Benalla pair named in Shepparton News’ Goulburn Valley League senior football 2025 Team of the Year

Five premiership Bombers hold a spot in the side, while the Bears come up next best with four key guns, three of which have held their spot after being named in 2024’s team of the year.

Below is the final team of the year selection, followed by a breakdown of each positional line and analysis of the selected members.

Backline

The stingiest players in the league, it was near-impossible to find avenues to goal through these select defenders.

At halfback starts Rochester weapon Ryan O’Keefe, who led the league for spoils per game (4.9) and is rewarded after Rochester conceded the least points of any club in 2025, and were the only club to concede less than 1000 across the home and away season.

Beside him is Kyabram’s Brad Whitford on the left halfback flank, who had a dominant year averaging seven intercept possessions and 5.5 rebound 50s.

Despite his defensive role, Whitford’s influence was felt across the entire ground, averaging 5.5 score involvements too.

To O’Keefe’s right is Jack Murphy, who admittedly is out of position, but the Seymour skipper was a general across the ground in 2025, averaging four intercepts and 4.1 rebound 50s as a predominant midfielder.

Murphy also averaged 33.9 disposals, 6.2 clearances and 1.2 goals, highlighting he could play any role anywhere.

Deep in defence lies emerging Euroa tall Cohen Paul in the right back pocket. The 19-year-old averages a near-league-leading 9.3 intercept possessions and 3.7 intercept marks as well as five rebound 50s per game.

In the opposite pocket is Mansfield’s Dirk Koenen, who slightly ousts Paul with 9.4 intercept possessions and 4.6 intercept marks, plus 4.4 spoils per game.

Kyabram swingman Aidan Robinson sits at full back, and will captain the side after leading the Bombers to a minor premiership and flag this season.

Henderson had a strong individual year too, with over a third of his possessions being intercepts (6.4 per game from 16.5 disposals) and averaging the fourth-most intercept marks (2.8 per game).

Midfield

Despite the abundance of midfield talent in the competition, the three starting onballers stand tall.

Morrison medallist Callum Brown’s superb year sees him earn a spot in the centre position, while ineligible winner Jake Watts has been pushed out to a wing given his outside running ability.

Brown averaged 33.3 possessions, 8.3 clearances and 8.9 score involvements per game, while Watts averaged 23.1 disposals, 6.2 inside 50s and a goal per game.

On the opposite side of the squares starts Archie Watt, with the premiership prodigy starring for the Bombers at just 19 years of age.

The gun youngster averaged 1.8 goals and 28 disposals in 2025.

Kyabram teammate Mick Mattingly books a spot as a rover after a dominant season in the guts, averaging a tick over 35 touches per game.

Alongside him is Rochester’s Mitch Trewhella, whose equally dominant campaign was capped with a player of the finals award following the Tigers’ grand final loss.

Shepparton ruckman Ash Holland, who surpassed 200 club games this season, continues to remain head and shoulders above the rest, averaging 48.6 hitouts and 127 ranking points as the Bears once again finished inside September calculations.

Forwards

In a season where five or more GVL goalkickers surpassed the half century for the first time since 2018, it was tough to determine the top forwards of the year.

However, despite playing for the side that ranked third-lowest for points per game, Nathan Wright emerged as the competition’s best forward in 2025.

Wright slotted 64 goals from 17 games, an average of 3.8 in a team that averaged a touch over nine goals per game, booking him the full forward slot in our team of the year.

To Wright’s left is Shepparton goalsneak Luke Smith, who makes back-to-back appearances after selection in 2024’s team. The crafty small tallied 55 goals in 2025, besting his 40 the year prior, and had a starring performance of nine majors in round 12.

Smith’s teammate Lewis McShane also finds his way onto the left half forward flank after averaging 2.7 goals on top of 22 possessions.

Echuca’s Hugh Byrne has a spot on the right forward pocket for surpassing the half-ton, as did Mansfield’s Billy Hogan who has reserved a place on the right half-forward flank.

Rochester forward force Hugh Hamilton sits ahead of the ball in half-forward after kicking 66 goals this year, including finals.

Interchange

On the bench are a range of roles that can be slotted into the starting 18 if this hypothetical side were to take the field.

Shepparton Swans young gun Oliver Warburton can be injected in the midfield or as a high half forward, as the VFL-listed Blue averaged 27.7 touches at GVL level as well as six score involvements per game.

Teammate Mark Kovacevic joins alongside Warburton, elevated from his honourable mention status last year. The giant ruckman forged a damaging year with an average of 47 hit outs per game across his 15 appearances, as well as nearly 21 disposals per game.

Kyabram’s Kaine Herbert is rewarded for his fantastic year, but given the extensive midfield talent in the league, room only remains on the bench. Nevertheless, Herbert’s influence for Kyabram has been impossible to ignore, averaging 31.8 disposals and 6.2 clearances, earning best on ground for his 30-disposal and one-goal display in the grand final.

Rounding out the interchange is Benalla key defender Nick Warnock, who was a shining light for the Saints in a dark year on-field defensively. Warnock averaged 9.9 intercept possessions a game, 5.2 of which were marks, leading the league in those respective categories.

Honourable Mentions

Charlie Barnett (Kyabram), Kyle Clarke (Shepparton United), Cooper Hamilton (Rochester), Wil Hamilton (Rochester), Nathan Hrovat (Shepparton Swans), Matthew King (Mansfield), Kai Madgwick (Mooroopna), Mark Marriott (Benalla), Jason Morgan (Kyabram), Mitch Wales (Echuca), and Jed Woods (Mooroopna).