The Murray Bombers entered the match having lost their last fixture to Seymour, with the league-wide bye that followed it giving them time to regroup ahead of a trip to face a Bears side with a perfect record seven games into the season.
Echuca made an excellent start to the highly-anticipated encounter, booting four of the first five goals and eventually going into the first change with an 11 point lead.
The Bears would respond to open the second quarter, suddenly hitting the front halfway through the term with a run of three straight goals that began at the end of the first period.
The sides traded two majors each after that to remain within touching distance of each other at half-time, Shepparton marginally leading 6.7 (43) to 6.6 (42) as the clash lived up to its hype in the first half.
But the beginning of the second half would see the match take its first significant momentum swing, as Echuca took total control of proceedings by kicking five consecutive goals while holding the host to a single behind.
“I thought we were able to lock it in their half of the ground for big portions of that third quarter,” Echuca coach Simon Maddox said.
“We set up well behind the ball, so when it came out, we had good numbers behind the ball in really good spots and we could drive it back in and we really set the ground up well.”
Leading by 33 points to begin the fourth, Maddox’s team was in a strong position to secure a major win, before the match swung again.
The Bears would come storming home in the final quarter, which would be the inverse of the third, as Shepparton booted four straight goals and pushed Echuca right until the end.
“We had a couple of injuries, so we just had to rejig things, and they got a bit of a run on, and they're a real momentum side, so when they do get momentum up, they're a very good football side Shepparton,” Maddox said.
“I thought we made a few decision-making errors, a couple of skill errors that resulted in goals, a couple of free kicks went their way as well.
“So it was a combination of things and then they kicked their goals and obviously the game tightened up a little bit.”
Despite only registering three behinds in the fourth period, the Murray Bombers’ defence held up enough to hold off the late Bears barrage, with Echuca claiming a monumental 11.14 (80) to 10.10 (70) win.
Echuca has now won eight of its past nine meetings against Shepparton, a trend that bodes well for it, particularly with the realistic chance the two sides will meet at some point in this year’s finals series.
The win means the Murray Bombers now have the same record as the Bears, both leading the league at 7-1, though Shepparton’s superior percentage still has it in first on the ladder.
“We've still got plenty of experience to come back into our senior side and we're under no illusions that next time we play Shepp, they'll have different personnel,” Maddox said.
“They've got six or seven to come back in, we've got six or seven to come back in, so it could be a totally different game, but we can only beat who we play on the weekend, and we did that.”
Echuca plays Euroa next, the clash taking place at Moama Recreation Reserve, with the Murray Bombers to be heavily favoured against the struggling Magpies.
The Game
Scores
Shepparton: 2.3, 6.7, 6.8, 10.10 (70)
Echuca: 4.2, 6.6, 11.11, 11.14 (80)
Goals
Shepparton: Luke Smith 4, Mitchell Brett 2, Liam Broom 2, Lewis McShane, Zac Metcalf
Echuca: Darby Jones 3, Hugh Byrne, Tom Evans, Liam Gronow, Hudson Kellett, Will Monahan, Sam Reid, Curtis Townrow, Jesse Tuohey
Best
Shepparton: Luke Smith, Mitchell Brett, Zac Metcalf, Lewis McShane, Bryce Stephenson
Echuca: Tom Evans, Hugh Byrne, Curtis Townrow, Jackson Stewart, Aiden Mills
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