Echuca is aiming to return to the Goulburn Valley League summit in 2026.
The Goulburn Valley League returns this long weekend with Echuca confident a strong younger list can return it to premiership glory in 2026.
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The Murray Bombers begin their pursuit for a fourth premiership in five years against Tatura on Saturday at Echuca South Recreation Reserve, predominantly hoping this season will bring about better luck after several injuries derailed much of its 2025 campaign.
A silver lining from last year’s circumstances could be a host of younger players being better off this season by gaining earlier senior exposure, now being complemented by more senior players returning to the fold.
Echuca coach Simon Maddox expects selection headaches with the improved depth, with recruits also entering the equation, Echuca bringing in Brad Hutchison, Jesse Tuohey, Hudson Moyle and Jordan Watkins in the off-season, while Jack Tenace has returned to the club.
Young Jessie Johnstone is another recruit from Tongala and the Bendigo Pioneers who Echuca will look to develop in its system, along with several other youngsters Maddox pointed out, including Hudson Kellett, Malik Gordon, Mitchell Bell, Makai Cronin, Lachlan Hogan, Harry Milburn and Jaxson McMinn.
Recruit Jessie Johnstone previously played for Tongala and the Bendigo Pioneers.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
The Murray Bombers are attempting to balance a premiership tilt with developing those young talents, the club wanting to ensure it can remain a contender for the next decade.
Maddox was bemused by pre-season ladder predictions, feeling critics may be thinking that the club is transitioning into a new era following recent success.
“A couple of people sent me through stuff that had us to finish fourth and fifth and those sort of spots, so I think they all think Echuca’s time is past, they had their time in the sun, they've won their premierships, a few of those guys are retired, a few of those guys have got injured,” he said.
“We're really comfortable with where we're at, we've been walking the journey all the way through, so we've been living through those injuries, we've been planning, we've been evolving, we've been getting games with the kids.”
The side will live through more adaptation to start the new season, with about 10 players not featuring this weekend who are still expected to return.
The full extent of the Echuca list is likely to be used throughout the season, as will also be the case for its travel, the Murray Bombers without their spiritual home of Victoria Park due to its ongoing redevelopment.
Echuca will be without its home this year as the Victoria Park precinct development continues to progress.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Echuca is set to play home matches across three venues this year, predominantly facing teams at Echuca South Recreation Reserve, but also hosting two matches each at Tongala and Moama.
Maddox admitted that using other venues was incomparable to being able to train at your own ground during the week, but he was clear that the relocation won’t be used as an excuse.
“You play on a foreign ground every second week, we still win when we play away, we win much more than we lose, so it's no different to playing away, or it's somewhere between playing away and at home, I guess,” he said.
“So you do get to play there every second week, you build up a bit of a feel for the ground, which we'll do, we'll try and make it our home ground as much as we can and try and get whatever advantage we can.”
Echuca’s first test at one of its temporary homes will be Tatura on Saturday.
Maddox believes Tatura has recruited well, with last season’s wooden spooner having brought in a host of new names in the off-season, the Bulldogs looking to upset the apple cart in round one.
Echuca will open its 2026 campaign against Tatura at Echuca South Recreation Reserve on Saturday, with the senior clash starting at 2pm.
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