For the two years of the Walker/Maddox era, they have been setting themselves for a shot at a grand final.
Now, for the first time in 16 years, the moment is here.
“This is what we all play for,” co-coach Simon Maddox said.
“It's the aim of the game at the end of the day, you're there to make grand finals and to win premierships. There are a lot of great things you get out of football, but at the end of the day we are here to win flags.”
Echuca, in their best season of senior football since 2011, will line up on the Goulburn Valley League grand final day against the one of the best sides country football has ever seen in the Kyabram Bombers.
The Bombers, in the midst of an unprecedented 82-1 streak, are the one side who have not fallen to the men in bottle green in the 2019 season.
And beating them will be the biggest challenge many of these footballers have ever faced.
And while he is proud of his team's achievements, Maddox is well aware that there is still a mountain to climb.
“There is a sense of satisfaction, but the job isn't done,” he said.
“If you get beaten, you haven't done what you set out for.”
While Echuca has yet to slay the beast, they have gotten closer every time this year, including getting within three goals when the sides met in the qualifying final.
Maddox said while it was a confidence boost, the results were still key.
“Ky still won,” he said.
“You take a bit away and know you are on the right track against them. But they did what they needed to do. What we take away from every game is that our best is good enough, but we know we have to bring our best for the full game.
“We had a patch of 15 minutes in the qualifying final where we didn't play well and they won the game during it. That's our lesson, we can't have those lapses or we aren't going to win. If we can just do it for a bit longer, we are going to be right in this contest and be a real chance to win.”
Kyabram will enter the game as over whelming favourites on the back of their incredible four year run, but Maddox knows the game isn't decided on the past.
“It's just one game of football.”
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