Euroa served up a well-cooked dish of humble pie to observers and writers alike throughout the region in a monumental Goulburn Valley Playing Area Allan Matheson Shield victory over Tallygaroopna.
From now on, it’s competition beware — two rounds remain in the region’s premier weekend pennant, and almost nothing is mathematically secured.
There remains a chance, in fact, that this could still be the case even after Saturday’s play with five alive in the race for finals.
Sure enough, the three sides which are ruled out of the top four race at this stage — Euroa, Mooroopna and East Shepparton — all tangle with sides jostling for spots ahead of the knockout phase.
Of course, you’d be unwise to consider these results foregone, given recent history.
Of the three, East Shepparton likely has the most on its plate with a home encounter looming against cross-town rivals Shepparton Golf.
The favoured Golfers took the chocolates handily in the reverse fixture — indeed, all four sides going in as favourites this weekend did so last time out — but in spite of last weekend’s upset, there’s still a fair degree of ground to make up in two rounds.
Sure, you technically don’t get anything extra for having topped the table rather than finishing second, but the blue and gold would do well to officially shut the mathematical door on third-placed Shepparton Park, currently sitting 20 points back.
Park appears significantly likely to wind up mathematically stranded heading into the final round, hard-locked to that bronze spot, and will do battle with Mooroopna at Kialla Park Reserve in hopes of at least ensuring third is the floor.
As it currently stands, 20 is the gap to Golf in second and also the gap to Kyabram in fourth.
Those Bombers will have a fight on their hands of the utmost seriousness, with precious little wiggle room in the race for fourth and a no-doubt enormously motivated Tallygaroopna coming to town this weekend.
The ladder-leaders still have the chance to lock top spot away with time to spare, but there will be no room for complacency whatsoever.
Finally, Tatura Hill Top seeks to take advantage of whatever damage Tallygaroopna may be able to inflict on Kyabram’s finals hopes with a road trip to Euroa.
Beyond the greens, though, it’s always good to get insight from an administrator, and that was what we received when Stephen McGregor of the Goulburn Murray Bowls Region joined After the Jack this week.
McGregor, his long stay within the game emerging from beginnings at Seymour-area clubs, addressed discussion around the idea of other centrally located teams, the likes of Eildon and Alexandra, potentially moving away from the GVPA.
“I can categorically deny that that will happen. They’ve got nowhere to go,” McGregor said.
“Their next step would either be the Ovens and Murray, which is a hell of a trip, or more towards the eastern ranges in Melbourne.
“I spoke to those three clubs and they’re more than happy to stay in the Goulburn Valley and do the travel they have to do; however, they do appreciate that it is a difficult trip for a lot of clubs with the age of their members.
“There is a thought that we may revert back to a conference system. We are looking at investigating in that.
“If we go back to a conference system... let’s give it a go and see what happens.”
29°C