GVL preview | Echuca's play to stay on top in GVL

Ash Byrne, the man at the helm of the Goulburn Valley Football League’s champion club of 2021, expects that having everything in place off the field will again influence the on-field results of his club.

At the end of an interrupted netball and football season the Echuca president said when the club looked back on the season — while pleased with its performance — there wasn’t any celebrating its status on top of five Goulburn Valley League netball and football ladders.

He said the club would reload in 2022 and was looking forward to playing finals football in September.

The club will offically launch its season at a sponsor event on March 25 at the American Hotel.

The next day it will play its second, and last, practice match, against Bendigo league powerhouse Eaglehawk, on March 26, at Victoria Park.

“We play Wangaratta on March 19 and then Eaglehawk,” Byrne said.

“The seasons starts on April 9 when we play Rochester, at Rochester, which will be a cracking game.

“We expect the team will be pretty similar, there may be some kids that come into the side.”

Byrne is not ashamed to admit he is a huge fan of gun recruit Sam Reid, who will play his first game with brother Ben at senior level on April 9 against Rochester.

“From a football point of view the off-season has been positive, the addition of Sam Reid has been great,” Byrne said.

Ben Reid played juniors with Echuca, but has been away and back two or three times.

He won the best-and-fairest in 2016 and then played with Geelong VFL.

“He has a business in town and he and Danika are about to have their first baby,” Byrne said.

“Sam and Ben may have played together when they were little, but not as seniors.

“Sam’s leadership and his preparedness to work with the young blokes has been fantastic.

“I am looking forward to watching them and the team.”

Sam and his wife Elissa and son Elijah are now looking to buy a house in Echuca-Moama.

Aside from his enthusiasm for Sam Reid’s arrival, Byrne said there was significant excitement surrounding the youngsters on the playing list.

He said there was a dozen 18 to 21-year-olds who had all put on five or six kilograms, courtesy of the club’s gymnasium, ready to step up.

“The gym has been really well received by footballers and netballers and you can see the benefit,” Byrne said.

While the club’s leadership group is yet to be announced, captain of the past four years Kane Morris is expected to continue in the role.

“He was captain in Andrew and Simon’s first year and I can’t see that changing,” Byrne said.

“We expect the leadership group to be announced shortly.

“We are very lucky in that regard (leadership), both with the level of our young and older leaders.”

IN: Sam Reid (AFL).

OUT:

GAME CHANGER: SAM REID

Fresh off a 108-game AFL career with the Western Bulldogs and GWS, Sam Reid returns to his home-town Echuca Murray Bombers with premiership aspirations front of mind. Set to bring some extra polish to this already stacked line-up, Reid will slot in wherever coaches Simon Maddox and Andrew Walker require and send shivers through opposition players. A game changer in every sense of the word, fans across the region will love watching Reid go about his business.

FINISHING RANGE: 1ST-3RD

Claiming the minor premiership in 2021, Echuca rightly comes into the new season as one of the flag favourites. Stacked with talent right across the ground, the Murray Bombers will be determined to make up for the missed opportunity of last year’s cancelled finals series and bring the cup to Victoria Park.