Shepparton has played some irresistible footy en route to a 7-0 record, boasting an average winning margin of almost 10 goals and comfortably accounting for last year’s grand finalists and every top six side they have played before the bye.
Luke Smith and Ash Holland have been a lethal one-two midfield punch and the Bears’ unheralded defenders, Max Brodie and Daniel Meek among them, have transformed the Deakin Reserve natives into the league’s stingiest defence.
It’s a dominant stretch by anyone’s estimations, but despite this, Shepparton coach Xavier Stevenson said improvement remained.
“We’re a work in progress, but it's obviously really pleasing to be 7-0,” Stevenson said.
“We know what we're going to get from individuals like Luke Smith and Ash Holland most weeks.
“They’re having a pretty profound influence for us and then some other individuals like Max Brodie and Daniel Meek, these guys playing in our back half are having some terrific starts to their year as well.
“(Angus Williams) was able to influence on debut, but Liam Teague is also having a really consistent year starting off around the midfield alongside a few others.”
Echuca makes the journey to the Bears’ Deakin Reserve den this Saturday, eager to atone for their first loss of the season – a 34-point defeat to Seymour before the bye.
Shepparton is coming off a 92-point thumping of finals aspirant Benalla, but will be without its star teenage debutant Angus Williams – who booted five goals and snared 11 marks – with his Talent League duties set to take him back to the Murray Bushrangers.
However, the Bears look primed to welcome star midfielder Jacob Watts back into the line-up for his first game since round four, a thumb injury sustained against the Shepparton Swans curtailing his game-time since then.
Goal-kicker Trent Herbert looks set to join him to increase his side’s spread of goal-kickers against a well-drilled Murray Bombers.
“They’ve obviously been the benchmark of the competition over the last five years and I've got a lot of respect for them in terms of their overall system and the way they play,” Stevenson said.
“It’s an awesome challenge for us at this time of the year. Obviously, they're looking really dangerous and it's going to be hard to curtail all their individuals.
“In the end, they'll back their system, and we'll back ours.”
At Princess Park, Shepparton Swans and Mansfield will get another indicator of how they stack up against their top six rivals, with the Swans a tight winner over Rochester last start and the Eagles smarting from a 100-point thumping to Kyabram.
The Bombers host Shepparton United at Kyabram Recreation Reserve, while Mooroopna will be hoping to secure its first win in a month when it welcomes an in-form Seymour to the Cattery.
Further afield, Tatura will have one of its better opportunities to score a long-awaited victory with a match-up against the team right above it on the ladder – Euroa.
The Magpies will lean on their home ground advantage to double up from last start’s four-point thriller against the Cats and another test of Benalla’s finals credentials will come against Rochester at the showgrounds.
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