The Murray Bushrangers welcomed Calder Cannons to Norm Minns Oval in Wangaratta for the final home-and-away round of the Talent League, and a raft of young guns were keen to impress.
Shepparton United’s Tanner Armstrong, fresh off a VFL debut with Richmond, took best-on-ground honours for the Bushies with a busy 39 disposals on his return, while young Bears’ gun Lincoln Brand continued his hot run of form with 35 and nine marks.
However, their efforts went in vain against a rampant Cannons outfit, which fired off eight goals to two in the first quarter to set up an eventual 17.9 (111) to 9.13 (67) win.
Shepparton’s Angus Williams (17 disposals, five tackles) and Alex Whitlock (18 disposals and a goal) also impressed in the loss.
The loss sees the Bushies finish the home-and-away season in 17 th with a 1-13-1 record for the 2026 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Bushranger girls battled gallantly before succumbing to Calder.
Only seven points separated the two teams at quarter-time, but Calder managed to keep the Bushies scoreless in the second quarter to take a handy 28-point lead into half-time.
It was enough to lay the groundwork for a 33-point win, though Shepparton United’s Ashanti Walker played well to earn a mention in the Bushies’ best players and help guide the Bushrangers to a 12th-place finish on the back of their 6-8 record.
