All eyes will be on Kyabram Recreation Reserve this Saturday night, as Goulburn Valley League heavyweights Kyabram and Echuca do battle in an intriguing round three clash.
Sitting second and fifth on the ladder respectively, both sides have enjoyed bright starts to the season, with the Bombers scraping over the line against Tatura in round one before obliterating Rochester on its home deck last Friday.
Echuca on the other hand has rocketed into premiership favouritism, with a pair of crushing wins against Rochester and Euroa over the first fortnight.
In what will be the second night game played at the Hangar in as many weeks, Kyabram coach Paul Newman said his side was excited to test itself against the competition’s measuring stick.
“We are really looking forward to the challenge, they are obviously by far the benchmark of the league at the moment, so for us it is going to be a great learning opportunity and hopefully we can put our best foot forward,” Newman said.
“Last week was definitely a confidence booster for us, the boys were a bit flat after the Tat game, so it was good to go out there last Friday night and play a really exciting brand of footy, which is something we hope to replicate against Echuca this week.”
The Bombers will be without goal-kicking ace Kyle Mueller, with the exciting forward injuring his ankle in the last quarter of the win against Rochester.
With Mueller’s absence leaving a gaping hole in Kyabram’s forward 50, Newman said a host of players would need to step up.
“You can’t replace players like Kyle in your team so it is getting to be a challenge, but that’s what footy puts in front of you, I guess,” he said.
“It will give some kids some opportunities, so they will just have to play a bigger role in the game.
“We had the luxury of having Kayne Pettifer playing up on a wing as well, so if we have to put him back down forward we have the option to do that as well — we are confident we are versatile and have the options to cover him.”
For Echuca, this serves as an opportunity to exact more revenge on Kyabram, after falling to the Bombers in the most recent GVFL grand final, in 2019.
Murray Bombers coach Andrew Walker said his team was champing at the bit to hit the big stage under lights.
“It is always a big game this one, we have tried to mirror what the Kyabram Football Club have done over recent years, they have been so good for so long and have a great culture over there,” Walker said.
“Since coming to Echuca in 2018 it has always been a goal to get the same level as Kyabram and I think we are finally at that level and this weekend will be an amazing test for us once again.
“(The 2019 Grand Final) was one that we learnt a lot from; last year we managed to beat them twice so we have certainly moved on from it, but it did definitely leave a bad taste in our mouth.”
Coming off a pair of excellent performances, he said he had been incredibly impressed with the younger brigade of players, who have stepped up in the absence of seasoned GVL stars Cam Valentine, Angus Byrne, Sam Reid and Walker himself.
“This week we will probably go in with a very similar team to last week, which was young and exciting to watch,” Walker said.
“It is very exciting seeing these younger players step up into roles and really contribute against a class side like Euroa.”
Echuca takes on Kyabram at Kyabram Recreation Reserve, with the first bounce at 6pm.