Relief.
Pure unadulterated relief, followed by sheer jubilation.
That was the overriding emotion as Echuca broke a 20-year flag drought in hard-fought fashion over a gallant Euroa at Deakin Reserve on Sunday.
Even accounting for the Murray Bombers’ dominance in the lead-up to the decider, this was a premiership built on spirit, grit, determination and a touch of class.
The tide turned in Euroa’s favour when Nate Stewart put the Magpies in front for the first time on the day at the 14-minute mark of the final quarter.
But you learn a lot about people and in particular football sides when their backs are against the wall.
Forget a team of champions, Echuca demonstrated in the last 12 minutes of a grand final that needed to be won that they were indeed a champion team.
Firstly, cult figure Jackson Stewart wrestled back the lead and some of the ascendancy with a running goal.
His kick may have been a floater off the boot, but it was dead straight and that was all that mattered.
Then the captain Kane Morris made his presence felt.
Morris, just as he had done earlier in the game, stood tall at the 17-minute mark with a telling grab.
As the words of the Euroa faithful rung out calling ‘’bull---t” after thinking he had given away a free kick in the lead-up, Morris demonstrated nerves of steel to convert.
Echuca up by seven points.
Euroa rallied for one last bid, but the foray forward saw them caught out on the back and opened the door for Cooper Barber to put the exclamation point on a memorable day for the Echuca faithful.
Bombertime had arrived.
The green and white faithful hailed their heroes in just seconds.
Andrew Walker, who enjoyed a fine AFL career with Carlton, held his arms aloft at a dream many years in the making.
Walker was the man who delivered the key message at three-quarter time as the Murray Bombers held sway by 19 points.
“This is what we want, we’ve come way too far, worked too hard in pre-season, we’re not going off this ground not successful,” Walker said.
Walker, clutching a cold can of Carlton Dry, embraced many a teammate as they waited patiently to be presented with premiership medals.
One of the great traditions of the Goulburn Valley League grand finals is the premiership medals are presented in the J.G.B McDonald Stand.
Wilf Cox medallist Ruory Kirkby, who bagged four goals, pointed to the skies as he received his medal.
It emerged post-match Kirkby did so in honour of his late father who died last year.
For all their dominance this campaign, and for that matter 2019, Echuca is a club built on the back of local talent.
Walker is one of the club’s favourite sons, but they had 22 on Sunday.
Speaking of sons, Angus Byrne, the son of the Echuca Football Netball Club president, followed in the footsteps of his father Ash, who was a member of the Murray Bombers’ last premiership side.
Great stories abounded throughout the team.
The Reid brothers: Ben and Sam.
Sam, who was a member of the GWS Giants side which ended up on the receiving end of a hiding from Richmond in the 2019 AFL grand final, had his day in the sun.
The Reids weren’t the only set of brothers, with Tom and Will Monahan also playing in a flag.
As Echuca co-coach Simon Maddox said on the stage “there’s going to be one hell of a party at Vic Park.”
And why not? In addition to the seniors, the Murray Bombers won the reserves and thirds flags, as well as the under-17 netball premiership.
2022 is a year for Echuca Football Netball Club to savour.
They sure deserve it.