Echuca (2nd) v ROCHESTER (5th)
Rochester has won its last four games, including victories against the reigning premier and two teams it is battling for one of what appears to be the two remaining places in the final six.
After this weekend’s match with traditional rival Echuca, Rochester faces the bottom two teams (although Euroa is on an upward trend) in the final four games.
Echuca has a three-game break on third-ranked Seymour, but from fourth-placed Shepparton Swans to ninth-ranked Mansfield there are just eight premiership points separating six teams.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Hugh Byrne v Dylan Gordon: If Byrne is not on VFL duty, he may get Gordon for company. Both are in red-hot form, with Byrne kicking 14 goals from his five GVL games this season.
Mitch Wales v Bailey Wileman: Wileman is the hottest ticket in town at the minute, but Wales is a big-occasion player and had his best game for some time against Tatura.
Cameron Valentine v Hugh Hamilton: Hamilton now has 25 goals from eight games, but Valentine is now two senior games into his comeback and presents a challenging opponent.
Prediction: Echuca by 19 points.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Round 3, 2026 – Echuca won by 30 points
Euroa (11th) v Benalla (10th)
Euroa is coming off its best win of the season against Mansfield, while Benalla has lost its last seven despite being competitive against Echuca, Seymour and Kyabram.
Mark Marriott continues to have a great season and comes up against Magpie beanstalk Adam Zimmerman, who had an impact in his first game of the season in Round 13.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Adam Zimmerman v Mark Marriott: Two giants of the league, with Marriott arguably the most consistent player in the GVL this season.
Lachie Hill v Chris Welsh: Two of the real hard nuts of the competition. Hill returned against Mansfield with immediate impact after five weeks on the sidelines.
Cohen Paul v Nick Warnock: Two absolute stars of the competition. If this aerial battle occurs, it will be worth the price of admission alone.
Prediction: Euroa by 2 points.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Round 3, 2026 – Benalla won by 25 points
Kyabram (7th) v Tatura (12th)
Seventh-ranked Kyabram has a very healthy percentage (+29 on sixth-ranked Mooroopna, +20 on Rochester and +40 on fourth-ranked Shepparton Swans) despite sitting seventh, and a big win here could take them as high as fifth if other results go their way.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Jack Russell v Jimmy Bennett: Russell was the GVL’s best player on the weekend and Bennett is back in the form that netted him a 200-ranking-point game earlier in the year.
Tom Sullivan v Coby McCarthy: Two big-bodied midfielders who are two-way runners and will be butting heads in an intriguing midfield battle.
Finn Radley v Aiden Robinson: If I was Corey Carver, I would have Robinson in attack, which makes his potential battle with intercept-marking Radley a lip-smacking prospect.
Prediction: Kyabram by 83 points.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Round 3, 2026 – Kyabram won by 160 points
Seymour (3rd) v Mansfield (9th)
Seymour sits third on the ladder but battled against Benalla (admittedly without ruckman Tom Stapleton) and has only managed 100-point winning margins against the bottom three teams this season. Their opponent, Mansfield, has lost its last three games and dropped from fifth to ninth on the ladder.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Matt King v Lachlan Giles: Not sure if this is the way Ben Davey will think, but the defensively minded Giles could go forward and nullify the creative King, who starts at half-back but has kicked nine goals this year. King hasn’t played since Round 10 but was part of the GVL team on the weekend.
Nic Quigg v Callum Brown: Brown was a withdrawal from the GVL game due to knee soreness, so a week off may be all he needs to meet the in-form Quigg at full health.
Prediction: Seymour by 15 points.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Round 3, 2026 – Seymour won by 19 points
Shepp Bears (1st) v Mooroopna (6th)
Mooroopna sits sixth on the ladder, but a loss could see it drop to eighth if Kyabram and United are winners. Conversely, a win, combined with Rochester and Swans losses, could see it climb to fourth on the ladder, a big incentive indeed.
Keelin Betson was a late withdrawal from the GVL team, which is a concern for the Cats.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Ash Holland/Liam Broom v Liam Betson: The Bears’ master-and-apprentice ruck duo tackle Betson, with Holland not having played since Round 11.
Kade O’Dwyer v Kai Madgwick: O’Dwyer may get the job of trying to curb the influence of ball magnet Madgwick, who rarely walks off with fewer than 30 disposals.
Prediction: Bears by 20 points.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Round 3, 2026 – Bears won by 17 points
Shepp Swans (4th) v Shepp United (8th)
The Swans have lost three of their last four, to second-placed Echuca, sixth-ranked Mooroopna and seventh-ranked Kyabram. They are just two points clear of sixth but seem to find something when they need it most in difficult situations.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Brodie Newman v Harper Simpson: Young Swan Simpson may push towards Newman to make him accountable as the intercept-marking Demon continues a great season.
James Auld v Declan Newbound: Auld can be a match-winner and is due for a breakout game after a comparatively modest return of six goals across the last four weeks.
Prediction: United by 6 points.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Round 3, 2026 – Shepp United won by 11 points
