Gallery | Echuca’s depth on show in gritty Goulburn Valley League victory over Shepparton Swans

While the first promise certainly missed the mark on Saturday — Echuca won the match by 17 points 7.8 (50) to 4.9 (33) — the second delivered in spades.

From the get-go, both the Swans and the Murray Bombers were energised, physical and frenetic in the contest.

The first quarter was strange given the ball leapt from end to end and yet the score remained 0-0 for the first 15 minutes of play.

Echuca’s Will Deutsher kicked the game’s first thanks to a simple set shot goal set up by an assist from the pocket by veteran Sam Reid.

The Swans generated enough inside 50s to threaten but took their shots from 35m out or more and mostly on tight angles in what soon became the theme of the day as each shot failed to register a score.

Murray Bombers swingman Cam Valentine booted the first of the second quarter to extend the margin to 15 points.

With a mix of ruck Mark Kovacevic and midfielders Nathan Hrovat, Oliver Warburton and Zac Alderton in the guts, the Swans found plenty of the football and yet as the half-time siren blew they trailed by 27 points, 28-1.

Little things seemed to be the issue for the Swans such as not having men on the goal line for their set shots which allowed the Murray Bombers’ defence to reclaim control of the ball and deny the host's fleet of zippy smalls an opportunity to crumb and goal.

The Swans' first major didn’t come until 22 minutes into the third quarter when an unrealistic marking attempt from a Murray Bomber gifted Liam Rachele a simple set shot goal.

Echuca still led by 26 points, but Shepparton Swans kept pushing — inaccurately — until the final change of ends with the score sat 13-36.

A courageous back with the flight mark saw Valentine boot his fourth and final goal of the day to take the lead out to a game-high 36 points (49-13).

As is so often the case, with the game seemingly gone, the shackles were released off the Swans and they began to run-and-gun and finally get the deep forward 50 entries they were after.

The hosts made a late charge but it was too little too late as seasoned winner Echuca carried itself to its seventh victory of the season and fourth place on the ladder.

Echuca coach Simon Maddox said given his side was missing up to 17 players from their best squad, he was thrilled with how his team still played a Murray Bombers-style of football.

“We have such a young list, you go in (to the match) hopeful, which probably hasn’t been the Echuca way the last few years; it has been going to the ground really confident we are going to win,” Maddox said.

“We have a dozen blokes under 10 senior games, a lot of kids up from the thirds and you are hopeful that you win and hopeful they know the system and hopeful they know the structure, but when they carry it out on game day it relieves those nerves a bit.

“Down back we have Harry Milburn, second year out of thirds and he has played 10 senior games, 'Patty' Kennedy, first year out of thirds and is playing key position, Jai Milligan first year out of thirds playing key position.

"These blokes are 18 and mixing it with grown mature men; Shepp Swans are 7-0.

“On the wings, you have Mitchell Bell, Makai Cronin they are both first year out of under-18s.

“I thought it was a big tick for our system and structure today.”

With some star key position personnel missing, Maddox said he knew he could trust veteran Valentine to get the job done up forward.

“Cam has played centre half-back for forever and a day for us, but we know he can go forward, he has played forward before and has kicked goals forward,” he said.

“When we have no ‘Hughy’ Byrne, no Liam Tenace, no Kane Morris up forward, so we put it on the big fellow that we needed a target.

“That’s what he did and probably has taken a dozen marks so plaudits to him.

“The older blokes also played well, we give a lot of credit to the kids but I thought Valentine, Reid, Jackson Stewart showed really good leadership as well.”

This weekend, Echuca will host Mooroopna at Victoria Park and Maddox expects premiership players Curtis Townrow, Liam Tenace and Mitch Wales to return to the side.

Shepparton Swans have some slight injury concerns with ruck Mark Kovacevic going down with a lower-leg injury in the third term.

But the Swans should gain some reprieve with gun swingman Andrew Riordan expected to return for next round against Mansfield following a few weeks off with a hamstring injury.