Will a dark horse claim the premiership this season?
Three rounds to go in Goulburn Valley League and the top six is seemingly set.
The premiership race appears to be a battle between the two top sides Echuca and Shepparton, but who could be the competition’s late bolter?
Football is rarely as simple as: first and second place play off in the grand final.
Sport, in general, has a way of making the implausible plausible and throwing almighty curve balls late in the season.
Rochester would be the obvious choice as a bolter, currently sitting in third, three wins ahead of the chasing pack of Mooroopna, Kyabram and Euroa.
The Tigers are also the only side to beat the Murray Bombers this season, but was that a sign of their true quality, or was it a team playing above and beyond in a match between rivals?
The two times Rochester has lowered its colours this season have been its two clashes against Shepparton, losing by 45 and 57 points, respectively.
Rochester is known for its physical nature and ability to win first possession in the contest.
The Tigers rank third in the league for average contested possessions a match, behind only the Bears and Echuca.
Where the third-placed Tigers really shine is through their efforts without the ball, applying pressure to their opponents and then damaging them on turnover.
Rochester ranks first in the league for average spoils, midfield tackles and total pressure acts a match, while it ranks second in the league for average tackles and tackle effectiveness.
That level of energy and hard-nosed style of football is famous for working in finals, so could the Tigers be our left-field tip for a run at the flag?
Perhaps.
Another option is Mooroopna.
After some key players left during the off-season, some pundits tipped the Cats for a slide down the ladder in 2024.
However, John Lamont and his men have defied the odds and currently sit in fourth place on the ladder.
Mooroopna’s top players by average ranking points a game (played more than three matches)
Keelin Betson: 137.5
Coby McCarthy: 130.5
Bryce Rutherford: 111
Coby James: 108.5
Angus Hanrahan: 103.6
Jed Woods: 103.6
The Cats themselves have had an up-and-down year, mixed with a couple of disappointing performances, including 50-point losses to the top three sides.
That would seemingly be a big enough red flag to throw some fans off the Mooroopna premiership bandwagon, but these Cats are made of some strong stuff.
Despite a litany of injuries ravaging its backline — Mooropna has had to debut five or six players aged 16-18 this season — the Cats have stood tall and put in some impressive performances, such as last weekend.
Mooroopna, away from home, defied a Shepparton Swans outfit whose season was on the line.
On multiple occasions the Swans made a charge and, with each attempted strike, the Cats held firm and showed impressive maturity and resilience on a cold and wet day at Princess Park.
The Cats love to use short, sharp possessions (they rank first in the league for average disposals a game) to slice and dice their way through opponents.
Mooroopna’s midfield mix of Coby McCarthy, Coby James, Jed Woods and mobile ruckman Keelin Betson all average more than 100 ranking points a game and provide the Cats with so much speed and spark.
Veteran coach Lamont — who recently signed a new two-year deal with the Cats — is known for his ability to rally his troops and bring out the best in his players.
His unique take on football led Lamont to — after last week’s win against Swans — ask his players to call each other by their middle names at training on Tuesday night.
It may seem odd, but it was to keep energy levels and enthusiasm up during the cold nights of winter; only the Cats themselves will know if it worked.
Lamont’s approach may be different, but it has been effective, and you can see the buy-in from his players.
If any team outside the top two is going to make a tilt at the flag this season, why wouldn’t it be a Mooroopna side that is not lacking in X-factor and creative thinking?