put any silverware away. We’ll get our opportunity now.”

Euroa will now face either Mansfield or Mooroopna for another crack at Echuca on grand final day, with the Eagles and Cats facing off in a do-or-die semi-final.