Round 12, 2019
Echuca 10.9.69 def. Rochester 4.4.28
June 29, 2019 saw something almost unheard of across the Goulburn Valley, as football and netball were brought to a halt in the middle of a match.
Players from sides in senior football and A-grade netball were removed from the fields at Victoria Park in the midst of lightning and heavy rain, with umpires ruling the conditions unsafe for play.
But Echuca was not willing to stop.
While the rain kept falling, the men in green were doing drills at game level intensity in the rooms, before returning to the ground to warm up.
When play restarted, it was the Jobee Warde show, as the young Echuca ruckman took control of the game in the wet, shutting down the Murray Bombers’ local rivals.
James Gledhill was best on for the Tigers, but his side was unable to mitigate the damage of the opposition.
Echuca co-coach Andrew Walker said his side adapting to the weather was key.
“We were able to adjust to the weather the quickest. The excitement and the buzz within our group, it was like when you play junior footy and they let you keep playing in the rain, it’s no different at senior level. A lot of our boys haven’t seen rain in a while either.”
Rochester coach James Flaherty was honest in his response to the game.
‘‘Echuca wanted it more than us.”
Lockington Bamawm United v Colbinabbin
Round 10, 2014 at MJ Morgan Reserve, Colbinabbin
LBU 6.6 (42) def. Colbinabbin 5.6 (36)
During its run of four straight premierships, LBU had a strong emphasis on its running game.
But on this day, running was simply not an option.
In atrocious conditions — courtesy of 45 mm of rain in 36 hours — the two sides slugged it out.
Getting off to a good start is always key in a football match, but that emphasis was even stronger on this day as teams needed to make the most of the dry ball early in the contest.
LBU’s ability to keep the Hoppers scoreless in the second term proved pivotal as it held on for a six-point win.
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