Gallery | Shepparton sits atop Goulburn Valley League ladder after Benalla bashing

Having impressed internally last season, the unheralded McShane has made a fast start to the 2025 Goulburn Valley League season and continued his hot form against Benalla in round two.

McShane (six majors) and his gang of fellow goal-kicking gunslingers Luke Smith (five) and Rhiley Lau (three) were at their deadly and dastardly best.

To start the game the Saints matched Saturday’s temperature and brought the heat to the travelling Bears.

However, it didn’t take long for last year’s grand finalists to assume control and take a 9-33 lead into the first change of ends.

Shepparton co-playing coach Ted Lindon said his players’ ability to pressure their opposition was one of the Bears’ great strengths.

“Our high pressure allows our turnover game to get rolling and when you are on turnover game the field is unscripted ahead of the footy, so you are often able to get more threatening ball movement,” Lindon said.

“Connor Fleming and Liam Duguid ... Zaydan Leocata, he didn’t play today, but some of those lads are putting on huge pressure for us forward of the footy and sometimes it doesn’t result in their own possession or stat, but we don’t care, they have been great.”

Benalla’s Jordan Wolff (two goals) was a standout for the Saints as he was swung back and forth to either end of the ground to plug holes.

Shepparton key defensive duo Lindon and Bryce Stephenson were dominant over their talented, but young opposition Tyler McGregor and Nathan Wright.

Benalla coach Jarrad Waite would have been impressed with how his two young key charges fought it out as Wright finished with four goals, while McGregor showed his football nous and composure at times throughout the match.

The ruck battle between 2024 Morrison medallist Ash Holland and Benalla’s Mark Marriott was an intriguing one, with both titans slogging it out all day.

Holland took the chocolates in the end after providing some elite first use to the likes of Adam De Cicco and Xavier Stevenson.

Shepparton ruck understudy Zac Metcalf also stood tall, battling hard against Marriott.

Lindon said developing tall players such as Metcalf was a slow burn.

“(Metcalf) has been great, he has probably been a steady incline from 2022 when he debuted as a kid really,” he said.

“He is 19-20 now with 20-25 senior games under his belt.

“He is needs-based for us as that second ruck to give Ash a chop out, so it is pleasing to see him come along leaps and bounds in that area.”

Arguably best-on-ground and a star that’s on the rise is the headband on wheels for Shepparton.

Jake Watts has gone to another level in 2025 and Lindon believes he is primed for a shot in the VFL if a club gives him a chance.

“From someone who has watched (Watts) over the last two or three years he is certainly equipped for the step up, he just needs the opportunity,” he said.

“(VFL clubs) would be very silly if they didn’t come knocking.”

After half-time, play restarted with the scores sitting 23-68 and this was when the likes of Smith and McShane got to work in their forward half.

Smith in particular was electric during the third term, booting four goals.

Meanwhile, if new head-honcho of the Bears’ attack McShane had kicked straight earlier in the match his tally of six could have been pushing towards double figures.

Benalla continued to show a willingness to pressure, but the professionalism of Shepparton can’t be understated.

The Bears cruised to the finish line and ran out 87-point winners, 10.11 (71) to 24.14 (158) in front of a decent turnout at Benalla.

Shepparton has a relatively clean bill of health heading into Friday’s derby against Shepparton United, with key forward Trent Herbert in the mix to return, while winger Tanner Madigan didn’t feature after half-time on Saturday with a leg issue.

Benalla faces another tough task this weekend when it travels to take on Kyabram.