A tiger can’t change its stripes, but Rochester can rewrite its history on Sunday.
The club’s senior side may have been eliminated from the Goulburn Valley League last weekend, but the Tigers’ reserves are ready to make history in the club’s 150th season.
This weekend, the Tigers’ reserves team will play in the grand final against Echuca, and Rochester hopes its players can help snap a silverware drought.
Since Rochester rejoined the Goulburn Valley League in 1973, the Tigers have yet to win a reserve-grade football premiership.
Aside from two flags during the club’s time in the Bendigo Football League, the reserves’ trophy cabinet lays bare.
However, Rochester president Justin Cleary said the club hoped to fix that on Sunday at Deakin Reserve.
“It would be a real punctuation mark on the year if we could have that sort of success,” Cleary said.
“Our B-reserve netball is also playing in their grand final, so any milestone to commemorate 150 years will be exciting.
“There are probably a lot of near misses along the way; I think it is just one of those quirks of sport that we haven’t won one yet.
“We are not the only one; the world is littered with clubs and teams that just can’t get over to that Holy Grail.
“It is one of the great challenges, isn’t it?
“That is why we are so passionate and invested in trying to achieve that success.”
A grand final victory in the reserves football or B-reserve netball would be a special moment for the town of Rochester.
Still, the club president said that the Tigers did not consider premierships the only way to measure success.
“We are very proud of the group; we are proud of everyone in our club,” he said.
“If success comes in the form of a premiership, that is great, but it is not ultimately what we judge our club on.
“We engage the community and we have a good and healthy environment for our youth to enjoy.
“There are a lot of measurements (of success), but it would be nice and a great way to celebrate our 150th year.”
The senior side’s preliminary final loss to Shepparton means that this weekend, the club’s sole football focus will be on the reserves.
Cleary said he was excited for the reserves players to have their time in the sun.
“Reserves are the heart and soul of any football club,” he said.
“Without them, the rest of it doesn’t work.
“No reserves would mean there isn’t somewhere for your young players to go to, and it doesn’t give support to your senior club.
“It’s huge significance for the club to have this opportunity.”
Sunday’s grand final against Echuca will be challenging, given that the Murray Bombers are undefeated through 2024.
But Rochester player-coach Kane Moroney said his side had a plan.
“I think we will try to bring it back to a more physical type of game,” Moroney said.
“We are probably a bigger and stronger team than what they are.
“Lots of high-pressure tackles and things like that make it more of a scrap than a wide-open game.
“That is what we are looking towards.”
With a sure-to-be packed-out Deakin Reserve crowd and a grand final against the Tigers’ arch rivals, Moroney said the prospect of this Sunday had got his players chomping at the bit.
“It’s something that you dream about how good it would be and there is no team I would rather beat in a ‘granny’ than Echuca — our old town rivals,” he said.
“To potentially go up and do it against them would make it all the more sweeter if we could do it.
“I think you will see a lot of (Rochester) people head over there on Sunday.
“Generally, if any grade of footy or netball is in the final, there is always a massive Rochy turnout.
“The town pretty much shuts down for the day.”
The reserves football decider will start at 11:55am, and the B-reserve netball grand final between Rochester and Seymour will begin at 11:30am.