Shepparton extended its purple patch during the infancy of the 2026 Goulburn Valley League season with a gutsy 17-point victory on the road at Mooroopna.
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Coming off the back of successive wins over Shepparton United and Seymour in previous weeks, the visitors had reasons to be optimistic about their chances of coming away with the spoils.
However, the Bears had to labour for the victory in their closest-fought win of the term - prevailing 8.16 (64) to 7.5 (47).
The Bears set up the victory with a dominant opening quarter, kicking 6.7 to Mooroopna’s 1.2 to take a commanding lead into the first break.
That said, Mooroopna responded well in the second term, lifting its intensity around the ball and beginning to find more control through the midfield.
The Cats worked their way back into the contest with a four-goal quarter, with Jack Osborne leading the charge in attack, while William Emanuelli and Liam Betson also found themselves amongst the goals.
Goals to Trent Herbert and Adam DeCicco helped maintain a buffer, ensuring the Bears took a 13-point lead into half time after a more even second quarter.
The third term developed into a tight, contested battle, with both sides struggling to convert opportunities in front of goal.
Shepparton managed only behinds for the quarter, but its defensive pressure ensured Mooroopna was also restricted, allowing the visitors to maintain control heading into the final change.
A steadying goal midway through the final term helped halt Mooroopna’s momentum, and although the home side continued to fight the game out with late majors, Shepparton remained in control to secure a hard-fought 17-point victory.
Reflecting on a hard-fought battle, Shepparton co--coach Xavier Stevenson said his side was far from satisfied with its overall performance, describing it as patchy despite the result.
“We're obviously really pleased to be three from three, we know it's hard to come by wins this season — it's a really well-rounded competition,” Stevenson said.
“We still feel like we're well and truly a work in progress and we probably didn't play the game on our terms. Credit to Mooroopna because they were able to stop and stem a lot of our ball movement and how we want to play.
“There were also some things that I felt we shot ourselves in the foot with as well, but to be three from three — we're obviously going to take that and run.”
The Bears’ fast start ultimately proved the difference in this contest, with their six-goal opening quarter creating a buffer that Mooroopna was unable to fully overcome despite a strong response after quarter time.
The result sees Shepparton extend its unbeaten start to the season, leaving the Bears level on points with early league frontrunners Echuca.
However, Stevenson is very much aware that his side still has room for improvement in terms of consistently dictating play throughout before next week’s clash with Shepparton Swans.
Stevenson said his side was well aware of Mooroopna’s strengths heading into the contest, particularly around stoppages and ball control, but he felt that his charges struggled to play the game on their own terms at points.
“We knew we had to be strong in the contest and we wanted to shut down that control game — we did that at times but we were still a little bit patchy,” he said.
“I feel like we let them have the game on their terms a little bit too much, even in the first quarter when we did play well but certainly after that.
“The contest was a bit of a slog, but where we were able to gain some ascendancy was in the clearance game. We were about plus-20 for clearances and that gave us a lot of forward-half territory and repeat inside 50s.
“We were a little bit wayward in front of goal as well, but we knew what to expect from them.
“They're always hard to play against and well-coached, with a lot of good individuals that play their role really well. So while there's things to work on, credit to Mooroopna as well.”