Murray Bombers punch ticket to grand final at Tigers expense

Echuca and Rochester can’t seem to stay away from each other. This was the third time the arch-rivals have met in 2024. A grand final showdown is possible if the Tigers prevail in the preliminary final next week.

The Murray Bombers have been slow to start in their games in the back end of the season, but a scare against flag threats Shepparton Bears last week forced Echuca to flip the script in the semi-final.

The men in green started hot, drilling five majors in the opening quarter to get the ball rolling. However, the Tigers sunk their teeth in, bagging a trio of maximums to remain in the contest, trailing by 17 at the first break.

Echuca continued its attacking forcefulness in the second period. Cooper Barber was on song, kicking two of the four Murray Bombers goals for the quarter with cameos from Cooper Willoughby and Ben Reid.

Meanwhile, Rochester faltered on its attacking end, managing only one kick through the middle sticks and settling for five behinds. The difference was 33 points at half-time.

Once the Murray Bombers start rolling, they’re almost impossible to stop. Their forwards and mids had a field day in the third term, booting 5.4 to essentially wave off their rivals early at Kyabram Recreation Reserve.

Rochester struggled in the third, again only securing one goal for the quarter, followed by a pair of behinds.

With a sole quarter remaining and an early grand final birth on the line, the Tigers needed to find something special to overcome a 59-point deficit.

To be fair, Rochester gave it everything it had down the stretch.

The Tigers lifted in the final quarter to notch their most productive period of the game with their backs against the wall.

They were the first to strike in the last quarter and conjured a last-ditch three-goal barrage to end the game, but it was too little, too late.

The Murray Bombers had a quiet fourth quarter, settling for a single goal and five behinds. They understood that the game was already theirs and that a third premiership in a row was now firmly in their grasp.

The final score was Echuca 15.17 (107) to Rochester 9.10 (64).

Riley Smith and Cooper Willoughby led the scoring for the men in green, collecting three goals apiece, while Cooper Barber and Sam Willoughby chipped in with a pair each.

Along with Smith, Logan Prout, Ben Reid, Sam Reid and Aiden Mills proved vital for the Murray Bombers throughout the game.

Echuca has been granted a rest next week and will have ample time to recover before taking on Shepparton Bears, Rochester or Mooroopna on the GVL’s biggest stage.