Goulburn Valley: Echuca thrashes undefeated Shepparton by 70 points
All eyes on were on son a gun, Cody Walker, who made his debut in the Echuca-Shepparton match. See all the pictures.
Echuca ruthlessly disposed of its biggest threat to a history-making third successive Goulburn Valley league premiership with a 70-point demolition job against Shepparton on Saturday.
The premiers of the last two seasons made a powerful statement against the undefeated Bears who were blown apart in a devastating opening term.
Apart from a mini-revival from Shepparton in the second term, Echuca was relentless in storming back to top sot on the ladder to regain the mantle as flag favourites after slipping up against Rochester in early May.
Shepparton kicked the opening goal, but Echuca led by 40 points at quarter time.
Echuca was dominant on every line with its trademark press back at its frugal best and defenders Ben Reid, Curtis Townrow and Daniel Willis bordering on impassable.
The only downer for Echuca was star player Sam Reid hobbling from the field with a calf injury in the first term and taking no further part.
Echuca’s avalanche of early goals came from a variety of sources.
Tighe O’Brien booted two, young key forward Hugh Byrne and veteran ruckman Kane Morris chimed in with one each, plus there were two more that were the direct result of 50m penalties conceded by Shepparton.
More pain was in store for the Bears at the start of the second term.
Sixteen-year-old debutant Cody Walker booted the first of two goals for the match when he made no mistake on the run and when best-on-ground Riley Smith kicked his third at the 17-minute mark, Echuca led by 53 points.
But against the tide, Shepparton finished the term strongly to trim the margin to 34 points at halftime.
Trent Herbert kicked two to raise hopes of a contest befitting the teams sitting first and second on the ladder in the second half.
But four goals to two in the third put paid to that prospect.
Walker’s second goal from a brilliant snap from near the boundary delighted the big home crowd.
The margin was back out to 43 points at the last change with Echuca’s pressure unrelenting in the final term.
It kicked another five goals to one to complete the romp made even more meritorious given regulars Sam and Cooper Willoughby, Cam Valentine, Angus Byrne, Aiden Mills, Mitch Wales, Matt Lias, Corbin Anderson and co-coach Andrew Walker missed for various reasons.
Shepparton co-coach Xavier Stevenson conceded his team’s first term was “terrible”.
“We all saw that,” he said.
“I thought we just went away from what we do really well.
“Some of our contest work was really poor and we just collapsed in at stoppages and they were able to get their game going with their run and carry.
“We went way too conservative and didn’t absorb the pressure.”
The team’s other co-coach, Ted Lindon, hurt his quad and faces an extended stint on the sidelines.
Walker said his son acquitted himself well in his first match.
“He’s had a good six weeks of football, coming up from the under-18s, school football and also a game last week when he was best-on (ground),” he said.
“He was certainly ready and we wouldn’t have played him if he wasn’t.”
The fresh injury to Sam Reid is a concern for Echuca given he has missed a large chunk of the season with a quad injury.
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