Tatura v Kyabram
Archie Watt’s 38 disposals and three goals were the stand out for Kyabram last week and the former Xavier College star has signalled his intentions to dominate the competition in 2025
He had 12 inside 50s, took nine marks and finished just four shy of 200 ranking points.
The Bombers celebrated the return of ruckman and co-captain Zac Norris, along with 2019 Morrison Medallist Michael Mattingly. Norris had 17 disposals and 33 hit outs, while Mattingly had 147 ranking points (32 disposals, 10 clearances and seven tackles).
Norris hadn’t played a game since the 2023 grand final loss to Echuca, while Mattingly managed only two games last season. Norris rucked for 75 per cent of the game and Aiden Robinson was his support network.
Coach Corey Carver expects Brad Whitford to return this weekend against Tatura.
Liam Adams played his first game for Tatura.
Gun recruit Jack Lefroy, who is now a Coburg-listed player after last year being with Carlton in the VFL, will play two of the next three weeks with Tatura.
Lefroy won Kangaroo Flat’s best and fairest last year, despite playing just 10 games with the Bendigo league club.
His three goals came despite spending only five minutes a quarter in attack, alongside returning star Tom Holman and Moama’s Jack Russell (29 disposals). Together with another former Bomber Jack Sheldon, also returning to Kyabram from the Murray league club, they all had an impact.
My prediction is for Kyabram to take the win by 63 points.
Seymour v Shepp Swans
Oliver Warburton’s first senior game for Shepparton Swans was a long time in the making, but well worth the wait.
A best on ground display came after he had played for everyone bar the Swans senior team in the last threeseasons, including Collingwood’s VFL team, Vic Country (at both Under 16 and Under 18 level), the Murray Bushrangers, in an AFL Futures game and for the Swans Under 18 team.
He had 30 disposals, took 10 marks, laid five tackles and even kicked a goal.
Adam Fichera and Jono Moore both impacted the Swans opening round win, Moore having 20 hit outs against the highly rated Mark Marriot.
Four goals from Andrew Riordan, in a new role in attack, was a feature of the game. He had 20 disposals and will cause opposition clubs plenty of headached in attack.
The Lions gave away four free kicks which resulted in goals last week, which took the wind out of their sales after they trailed by just four points at quarter time. Rochester kicked seven goals to one in the second term.
Seymour still has half a dozen players missing, with star forward Riley Mason a chance to return next week, along with former St Kilda listed player Jack Peris. Mason kicked five goals with Collingwood’s VFL team on the weekend.
Coates Talent league players Josh Porter, Rory Kennedy and Cooper Holdsworth-Rose, will also be available at different stages.
My prediction is for the Swans to take the win by 19 points.
Mooroopna v Rochester
There was not too much different about the Rochester team that won its first game, 19 players from last year’s finals team taking to the field to open the season.
Mitch Trewhella’s game was also a mirror image of several 2024 performances. He had 33 disposals, laid 11 tackles, had eight clearances and kicked two goals (for a game high return of 160 ranking points)
There was no Cooper Hamilton (serving the last week of a suspension), but debutante Tobie Woodfine had everyone talking with a three goal performance and played alongside another couple of newcomers in Nash Ramage and Lincoln Sieben.
Woodfine kicked 81 goals in 18 games last year at Under 18 level, including an extraordinary 22 against Tatura in round four and 12 against Benalla.
Woodfine was alongside Hugh Hamilton, who laid six inside 50 tackles, had 11 disposals and kicked four goals.
Mooroopna also had a round one debutante in 17-year-old Reece Evans and Ben Woods was playing his first game since the 2023 finals.
Jack Johnston, who played only four senior games for Mooroopna while sharing his season VFL club Port Melbourne, was among the best in an unfamiliar rucking role and with a bye in VFL football this week the Cats could see Ethan Hunt among its ranks again.
My prediction is for Rochester to take the win by 36 points.
Euroa v Echuca
Echuca started its premiership defence like a car that hadn’t been started for an extended period, coughing and spluttering through the first three quarters of its game with Shepparton United before exploding into action in the final term.
Echuca had 14 premiership players from 2024 in its ranks, with debutante Jai Milligan in the team and Jaxson McMinn playing just his second game of senior GVL football.
Sixteen-year-old Archie Wilson, who kicked 38 goals in 12 Under 16 games last year, debuted for Euroa last weekend.
Cohen Paul was impressive after just two games in 2024 due to Murray Bushrangers duties, collecting 33 disposals, five rebound 50s and six tackles.
Captain Jack McHale had 26 disposals and 10 clearances to start the season.
My prediction is for Echuca to take the win by 35 points.
Benalla v Shepparton Bears
Shepparton Bears had 16 of its grand final team in the line-up for round one and started with a 100-point win to erase the disappointment of last season’s grand final.
There was no Luke Smith, but Lewis McShane matched his best output of 2024 with five goals. The 101 point win against Tatura came despite the Bears kicking only 18 goals from 41 scoring shots.
McShane kicked 41 goals from 22 games last season and had support from Jacob Watts and Zayden Leocata. Leocata, straight out of the Under 18 competition after two senior games in 2024, kicked three goals to start the year.
Xavier Stevenson led the way with 38 disposals for the Bears, while Adam Decicco had 31 touches, eight tackles and nine clearances.
My prediction is for Shepparton to take the win by 111 points.
Shepparton United v Mansfield
At three quarter time of last weekend’s opening round fixture there would have been some excited Shepparton United supporters in the Victoria Park grandstand at Echuca.
United trailed by just three points and had, in fact, led the reigning premier of the last three seasons by a point at half time.
As it turned out a 13-scoring shot last term (albeit an inaccurate 5.8) by Echuca saw them win the game by 39 points.
Mansfield won its game by 38 points on the back of a triumphant start from star recruits Matthew King (37 disposals, 12 marks, six inside 50s and five rebound 50s). Another recruit, Nick Gray, had eight clearances, seven tackles and 28 disposals.
Jese Cucinotta topped the disposal count with 34, along with eight tackles and 11 clearances.
Shepp Swans recruit Caidan Phillips was also great for United, alongside 2024 Kyabram District League best and fairest winner Blake Fothergill (20 disposals). The former Nagambie star played four games at senior level with the Demons way back in 2018 as a teenager.
Former Shepparton underage star Jensen Dowling debuted for the team, while Jaeydon Hexter, new vice-captain Kade Chalcraft and Queenslander Sam Barbuto were also unveiled.
My prediction is for Mansfield to take the win by 14 points.
