New-look Bears eyeing return to finals

By Bransen Gibson

Mar 24, 2023

FAST FACTS

JOINED LEAGUE: 1894 NICKNAME: BEARS HOME GROUND: DEAKIN RESERVE CO-COACHES: TED LINDON AND XAVIER STEVENSON PRESIDENT: BRENDAN BICKNELL PREMIERSHIPS: 1899, 1903, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1925, 1929, 1934, 1952, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2018 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: E. JAMES (1935-37), J. DALGLEISH (1960), D. CODE (1980-81), G. REESE (1982 JOINT), S. ASH (2000, 2003 JOINT), M. BYERS (2005), N. ROKAHR (2018 JOINT) 2022 FINISH: NINTH (5-13) 2022 BEST-AND-FAIREST: TED LINDON 2022 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ANTHONY ANDRONACO (30)

Shepparton will be looking to claw its way back into the Goulburn Valley League’s top six this year and it will be relying on a new-look line-up to do so.

The Bears have added a host of players to their squad, with some new names joining the club and some familiar faces returning.

Xavier Stevenson a 2018 premiership player returns to the club from Tungamah, joining as the co-coach alongside Ted Lindon.

“I'm obviously really excited by the prospect of coaching Shepparton and to do so with a really close mate of mine in Ted is super exciting as well,” Stevenson said.

“We don't really have a ceiling of what we hope to achieve. But we have definitely put on the agenda that we want to play finals football, and we have no apologies around that.”

Hamish Rowlands Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Jonty Wardle — another member of Shepparton’s 2018 flag side — will also rejoin the Bears this season, with Trent Herbert and Brady Black also arriving from Katandra.

Four Tigers have changed their stripes as well, with Cobram quartet Izac Artavilla, Adam De Cicco, Tyron Baden and Lewis McShane joining from last year’s Murray league grand finalists.

Despite all the new pieces, Stevenson said he was expecting Shepparton’s new-look team to hit the ground running.

“We're really lucky with the people that we have recruited that they've either been really strong players within respective leagues, or even really strong players when they previously were in the GVFL,” Stevenson said.

“Jonty is a premiership player at Shepp Bears already, Trent Herbert has played over 50 games at the GVFL level, and even in terms of the Cobram boys, there are numerous interleague representatives and were pretty dominant players in the Murray league last year.”

PLAYER CHANGES

INS: Izac Artavilla (Cobram), Adam De Cicco (Cobram), Tyron Baden (Cobram), Lewis McShane (Cobram), Trent Herbert (Katandra), Brady Black (Katandra), Jonty Wardle (Katandra), Xavier Stevenson (Tungamah), Jhett Cooper (Tungamah), Kane Thompson (Dookie United), Timothy Miles (Murchison-Toolamba)

OUTS: Jordan Cox (Beenleigh)

FINISHING RANGE: 4TH-8TH

Shepparton is one of the most intriguing teams in the GVL this season, having recruited heavily from lower leagues. They have brought in plenty of big names from the Murray league and Picola District league — if those players can make an impact at the next level the Bears are a fighting chance to return to finals football. If not, they will be watching the finals from the sidelines.