Murray Bombers down Swans to claim a remarkable premiership four-peat

A magical start from Max Hagan on the run handed Echuca the first goal of the day and a Makai Cronin goal against the run of play helped it take a 12-point lead into the first break, the Swans goalless in the first term.

Cronin was again electric, earning a chase-down tackle and subsequent goal to get the Murray Bombers under way in the second.

The Swans responded with back-to-back goals through Joeve Cooper and Flynn Tonks before Fynn Hatfield snapped truly out of the pack to send the lead out to 13 points.

Ill discipline from Echuca resulted in a 50m penalty and goal to Swan Mitch Grumley.

Despite the Murray Bombers’ dominance they would have to be content with a one-goal lead at half-time.

After the main break a mindset change proved pivotal for Echuca, which piled on five unanswered goals in a match-defining period of footy.

A soccered goal out of the pack was Echuca’s first of the quarter and it could have been a healthier lead if a Will Rohde set-shot was not overturned after a fiery post-goal clash.

Will Poulton showed more restraint in his set shot celebration and launched Echuca 20 points clear of the Swans before Noah Langborne stepped up for a captain’s goal.

Rohde didn’t take long to make amends for his earlier blunder, setting Deakin Reserve alight by dodging two Swans defenders and kicking a running goal to put the first nail in the coffin for the Shepparton side.

Luke Stone then snapped truly in a tackle to push the lead past 40 points, leaving the Swans a mountain to climb for victory.

The mountain looked more like Everest after Stone booted his second goal within the first 40 seconds of the final term. Despite Kade Thomas’ quick reply, it was an Echuca procession.

Cronin booted two of Echuca’s five fourth-quarter goals to end his game on four for the game, a performance that would earn him the umpires’ vote for best-on-ground.

But it was Logan Orr’s dodging, weaving goal from the boundary line that put the exclamation point on a stellar performance from the Murray Bombers and will long be remembered, with Echuca running away a 14.11 (95) to 7.7 (49) victor.

Premiership coach Jayden Howe paid tribute to a “brilliant bunch of blokes” after the game.

“I feel so happy,” Howe said.

“I don’t want to say we deserved it, but far out, these boys have fought so hard this year, it’s hard to think they didn’t.

“They’re a brilliant bunch of blokes and they stood up. We knew it was going to be a tough game and a long game.

“We knew they might struggle in the last half because they had such a physical game last week.”

A 10-goal-to-four second-half laid the foundation of the victory and Howe said it was a change of mindset that sparked his troops into action.

“Our third quarter was amazing,” he said.

“To be honest, I felt in the second quarter we went to not wanting to lose as opposed to wanting to win.

“At half-time we looked at the stats and we were winning them, not by much.

“We came here to win. If we fail, we do that together, but we took the game on and look what happened.”

Langborne received the Freddo McMahon Medal for his performance. At the same time, Cronin was judged the umpires’ best for his electric four-goal stand.

Isaac Watson and Jaxson McMinn also earned plaudits from Howe for a pair of lockdown roles.

“Games can be won in the first quarter and Max Hagan in that quarter was huge,” he said.

“He was pivotal. Pushing Max and Will Rohde up the ground and getting them involved high up was really good.

“Noah Langborne, Sam Edgar, Makai Cronin, Harry Milburn, they just step up every week.”

It’s Echuca’s fourth consecutive flag in the grade, the latest in a string of premierships since the 2018 triumph.

For some players, their junior football journey has ended with a flag, while members of last year’s fourths defeat have finally tasted redemption.

But one important factor stands out above all else for Howe.

“Most importantly they’ve just grown up as great young men and, as a coach, that’s what you do it for,” he said.

“The wins come and go, but relationships will stay forever.”