The Bombers will look to fade the Eagles’ form into the black.
Jack Hutchins’ side will turn to veteran Patrick Marks.
But will he become the king of Victoria Park?
Will a TikTok sensation arise the Mansfield nation?
Or can the Byrne boys set their opponents alight before Echuca parties on into the night?
Only time will tell if the Eagles can redeem.
But one thing is for sure: the Bombers are still hunting that three-peat dream.
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Ninth-grade level poetry aside, Saturday’s Goulburn Valley Football League match-up between Echuca and Mansfield is shaping up to be a thrilling contest.
Mansfield was torn apart during the two sides’ round one clash, with Echuca claiming the win away from home 52 to 134.
However, a lot has changed since then as Echuca’s offence has slowed down considerably, while across the league, there has been a growing concern from clubs about the scoring juggernaut in the east.
Across their past four matches (all wins), Mansfield has scored 99, 147, 173 and 111, which equals an average score of 132.5 per game.
In return, the Eagles’ opponents (in the past four games) have averaged 59.75 points.
Best offences in the GVFL
1. Mansfield — Average 107 points per game (six matches)
2. Shepparton — Average 99.2 points per game (five matches)
3. Echuca — Average 97 points per game (five matches)
4. Mooroopna — Average 95 points per game (five matches)
5. Shepparton Swans — Average 92.4 points per game (five matches)
So, how has Mansfield become a score-hungry beast?
In the guts, the Eagles’ hitout (ranked 10th in the league) and clearance (ninth) numbers are not a standout, while Hutchins’ side also isn’t the most possession-heavy team, ranking seventh in the league for average disposals with 313.7 per game (nearly 66 fewer disposals than number one ranked side Mooroopna).
Steady, controlled play doesn’t appear to be Mansfield’s modus operandi either, averaging the eighth most marks per game in 2024.
Where the Eagles do stick out is through their efficiency with ball in hand (ranking second in the league for disposal efficiency) and their scoring efficiency going inside 50, where they rank clear first with 57 per cent (ahead of second-placed Echuca and Shepparton, which sit on 53 per cent).
This efficiency level, mixed with the fact that the Eagles average the most inside 50s in the league, can help explain some of their mammoth scores.
On the flip side, Echuca (which is coming off a shock loss to Rochester) is the Goulburn Valley Football League’s stingiest defence.
In the Bombers’ matches, opposition sides have an average score of 54 points per game, as last year’s premiers remain the league’s most defensively frugal team.
Best defences in the GVFL
1. Echuca — Average 54 points against (five matches)
2. Rochester — Average 58.4 points against (five matches)
3. Shepparton — Average 59.2 points against (five matches)
4. Mooroopna — Average 63.4 points against (five matches)
5. Euroa — Average 64.4 points against (five matches)
Echuca leads the competition for intercept marks, averaging 16.4 per game in 2024, while the players’ skill use is at a similar level to the Eagles’.
The Bombers rank third for disposal efficiency and have the second-lowest average of turnovers per game with 60.8 (Mansfield with the least, averaging 59.5).
Opposition forwards aren’t getting many looks going into attack as Echuca, on average, concedes only 34 inside 50s per game, with the Bombers’ opponents only scoring from half of those entries on average.
With Echuca sitting second on the ladder and Mansfield fourth, Saturday’s clash could be a preview of what is to come in September, but for now, both sides will be focused on the present as the Bombers look to get back on the winners list and the Eagles seek revenge for a round one thrashing.
This week, One FM will be broadcasting the Rochester versus Mooroopna game at Moon Oval, on air at 1:30pm.
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