The last time Shepparton featured in the Goulburn Valley League grand final was 2018.
Back then, the Bears were underdogs facing a rampaging Kyabram team that was hunting a hat-trick of senior football premierships.
This Sunday, Shepparton finds itself in a similar position, only this time it is Echuca that has become the league’s powerhouse as the Murray Bombers look to cement their place in Goulburn Valley League folklore by securing a historic three-peat.
A team with a home-and-away record of 17-1, such as Shepparton, rarely goes into a grand final perceived as underdogs.
However, the general consensus is that the Bears will have to produce something special to overcome their Riverine rivals this weekend at Deakin Reserve.
Having been in a similar position in 2018, Shepparton co-coach Ted Lindon said being considered “long-shots” doesn’t worry him or the club.
“Does it faze us if we are underdogs?” Lindon said.
“Absolutely not.
“What I do know is that we have grown in leaps and bounds throughout this year and really closed the gap on Echuca.
“First time we played them in the year, we had a considerable loss and then three weeks ago it was game on — I think we were in front until the 21st-minute mark of the last quarter.”
If a friend or colleague is backing a Shepparton victory this Sunday, don’t assume that they are doing so out of loyalty to the club or the region.
The Bears have put together a season worthy of claiming the Goulburn Valley League flag, and if they win on Sunday, it won’t necessarily be as the plucky underdogs.
Lindon outlined some of the reasons Bears supporters should be confident heading into the league decider.
“I understand there is potentially some external fascination to the underdog tag, but we are internally very confident in our own ability,” he said.
“We have showcased all year our ability to hit the scoreboard — 16 games scored over 90 points — and have won something like 23 of our past 26 games and haven’t lost at Deakin in over 12 months.
“That alone will internally give us a fair bit of confidence in the lead-up to Sunday.”
Shepparton has faced Echuca twice in 2024.
In round 10 at Victoria Park, the Murray Bombers blitzed the Bears in the first quarter (47-7) before claiming the match by 70 points and ending Shepparton’s nine-game winning streak.
The nearly-12-goal loss was a stark reminder to the Bears of how powerful the Murray Bombers are.
The two clubs next met in the qualifying final when Shepparton flipped the script on Echuca in blustery conditions at Tatura Park — outscoring the Murray Bombers 38-2 in the first quarter.
However, Echuca clawed its way back into the contest and took the lead 20 minutes into the last quarter.
The Murray Bombers then quickly put six more goals on the scoreboard to blow out the result.
Lindon said the Bears had learned a lot from these two clashes and predicted it would be third time’s a charm for Shepparton.
“It goes without saying (Echuca) are a good side,” he said.
“They have some quality players on the field and they are well-drilled in how they set up with their structure and their defensive press.
“We like to think we have identified how we will go about it on the weekend and we are confident in our ability to hit the scoreboard.”
Shepparton will likely have to go into the grand final without star midfielder-forward Luke Smith, whose two-week suspension for striking an opponent in the preliminary final against Rochester was upheld at the tribunal on Wednesday night.
In the Bears’ favour will be the fact that wily veteran player-coaches Lindon and Xavier Stevenson — both players were part of the 2018 flag — will be leading from the front on game day.
Lindon as part of Shepparton’s stingy defence, while Stevenson will continue his role as a midfielder-forward, meaning that the Bears will have a coach’s voice in all sections of the ground.
Representing the city of Shepparton at the region’s biggest grand final, Lindon said he and the Bears appreciated the support they had received ahead of Sunday.
“From ‘Xav’ and my point of view, we have certainly felt the love and support of the Shepparton supporters, but also the wider Shepparton community,” he said.
“It is a Shepparton-based team playing Echuca, so there has been plenty of love for us and we are super grateful for all the support.
“The players have certainly been able to feed off that.”
This Sunday, One FM will be covering the under-18 grand final, reserve grand final and senior grand final, with the broadcast starting at 8am.