Echuca puts Bears on chain

The Murray Bombers stood tall and reaffirmed their championship pedigree against a Bears side that looked to challenge its throne come September.

Shepparton may have struck first, but the men in green dominated the first half, piling on 40 unanswered points to smother the Bears, entering quarter time 47-7.

After Echuca veteran Sam Reid was injured during the first term, Shepparton mounted a fight-back, producing its most productive stretch of the game, kicking five goals to stay in the hunt.

The Murray Bombers still led at the half-time siren, thanks in large part to strong offensive efforts by Jack Evans, Will Monahan and Riley Smith. They finished the half with a 38-point lead, 72-38.

Consistency was crucial for Echuca’s success. It clocked up the same tally, 25 points, in the third quarter as it did in the second.

The real difference came with its defensive efforts though.

It held Shepparton to 2.4 (16) in the third, snuffing out any potential momentum the Bears may have gained after a strong second quarter.

The Murray Bombers only further cemented their dominance in the final stanza, bagging five goals and three behinds in what ended up being a party at Victoria Park.

The Bears could only squeeze out a single goal in the fourth in a disappointing showing for the visitors, with the final score 20.10 (130) to 9.6 (60).

Despite missing nine of its 2023 grand final players, Echuca flexed its depth and strong youth development in round 10, particularly with young gun Will Rohde and 15-year-old debutant Cody Walker.

Walker, son of Carlton legend Andrew Walker, impressed in his first senior game, kicking a pair of goals and making important plays on both sides of the football.

This further demonstrated his potential to follow in his father’s footsteps as an AFL player of the future.

Coach Simon Maddox had high praise for all the youngsters who filled essential roles for the Murray Bombers and will now force selectors to make tough squad calls for the remainder of the season.

“Will Rohde played his first game for the year and played sensationally, and Harry Milburn was key down back; the young boys stood up,” he said.

“Cody is a special talent, no doubt about it; everyone knows it; if he was a racehorse, I’d imagine he’d go for a lot of money.

“His under-18s and Vic Country form has been sensational; he showed everyone today what he can do.

“He’s a couple years off being drafted yet, so you add a few more years of footy developing IQ and body size, and he’s going to become a truly special player.

“It was as good a first game as I’ve seen from anyone in a long time.”

Coach Maddox only had positive feedback for his men, describing their victory as the best football Echuca had played all season.

“I thought it was an amazing win; with how many we had out today, we made a pact on Thursday night that we were going to rip in, be physical and play our brand of footy,” he said.

“That’s the best win we’ve had this year. They came as the top side in the comp, and we were keen to make a statement even as a young team, and I think we did that today.

“It was just old-fashioned fundamentals, getting in first to the footy, nothing too pretty, just ‘heads down, bum up’, and I think we executed that well.”

The Murray Bombers have now moved to the top of the table, as they look to extend their lead against sixth-placed Kyabram in round 11.