According to Mansfield coach Chad Owens, this weekend’s clash against Echuca at Victoria Park offers an opportunity for his team to announce itself as a genuine GVL contender.
Beginning the season with victories against Euroa, Seymour and Benalla, the Eagles have taken many by surprise over the first month, currently sitting second on the ladder.
Sporting an ideal mix of youth and experience along with an excellent system, Mansfield will face the competition’s toughest test this weekend in the form of a trip to Echuca to take on the red-hot Murray Bombers.
A team the Eagles have not bested since 2016, Owens said his team was excited for the challenge.
“We are excited (for the game), it is always good to test yourself against the best and they have clearly been the best so far this year, so it will be a good opportunity to see where we are at,” Owens said.
“The system they play with is unbelievable, as soon as the ball enters their forward line it is a fortress to get it out, they are very well coached and are all on the same page.
“So for us we need to be exactly the same, we need to make sure we play a little bit quicker on the weekend and get through that press, because if you go slow they will just wear you down.”
Travelling from the High Country to the Murray River in what is the longest road trip in the GVL, Owens said he was confident his team could perform on the road.
“As good as they are, we aren’t worried about trying to play to their style, we are going to go over there, play to the best of our ability and give them something to worry about as well,” he said.
“We take a bit of confidence in the fact that we have beaten a good team on the road in Euroa, but also understand we are playing a much different team.
“We know we can win away, we know we can win at home, so we just plan to go over there and put our best foot forward.”
The ruck battle between Murray Bombers captain Kane Morris and gun Mansfield recruit Tom McDonagh presents as one of the keys to the game, with midfield dominance crucial to how both teams operate.
Echuca coach Simon Maddox said he was excited to see how his skipper went about quelling one of the competition’s premier big men.
“Kane is in pretty good form himself. The match-up between him and McDonagh could go a long way to deciding the game,” Maddox told the Riverine Herald.
"We will find out how good he (McDonagh) is on Saturday, on the video he does not look as tall as Kane, but Mansfield they have their own commentators and they talk about him in glowing terms.
“He certainly seems to be an important cog for them.”
The Murray Bombers have kicked off the season in sparkling fashion, and despite losing four points due to a player registration mix-up in round one, sit comfortably in fifth spot after convincing wins against Euroa and Kyabram.
Now set to welcome the in-form Eagles to their Victoria Park fortress, Maddox expects to see a finals-like intensity in what is a battle of the competition’s two form sides.
“It looks like we are among the two form teams of the competition. I realise Mooroopna has won its first three games, but the form of Mansfield reads very strongly,” Maddox said.
“And despite the fact we beat them last year I really liked what I saw from them and am expecting a very tough battle.”
Mansfield travels to Victoria Park to take on Echuca, with the first bounce at 2pm on Saturday.