It was a win Shepparton simply had to have.
Sitting at 0-3 to start the year, anything other than a victory against Rochester at Deakin Reserve on Saturday would have been a serious, almost knockout blow to the Bears’ finals aspirations.
But following its gritty 11-point win over the Tigers, Shepparton has finally kicked its season into action.
“It was obviously a fantastic result for us. It was reward for effort, really, for our squad,” Shepparton co-coach Xavier Stevenson said.
“The game meant a lot. There is a big difference between going four rounds without a win and getting our first win, so we were really pleased with the overall result.”
There was a big crowd in as Shepparton hosted its family day and celebrated the premiership reunions from its 1972 and 1973 flag-winning sides, and they were treated to a tight contest from start to finish.
The margin at the end of any of the first three quarters did not hit double digits, but it was the Bears who were able to outlast their foes, holding Rochester goalless in the final term to prevail 10.8 (68) to 8.9 (57).
“It was a really competitive game. Rochester is always a really heavily-contested football side, we expected that and that is exactly what they brought.
“They jumped us a little in the first quarter and then we were able to get a bit of ascendancy towards the end of the first and it was a bit of tug-of-war for the rest of the game.
“It was highly-contested football, which can be the case against Rochester and when you play at Deakin Reserve.
“We were able to get in front towards the back end of the game and we were able to maintain that lead.”
There was everything to play for heading into the final term, with Rochester – which finished fourth on the ladder last year – also desperate for its first win of the 2023.
Seven points was the margin at three-quarter time.
The Bears kicked 1.2, but – crucially – held the Tigers to five behinds to earn a breakthrough victory.
“The last quarter was just an arm wrestle to be honest, but luckily enough we were on the right side of the scoreline,” Stevenson said.
"It probably wasn’t pretty from our point of view – we weren’t able to get our ball movement going towards that last quarter, but we were really pleased with the effort of our boys and for the ability for them to continue to crack in and really contest.“
Stevenson said he was thankful to get those first points on the board.
“I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a sense of relief. It was also for us just that reward – knowing that we had been really close in the first three rounds, the ability for our group to have a win will mean a lot,” he said.
“For us, it just considilates that we are on the right path. This year we have been close in all four games and been able to get a win in the fourth, it motivates us for the rest of the year to continue with that form.”
Adam De Cicco had another great game for the Bears in the midfiled, while Connor Fleming was a pillar down back for Shepparton.
And while Stevenson praised both of those players, he said the win was a whole-team effort.
“Adam continues to really impress with his ability to win both inside and outside ball, he had another good game yesterday,” Stevenson said.
“Likewise with Connor Fleming down back in terms of his intensity and his ability to win in the contest.
“It is a cliche, I know, but every individual just played their role really well and that was a massive emphasis for us before the game.
“We had a team effort across the board which was really pleasing as a coach.”
For the Tigers, Reid Gordon, Kyle Waters and Darby Wileman each kicked two goals, while Joe Atley was again huge in the midfield.
The 11-point defeat was the closest margin Rochester has had this season, but it still leaves last year’s finalist searching for its first win of the year and towards the problem end of the ladder.
Rochester sits in 11th spot on the ladder – just above fellow winless outfit Benalla.
The Bears meanwhile have climbed up to seventh position, two wins behind sixth-placed Mooroopna.