Like the rest of the region, Oddie is caught up in grand final fever.
Along with consuming the mountains of content produced by the sports journalists of McPherson Media Group surrounding the Kyabram District League and Murray Football Netball League deciders at the weekend, Oddie has also been trawling the #MMGSport tag on X (formerly Twitter) to stay up to date with live action.
And thus, it was intriguing to see News editor Tyler Maher — posting from somewhere outside the boundary line at Jack Eddy Oval on his day off — credit Congupna’s match-tying major in the reserves clash to Sam Nash.
Of course, it was fellow member of The Road’s red-head brigade Thomas Phillips who sent the game into extra-time and allowed his side the opportunity to claim premiership glory.
Maher promptly rectified his error but it just goes to show — when it comes to a box of redheads, if the first match doesn’t strike you’re sure to find a winner eventually.
Double ups the theme of the season
Sticking with the sporting theme, Oddie notes that Echuca is not only chasing glory for itself in the senior Goulburn Valley League football clash on Sunday at Deakin Reserve.
The Murray Bombers can create a piece of history which Oddie cannot find an instance of in recent memory across this region.
If Echuca joins Lancaster, Mulwala and Waaia in snaring back-to-back premierships, it will be the first time the four leagues in the News’ coverage area have seen reigning premiers defend their senior football crowns in the same season — at least as far as Oddie can tell.
The feat was agonisingly close to occurring in 2017 — when Kyabram, Nagambie, Nathalia and Picola United all went back-to-back.
But at that time, the Picola District League was split into north-west and south-east divisions — with Rennie’s breakthrough flag in the latter comp being its first success in a back-to-back era, not the second.