By Rohan Aldous
Mansfield 4th v Shepparton United 11th
Mansfield’s ranking as the fourth-best team in the GVL looks likely to remain intact, at least for a couple of weeks.
The Eagles have a 9–3 win-loss record and have won their last five games, having last tasted defeat in R7 against Echuca. They face United on Saturday, another team outside the top six, and take on Seymour the following week. After that, the real challenge begins.
In three successive weeks, they face second-placed Rochester, unbeaten ladder-leaders Kyabram, and the much-improved Shepparton Bears in the second-last round before wrapping up the home-and-away season against Benalla.
Mansfield has dominated United in recent seasons—winning by 83 points in 2022, 111 points in 2023, and by a closer 19 points last year. The result was similarly close in R2 this year, with just a 17-point win for the Eagles.
Coach Jack Hutchins now has 20 goals from 11 games (17th on the goalkicking table), but it’s Billy Hogan (26 goals, 18 of those in the last three weeks) who has rocketed up the rankings and now sits 11th overall.
If Mansfield can continue finding the big sticks—Hogan kicked seven behinds to go with his seven goals—they could present the top teams with a major challenge. They already have some of the best on-ballers in the league: Callum Brown, Brett Mahoney, Matt King, and Nick Gray form a formidable lineup (with Harry and Max Mahoney currently playing with Collingwood in the VFL).
Game time: 2pm Saturday – Mansfield Recreation Reserve
Prediction: Mansfield by 68 points
Shepparton Swans 5th v Seymour 7th
Not long ago, Shepparton Swans were sitting second and were one of only two unbeaten teams. Fast-forward to R13, they’re fifth, with an 8–4 win-loss record, after returning to the winners’ list with a 119-point win over Benalla in R12. That came after four successive losses to top-six teams between Rounds 8 and 12.
In that win, Nathan Hrovat produced arguably the game of the season—a 257 ranking point performance that included 47 disposals (25 contested), five Inside 50 marks, 19 clearances, and three goals.
In Oliver Warburton’s absence, it was Hrovat, Nathan Rachele, and ruckman Mark Kovacevic who dominated. Kovacevic, up against one of the top rucks in the GVL, Mark Marriott, had 43 hit-outs, 23 touches, and nine clearances.
Warburton has played the last two games with Carlton in the VFL, finishing with 19 touches in their four-point win over Collingwood. That game featured four players affiliated with GVL clubs—Riley Mason, and Harry and Max Mahoney for Collingwood.
Seymour sits seventh with a 5–7 record and is now two wins outside the top six. They’ve lost their last three games—against the top three teams: Rochester, Echuca, and Kyabram.
Seymour was humbled by Kyabram in their last game, finishing with 84 fewer disposals and 63 fewer marks. They managed just six Inside 50 marks and had 33 fewer Inside 50 entries. Only their three stars—captain Nathan Beattie, coach Jack Murphy, and on-baller Nic Quigg—managed triple-digit ranking point scores.
Game time: 2pm Saturday – Princess Park – Shepparton
Prediction: Shepp Swans by 39 points
Kyabram 1st v Tatura 12th
Three years ago, in R1 of the 2022 season, Tatura lost by just 11 points to Kyabram in a low-scoring game that saw the Bombers win 47 points to 36.
There are only 10 players from that Bulldogs team still in the line-up, and Kyabram has won three of the last four meetings between the clubs by significant margins.
Kyabram has given up just 45 and 50 points in the last two weeks, in wins against second-ranked Rochester and seventh-placed Seymour. They remain unbeaten on top of the ladder and have 10th-ranked Benalla next weekend before facing 11th-ranked Shepparton United.
That means the Bombers face the bottom three in successive weeks before finishing the season against the third and fourth-ranked teams Echuca and Mansfield.
In their 86-point Round 12 win against Seymour, they lost the free kick count by seven and the tackle count by 18, but dominated every other statistical category—having 84 more disposals and 63 more marks than the usually high-possession Lions.
Game time: 2pm Saturday – Kyabram Recreation Reserve
Prediction: Kyabram to win by 151 points
Shepparton 6th v Euroa 8th
When their stars are firing, there are few more exciting teams than the Shepparton Bears. They’re on a three-game winning streak and have reclaimed a top-six spot.
That success has come after a rollercoaster season. After starting 4–0, they lost five in a row, and now face Euroa, needing to keep winning to keep Seymour at bay.
Euroa is three games outside the top six and unlikely to make finals, but they remain competitive—driven by Luke Smith, Xavier Stevenson, Lewis McShane, Ash Holland, and Ted Lindon.
The Bears lack other consistent goalkickers. Zac Metcalf (13) and Trent Herbert (12) are next best. Herbert kicked three on the weekend—his best return for the season.
Game time: 2pm Saturday – Deakin Reserve – Shepparton
Prediction: Shepparton to win by 41 points
GVL Netball R13 previews
Mansfield 10th v Shepp United 8th
Mansfield is coming off a two-month winless stretch after it won its one and only game of the season against Kyabram in R5.
A fortnight ago, the Eagles had their most disappointing result of the season, giving up 94 goals in the loss to Mooroopna last weekend. They now face a team that has been extremely competitive against some of the best-performing teams in the competition.
United may sit eighth on the ladder, but it is just one win outside the top six and will have hopes of passing both Shepparton Swans and Echuca before finals time.
They were beaten by just six goals against Euroa on Saturday and outscored the Magpies in the last quarter 16–9. They will need to maintain that form over the next month because they face the other unbeaten team, Shepparton Bears, and third-ranked Seymour in that time.
In between, they do have games against 11th-placed Kyabram and this weekend’s clash with 10th-ranked Mansfield.
United’s two-game winning streak ended on Saturday, having strung together wins against seventh-placed Echuca (by two goals) and Benalla (by 31) in the two weeks leading up to the game.
Its opponent this weekend managed just 26 goals a fortnight ago, despite being impressive in the pre-bye game against Euroa. The young Eagles featured Under-17 defender Jaspa Robinson in a key role, with Jamie Davis playing her first A-grade game of the season and Isabelle Edwards also in her second A-grade game this year.
For United, Abby Gilmore registered her third 30+ goal tally for the season, while the defensive trio of Taylah Lloyd, Olivia Kirby, and Grace McInneny were at their miserly best as Mansfield was kept to a sub-30 goal total for the fifth time this year.
Prediction: United to win by 28 goals.
Shepp Swans 6th v Seymour 3rd
Shepparton Swans sit sixth with six home-and-away rounds remaining but face a challenging draw that includes games against four of the top five teams.
They have Echuca breathing down their neck, with both teams sitting on six wins, but the Swans’ percentage is 14 per cent superior to last season’s grand finalist.
Looking ahead, Echuca appears likely to claim at least two more wins but also faces tough games against the Bears (2nd), Tatura (5th), and Mooroopna (4th).
Whichever team can pull off an upset in the final two months of home-and-away competition is likely to earn a finals berth.
Only eight goals separated the teams last time they met, when the Lions were forced to reach deep against the Swans that has rarely dipped below 45 goals and has conceded 50 or more goals in only five games this season.
Seymour has won its last five games, bouncing back after a 20-goal loss in Round 7. Since then, they’ve climbed the ladder with wins over fellow contenders Mooroopna (by 6) and Echuca (by 11), also registering bags of 70 and 80 goals along the way.
Prediction: Seymour to win by 17 goals.
Kyabram 11th v Tatura 5th
Five of Tatura’s final six games are against teams below them on the ladder. This should help the Bulldogs cement their finals position and potentially challenge Mooroopna and Seymour for a top-three finish.
This weekend’s match against Kyabram follows back-to-back losses against second-ranked Shepparton Bears and fourth-placed Mooroopna. They also lost a thrilling R9 clash against Euroa.
The Bulldogs returned to the winners’ list with a 20-goal victory against Mansfield but have rarely passed the 50-goal mark in the last month.
Kyabram has passed 40 goals only once this season and, when faced with Tatura’s formidable defence, is again likely to struggle to post a defendable total.
Though they sit second-bottom on the ladder, as one of three teams with just one win, they have a promising future, with several teenagers in the side who are expected to grow into strong contributors.
Prediction: Tatura to win by 34 goals.
Shepparton 2nd v Euroa 1st
And finally, here it is—the game of the season. Neither team has put a foot wrong, and they sit atop the ladder with 12 wins apiece, separated only by percentage.
Euroa has scored 113 more goals than the Bears this season, thanks largely to Olivia Morris’ incredible 646-goal campaign. She’ll be at the opposite end of the court to Bears goaler Kim Borger, who has 430 goals to her name.
Both teams come into the match in strong form. The Bears are fresh off a 38-goal win against bottom-placed Benalla, while the Magpies defeated last year’s grand finalist Echuca by 25 goals.
The Magpies slowed in the second half after posting 40 goals by half-time. Olivia Morris shot all but six of their 67 goals.
Meanwhile, the Bears used the game against Benalla to rest stars Kim Borger and Hannah Crawley. Borger handed the reins to Makayla Finn and Chelsea Amor in the second half in preparation for this clash.
Prediction: Euroa to win by 7 goals.
