Echuca stuns Shepparton late on in pulsating Goulburn Valley League qualifying final

But the manner in which the Murray Bombers prised victory from the jaws of defeat and changed the game’s course so late when Shepparton seemed primed for the win was the most shocking of all.

Up against a Bears unit that has exceeded expectations tenfold in 2024, Echuca looked a shade of its usual hulking self during the first quarter as Shepparton bowled six majors through in the first quarter.

But as top teams do, the Murray Bombers ripped and tore in the dying embers at Tatura Park in Saturday’s high-stakes qualifying final to score a 12.16 (88) to 8.5 (53) triumph.

“I’m really pleased; we said after the game that when you’re sitting on the highway at 110 and everything’s going easy, of course you can play good footy – most sides can,” Echuca co-coach Simon Maddox said.

“But when the chips are down and things aren’t going your way, you miss some easy goals and you feel like the world is against you, that takes a bit of character to be able to stick to what we know works.

“And, to the boys’ credit, they did it and we came out in front at the end.”

Hundreds spilled through the gates at Tatura Park expecting an epic.

By gosh did they get it.

Shepparton had a Vesuvius-esque explosion in the first term, shelling six goals to Echuca’s meagre two behinds as Connor Fleming, Zac Metcalf, Luke Smith and co barrelled the Bears to a fleeting lead thanks to a healthy backwind.

In the second quarter, Cooper Willoughby contributed Echuca’s first of the game more than half an hour from the first bounce before Jack McHale had his say to drag the margin back to 23 points.

One goal apiece in the late stages before half-time still had Shepparton ahead by 19, but the wheels began to spin for the Murray Bombers after the big break.

A cagey first 15 minutes to begin the third term boiled over when four consecutive free kicks landed the ball in Liam Tenace’s lap — and he did not need another invitation.

Here, Echuca smelled blood.

Brilliant Bear Smith reignited the fuse with a snap from out in front and gave it the double cobras to boot, but the Murray Bombers, despite missing a slew of late shots against the gust, were back in the game.

“We actually spoke about it at half-time about not being frightened of the wind and letting it dictate how we played football, Maddox said.

“Obviously it was hard to score at one end, but if we just changed a couple of things, were a bit smarter with our ball use and when the time was right, put the foot down and went, and that’s what I thought we did.

“Even though in the last quarter we piled on the goals, I actually thought the third quarter was our best quarter.”

If the third quarter was for Maddox, the last was for the fans in green.

Echuca was knocking on Shepparton’s door something fierce for the first 10 minutes, but the Bears’ backline, led by a valiant Ted Lindon, refused to budge.

The rushing waves of pressure eventually cracked Shepparton’s dam as Tenace converted off another free and that fissure then ballooned when Daniel Willis displayed brute strength with two men on him, crafting a bobbling kick on the fall to bring it back to one point.

Then along came Kane Morris.

Playing his 150 senior game in Echuca green, Morris arrived with a ridiculous go-ahead goal, tapping it out of the ruck straight onto his boot and through to hand the Murray Bombers their first lead of the game.

Minutes later, a slip in the goalsquare gifted Morris another as he soccered it home to a furious board-banging celebration by him and his mates up forward.

As the game ticked into red time, Willis and Riley Smith killed the contest with a major each before Sam Reid reached back and pulled out the party piece, slotting from 50 on the angle with less than a minute left.

And that was that: game, set, match.

Maddox made a special point of lauding Morris on his 150th game — which now entitles him to life membership of Echuca Football Netball Club — while keeping both eyes on the task ahead.

“We make a real point of 100 games, 150 games, we ask the boys to give a lot to our footy club and when it’s our turn to repay them in a small way, that’s probably what I’m proudest of,” he said.

“The big fella goes into that category now with a will he’ll always remember – that was the most pleasing aspect.

“Credit to Shepp, they came red-hot and ready to go.

“They’ve been the best or second best side all year with us, so we’re expecting them to come back pretty hard and we’re the same.”