Northern Victoria’s top competition in the sport will pick its league competition up with a bumper weekend of action across Anzac Day weekend, but clubs had the chance to renew festivities on a packed Sunday of League Cup affairs.
Clubs from each of the top two divisions did battle in and around Bendigo in a series of round of 16 games with the cup quarter-finals set for this weekend.
After a generally disappointing wind-up to the 2024 campaign, failing to reach the lofty heights of its competitive rivalry with pacesetting Tatura, Shepparton South had the first crack at new boy La Trobe University, promoted to division one this season.
The black and white McEwen Reserve natives were quick to snuff out any possibility of a fairytale start to life in the top flight on the La Trobe deck, though, finding repeat answers in the second half and running out to a 3-1 win.
New coach Luke Viney saw plenty of room for improvement having worked with a patched-together squad, but is bullish about South’s upside.
“We had some ressies players, who had just played 90 minutes, and some under-18s who had played and then travelled from Shepp to play with us,” Viney said.
“We set out with a game plan in mind, but I don’t feel we pulled it off to the fullest as going a goal down just into the second half wasn’t ideal.
“There are things we can still improve on and do better as a team, but once we’ve got our strongest side out, we’ll be out to push it all the way in the league and cup.
“We stepped up knowing we can do better and I think our experience outshone them, but they took us all the way.”
There was a rather stunning result elsewhere out west, however, as the Ibises entertained a grand final rematch against Eaglehawk at Truscott Reserve.
Though things started well enough for the three-time defending league champions through an 11th minute opener to the reliable Thomas Leech, Jesse Matthews’ equaliser shortly prior to the interval gave way to a frenzy in the second half.
Declan Cahill would put Eaglehawk in front just after the hour mark before a late Ewan Dawson double completed a gobsmacking 4-1 victory, leaving Tatura reeling ahead of its April 27 home league opener against Shepparton.
The other all-top flight clash on Sunday’s slate had Strathdale put five different names on the scoresheet in running riot at the expense of local rival Epsom, breezing into the quarters after a 5-1 win.
The remaining games between second-tier sides had Golden City overcome Border Raiders 4-2 and Swan Hill came off best after a 4-3 shootout encounter with Deniliquin Wanderers, while Shepparton advanced on a forfeit by Spring Gully.
