Best Battles
Another edition of Best Battles is upon us, where McPherson Media Group sports journalists take a walk down memory lane and look at some cracking contests between sides meant to face-off at the weekend.
GOULBURN VALLEY LEAGUE
Tatura v Rochester
Round 15, 2019 at Moon Oval
Rochester 16.13 (109) d Tatura 13.7 (85)
Rochester’s season was on the line heading into this match.
A run of three straight losses, meant the Tigers were sitting outside the top six.
And with their backs against the wall, they delivered a big victory just days after it was announced James Flaherty would depart the club at the end of the season.
“The boys have given themselves the opportunity to play finals footy and now we have the chance to show just how hungry we are,” Flaherty said.
“It has been frustrating how inconsistent we’ve been, but I’m pleased with how we’ve continued to bounce back from the adversity we’ve faced.”
Rhys Free, Mitch Bright and Liam Bartels played a big role in the win, kicking 10 goals between them.
Shepparton v Shepparton Swans
Round 18, 2013 at Deakin Reserve
Shepparton Swans 33.11 (209) d Shepparton 5.5 (35)
If you were looking at the scores from Saturday’s footy and saw a 174-point thumping, you would expect to see a big bag from one forward, not two.
But in 2013, Swans forwards Daniel Campbell and Kaiden Antonowicz kicked nine goals each to heap further misery on the Bears who did not win a game all season.
While the pair dominated the contest, Swans coach Brett Warburton was pleased with an even display across the board.
‘‘I was really proud of that,’’ Warburton said.
‘‘Those games can blow out and you lose all your structure as people become too focused on getting themselves goals.
‘‘Daniel Campbell and Kaiden (Antonowicz) kicked nine each and that was fantastic, but the focus was always on the team.’’
The win also ensured the Swans returned to the finals following a three-year absence.
Kyabram v Echuca
Grand final, 2019 at Deakin Reserve
Kyabram 10.14 (74) d Echuca 7.10 (52)
Almost a year to the day from the end of the hottest streak in country football, Kyabram was once again on top of the mountain.
The club claimed its third flag in four years, completing its third undefeated season, and taking its four-year record to 83-1 with victory against Echuca.
Inaccurate kicking from both sides kept the scores lower than they perhaps should have been.
Jake Reeves, in what appears to be his final match with Kyabram, claimed his second Wilf Cox Medal as best-on-ground in the game in a match where he and opposing ruckman Kane Morris were named best for their respective sides.
Pat Wearden was also brilliant in claiming the AFL Victoria Country Medal, while Morrison Medallist Mick Mattingly was his typical best.
Young midfielders Darby Henderson and Noah Wheeler gave it their all, but despite getting the better of Ky in the final quarter, the gap between the two sides was simply too much, as it had been all year.
Echuca co-coach Simon Maddox said his side would be back.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board and hopefully we’ll come back and be back next year.”
Kyabram’s co-coach Paul Newman, having taken his team to yet another flag, could not speak highly enough of his team.
“I’ve been spoilt with the group of players, the support from them, good friends that have come back and helped like your Jake Reeves’ and what not. There’s plenty of heart and huge efforts across the four years.”
The season, and seemingly the coaching career of Kyabram’s favourite son Newman came to an end, with the best team in country football standing at the top of the mountain once again.
Shepparton United v Mooroopna
Grand final, 2011 at Deakin Reserve
Shepparton United 11.12 (78) d Mooroopna 9.9 (63)
Nothing fills out Deakin on grand final day quite like an all Shepparton grand final.
And when the Demons took on nearby neighbour Mooroopna, the locals were in for a treat.
At the end of that day, Shepparton United would have claimed back-to-back premierships in a match where the lead changed on four occasions after half-time.
For the tightness of the contest, the biggest difference in the battle was Nathan Gemmill.
Playing in his 10th grand final, and what would be his seventh career premiership, Gemmill begged his coach Marc Quarrell to move him from half-forward into the guts for the second half.
The decision would have Gemmill end the day with the Wilf Cox Medal around his neck.
United led by 19 points at half-time, before Mooroopna kicked 4.3 to United’s 0.2 in third to take the lead at the final break.
But United would come charging back to win by 15 points.
Tim Looby would boot three majors on the day, with Matt Forys and Matt Davies each kicking two.
Across the ground, former United junior and Melbourne star Adem Yze kicked two for the Cats, though suffered an injury that caused him to miss a great deal of the second half, as would teammate Blake Campbell.
Damien Yze, who went into the game with 86 goals to his name for the Cats, was blanketed by Dwain Vidler in one of the most important match-ups of the day.
Neither side would be there a year later, United losing to Seymour in the preliminary final and the Cats being eliminated in the opening week.
But the match will go down as one of the better grand finals in recent memory.
Euroa v Seymour
Round three, 2011 at Memorial Oval
Euroa 15.11 (101) drew Seymour 14.17 (101)
One of the great Anzac Day rivalries in the Goulburn Valley is certainly fierce combatants Euroa and Seymour.
In 2011 – on Easter Sunday the day before Anzac Day – the battle between the Magpies and Lions was bathed in drama as what looked like a one-point win to the home side at Memorial Oval as the final siren sounded turned into a draw after the scoreboard was corrected.
Seymour’s Blake Coyle had found himself running towards goal in the final minute of the match but sprayed his shot out of bounds on the full from 20 m out.
The Magpies had led by five goals at half-time, but with Jimmy Ivill, Brian Durbridge and Kasey Duncan out of action – leaving the side with no rotations – the Lions began to roar.
Dom Russo (four goals), Paul Colbert and Brett Spargo (three) starred for the visitors, while a young Jamie Elliott snared three majors for Euroa.
Mansfield v Benalla
Elimination final, 2018 at Kings Park
Mansfield 7.11 (53) d Benalla 6.14 (50)
In one of the Goulburn Valley League's more memorable recent finals, sixth-ranked Mansfield upset Benalla in 2018 to keep its season alive for another week.
In a thrilling encounter the Saints led at every change of ends, a miraculous final term from Brett Mahoney - that included two of his three goals for the day - carried the Eagles to a famous heist, winning the epic by three points.
Along with Mahoney, Ben Fagan (two goals), Jimmy Herridge and Brant Anselmi starred for the Eagles, while Sam Martyn, Charlie Morrison and former coach Luke Morgan were best for Benalla.
On his magical winning goal in which he left a plethora of defenders red-faced, Mahoney said he was just glad to help his team across the line.
‘‘You’ve just got to make the most of your opportunities,’’ he said.‘‘I’m not sure how many shots at goal we had, but we really had to make the most of them, especially in the finals — I’m just glad it went through.’’