ECHUCA (2nd) v SEYMOUR (3rd)
Unless something goes horribly wrong and the Lions lose all three of their remaining games, unlikely given they play winless Tatura in the final round, these teams will remain in their current positions.
The Lions were beaten comfortably by Euroa on Saturday, kept scoreless in the first term and facing a 27-point half-time deficit. Seymour was missing co-coach Jack Murphy and hasn’t seen star forward Riley Mason for six weeks.
Echuca also had a number of stars missing, Sam Reid and Liam Tenace among them, but has co-coach Angus Byrne and star centreman Jack McHale returning from injury after playing through the reserves last weekend.
Last Time They Met: Lions won by 34 points
Netball: Echuca is coming off a 97-goal haul against bottom-placed Kyabram, which has continued to battle against the odds after losing six of its seven starters from last season.
The win took the Murray Bombers to top spot on the ladder and they remain the outstanding defensive team of the competition.
Seymour has lost its last two games but still sits fourth on the ladder.
SHEPPARTON BEARS (1st) v BENALLA (11th)
Benalla has been overtaken by the in-form Euroa team, which finished the six Rivalry Rounds with three successive wins against Mansfield, Seymour and Benalla.
The Saints now face the top team, which hasn’t tasted defeat since Round 8 on May 30.
The Bears have two of the best goal-kicking midfielders in the competition, Lewis McShane and Luke Smith, while Archer Heuston (playing his first senior GVL game of 2026) announced his arrival with three goals in the win against Shepparton Swans.
Benalla has pushed century goal-kicking forward Brady Bartlett into defence, where he looks comfortable, but was missing leading goal-kicker Michael Mummery on the weekend.
Shepparton still has a number of stars to return, but given its position on the ladder may not risk bringing them back with only three home-and-away games remaining, and a weekend off next week.
Last Time They Met: Bears won by 92 points
Netball: The Bears’ reigning premier A Grade side sits seventh on the ladder, one game outside the top six after losing to Shepparton Swans by a goal on the weekend.
They have three winnable games against the 11th, 12th and 10th-ranked teams, which may prove their saving grace.
TATURA (12th) v SHEPPARTON UNITED (8th)
Percentage will play a big part in the makeup of the final six in the GVL senior football competition, but Shepparton United must first beat Tatura on the scoreboard before thinking about improving its percentage.
Tatura had a terrible first half against Rochester, trailing by 34 points, but was outscored by just four points in the second half and had outstanding players in Jimmy Bennett, Tom Sullivan and Ryan Young.
United was best served last week by VFL-listed player Zavier Maher, while Matt Casey extended his lead at the top of the goal-kicking table by kicking another three goals. He now has 46 for the season, leading Luke Smith by eight goals and the injured Riley Mason by nine.
United sits eighth but is just one win outside the top six and needs to win this game well, as it faces Echuca in Round 17 before a final-round appointment with ninth-ranked Mansfield, which is also still a chance to play finals.
Last Time They Met: Shepparton United won by 99 points
Netball: Tatura is still involved in the battle to keep its place in the A Grade top six but will have its hands full with United.
United is two games outside the top six, but with Echuca in Round 17 and a desperate Mansfield in the final round, it won’t be expecting to feature in September.
Tatura has a strong percentage, thanks to its impressive defensive unit, and needs to win two of its final three games to guarantee a place in the finals. If it loses to United and Seymour (in the final round), its finals fate could come down to percentage.
