Can Echuca claim back-to-back Goulburn Valley League flags?
Or will legendary Kyabram mentor Paul Newman hang up the clipboard with yet another premiership to his name?
Those two questions will be answered at this Sunday’s grand final at Shepparton’s Deakin Reserve when Echuca and Kyabram go head-to-head in a repeat of the 2019 decider.
After snapping a 20-year flag drought last year against Euroa, Echuca now has the opportunity for its first back-to-back flags since 2001-02, and co-captain Kane Morris said it was a different feeling in this year’s build-up.
“I think we’re actually enjoying it a bit more this year. I know I am,” Morris said.
“You get that monkey off the back, and you know what’s ahead of you. You know it’s going to be a big crowd, you know people are going to be over the fence into you, players are going to be into you.
“You know what to expect now that you’ve been there and done it. Now the challenge is replicating what we train and put that into practice come Sunday.”
Echuca has defeated Kyabram in all three games they have played this season by margins of 21, 37 and 17 points, extending a winning streak that stretches back to 2021.
But Murray Bombers co-coach Simon Maddox said those results were irrelevant heading into the decider.
“It’s as simple as it comes down to one game of football,” Maddox said.
“The rest of the season is irrelevant. As we’ve seen this year, if you’re off by one per cent, you’ll be beaten, so we need to make sure we’re somewhere close to 100 per cent.
“I’m sure Kyabram are saying the same thing down the road and planning to put on a good show.
“We’ve trained for this all year, we’ve played all year, we play the same game style all the time. Now it’s a matter of turning up and executing on the biggest stage.”
And as usual, selection speculation has dominated the conversation heading into the grand final.
Echuca co-captain and leading goal-kicker Will Monahan (39) looks set to return from injury, while ruckman Kane Morris will be back from suspension to tackle dynamic Kyabram big man Zac Norris.
The question marks have surrounded key defender Cam Valentine and co-coach Andrew Walker, who hasn’t played since the round 13 win over Kyabram.
Valentine, meanwhile, looks poised to play his first game since round 16, a welcome addition in the battle against Bombers forwards Kyle Mueller, Brad Mangan and Anthony DePasquale.
All four players will return as long as they have passed Thursday evening fitness tests. Still, after a gruelling Tuesday session, it looks like a mere formality.
In the Bombers camp, skipper Jason Morgan also looks set to make his return after missing the preliminary final victory against Euroa, while all eyes will be on star swingman Lachie Smith in his return from a calf niggle, who also missed through injury.
“I think both sides know each other inside out,” Maddox said.
“We’ve played them three times, so they know the way we operate. We know the way they operate. There might be a couple of surprises, whether Lachie Smith plays forward or back, etc.
“Obviously, there might be a few variables with the way they set up their side, same with us. We feel if we get our own backyard right then we can play somewhere near our best quality football.”
Morris believes the game will go the distance and some extra run in the legs will prove beneficial.
“(The semi-final win) took a bit of grinding. You can’t just walk over the top of any side that makes finals,” he said.
“We know it’s going to be a long, hard-fought game, they’re going to be long quarters.
“Our boys have done some extra running in the legs, so we’ve got a bit extra in the tank so we can run late in the game.”
The last time the two clubs met in the grand final, the Bombers were 22-point winners on that fateful day in 2019 to claim their third flag from five straight grand final appearances, extending a nine-year winning streak over the Murray Bombers.
But after the COVID-19 pandemic, the narrative flipped on its head.
Echuca snapped a 10-year losing streak against the Bombers in 2021 and, in the seven games since then, is yet to taste defeat to the Bombers.
As opposed to four years ago, Echuca will now be the favourite.
Now with an opportunity to emulate the Echuca heroes of 2001 and 2002, Morris detailed what victory on Sunday would mean to the club.
“It would mean a lot, to be honest, not just to the club and the 22 boys. It goes right back through,” he said.
“The trainers, we saw Vinnie cat (Vince Jessen) get his life membership medal last night. The club means as much to us as we do to them.
“To get a win, I can guarantee some tears from players, coaches, parents, medical staff.
“You can see it in everyone’s eyes and around the clubrooms.
“To get there is one step, but the job’s not done yet, and we have one more to go.
“We’re nowhere near complacent as a group. We know we have a big task ahead of us come Sunday.”