Shepparton bolts out of the gates after half-time to rip Rochester apart in GVL action

The Bears well and truly got the wheels turning after half-time in the round three Goulburn Valley League bout, kicking 10.8 to Rochester’s 5.4 to run out 14.12 (96) to 7.9 (50) victors.

Shepparton has the momentum flowing with 12 points from a possible 12 and the “bus” keeps hurtling towards top gear.

The Bears were hungry at the source — ravenous, even — as time ticked by, with the side’s midfield mavericks constantly picking out their forwards in acres of space.

Upon reflection of the match, Lindon highlighted the third quarter in particular, pinpointing the post-break passage as key to Shepparton’s cascading win as his side stays undefeated.

“That first half didn’t look the way we absolutely wanted it to look and that’s fine — they wanted to repeat stoppage and (keep it) a real bullocking affair,” he said.

“But our ability to comprehend a new message at half-time; we said to get it surging forward at stoppages and that third quarter was pleasing.

“I would argue in that third quarter, all our percentage score sources were all from at the source, surging it forward. It would’ve been zero per cent from back-half ball movement.

“Different ways to hit the scoreboard is pleasing. That game didn’t look like some of the games we’ve had previously and that’s fine — we found a way to win.”

Joel Brett went straight down the iron sights three minutes into the match as the Bears were all over Rochester like a rash, rendering the Tigers’ hopeful wide kicking ineffective during a stoppage-heavy first 10.

Sean Williams levelled proceedings for Rochester late in the first quarter, but seconds before the siren, Lewis McShane pounced on the crumbs from a goalsquare scramble and handballed to Jhett Cooper who couldn’t miss the target.

The cagey trend continued through the second term as the visitors were served helpings of misfortune — two pings off the post — and at the main break, Shepparton led by 11 points.

Cue the chaos.

Anthony Andronaco set the tone with an astonishing chase down tackle which resulted in a goal less than 60 seconds into the third quarter, then Rochester produced an immediate reply at the Harold St end.

Brett proved to be the Bears’ silent assassin with a treble of goals to kick Shepparton out to a seven-goal buffer, all stemming through hard-nosed work at the source with crafty and unassuming entries resulting in well-taken majors.

Tigers tall Mitch Cricelli was nullified all game and, though Dylan Gordon threw his body around in the guts for Rochester, Shepparton was simply better.

Luke Smith capped the game late with a salivating candy sell and low dribbled kick home for a goal you could hang on your mantlepiece, icing a sweet day on the job for Shepparton.

“We talked about keeping the mantle of the number one pressure side — we’re the number one pressure side in the comp — and I think we did justice to that today,” Bears co-coach Xavier Stevenson said.

“Some of our body-ball efforts when we had to come up and influence the contest was fantastic.

“(The) forwards (were) terrific, mids around the source were fantastic, defenders didn’t give an inch.

“Let’s keep that title throughout the year and really pride ourselves on that.”

Smith and Brett ended with four majors each for Shepparton, while Adam De Cicco and Liam Duguid were two of the Bears’ best.

Gordon was Rochester’s shining light on a dull day for the Tigers and Williams led the line in front of the sticks with three goals.