Shepparton’s Lachlan Ludeman and Kade O'Dwyer hit the scoreboard.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Shepparton has capped a dominant Goulburn Valley League home-and-away campaign by securing the minor premiership with a hard-fought 21-point victory over Rochester.
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The Bears had to recover from an 18-point quarter-time deficit at Deakin Reserve before gradually taking control, running out 13.15 (93) to 10.12 (72) winners in the final round of the regular season.
The victory completed a 17-1 campaign for Shepparton and ensured it finished four points clear of second-placed Echuca, securing top spot and the best possible platform heading into finals.
However, the visitors appeared intent on spoiling the party to keep their own finals hopes alive.
The Tigers kicked 4.4 to 1.4 in the first quarter, with Fraser Cleary booting two majors and Marty Hore and Grant Fuller also finding the big sticks.
Shepparton had to wait until late in the term for its first goal through Lewis McShane as Rochester took a 28-10 advantage into the first change.
But the Bears began to turn the tide in the second.
McShane kicked his second, while Mitchell Fleming also converted as Shepparton outscored the Tigers 21-20 for the quarter.
Rochester still held a 48-31 advantage at the main break, leaving Shepparton with plenty of work to do.
The Bears delivered after the break, producing a five-goal third quarter while restricting Rochester to just 2.3.
Kade O'Dwyer struck early before Liam Teague, McShane, Lachlan Ludeman and Liam Broom all hit the scoreboard as Shepparton erased the deficit and moved ahead.
By three-quarter-time, the Bears had turned a 17-point half-time deficit into a 65-63 advantage.
Shepparton then put its foot down as Lachy Rumbiolo, Ashley Holland and Luke Smith kicked goals to extend the margin before Rochester's Mitch Cricelli responded and kept the Tigers within eight points.
But Rumbiolo's second goal of the term gave the Bears the breathing room they needed, with Shepparton eventually finishing with 4.4 to Rochester's 1.3 for the quarter to close out the 21-point win.
McShane led the Bears' attack with three goals, while Rumbiolo finished with two. Eleven Shepparton players hit the scoreboard for at least one major, underlining the spread of contributors in the victory.
For Shepparton, the result puts the finishing touch on an outstanding regular season, as the Bears tallied up 68 premiership points and a 17-1 record.
They will enter the finals as minor premiers, having held off Echuca, which finished second at 16-2.
Meanwhile, Rochester has finished the year in seventh, the loss ending its finals aspirations.
Bears co-coach Xavier Stevenson was pleased with his side’s showing against what proved to be robust opposition.
“We knew Rochester would come out really strong. Their equation was pretty simple,” he said.
“They needed to win in order to make finals and we probably initially were a little bit off in terms of our contest and pressure to be honest.
“We just felt like we got a little bit out-hunted initially in the first quarter, so credit to Rochester - that's what they do well.
“So once we were able to get wrangle the game back and get it back on our terms, we got our ball movement started and from there it was really strong performance.”
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