Regis Chakabva’s Bamawm-Lockington United, along with Robert Salter’s Kyabram Fire Brigade and Jayden Rosin’s Echuca South are the three sides in the hunt for the last remaining McMahon Shield finals place, as round 14 gets under way this Saturday. Photo: Matthew Kappos.
A single two-day clash is all that remains in the McMahon Shield, while the rest of Goulburn Murray Cricket is just two games away from determining its finals sides.
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In A-grade, plenty is still unknown about the final makeup of the ladder, with Rochester, Moama, and Echuca all still in with a shot at the minor premiership, while only one of Bamawm-Lockington United, Kyabram Fire Brigade, and Echuca South will join them in the final four.
The Flames (72 points) seem to have the easiest road, taking on eighth-placed Tongala, while BLU (78 points) must face Echuca, and Echuca South (66 points) will battle Moama over the final fortnight.
Robert Salter and Fire Brigade need to better BLU’s result to earn a finals place. Photo: Bruce Povey.
However, Fire Brigade will be wary of how the Blues scuppered its finals hopes in 2023-24, the Blues scoring an upset outright win over it late in the season to end Ky’s finals charge.
Odds-makers would have Rochy pencilled in as likely minor premiers, as it possesses a points advantage over Moama and Echuca, and has drawn winless Nondies-Cohuna in the final round.
Jayden Rosin and Echuca South have the hardest road to the finals, needing both BLU and Fire Brigade to drop points. Photo: Bruce Povey.
B-grade Goulburn
The race for the top four is all but won, with Echuca, Stanhope, Fire Brigade and Rushworth the presumptive final four.
The Tigers are the only side at risk, but BLU would need to win both its games and hope Rushworth lose both to level the two’s points total, while also closing the 0.25 quotient gap between the sides in those games.
The battle to avoid relegation is also almost settled.
Both Elmore and Moama trail the next team, Colbinabbin, by two full games, and would need to be perfect from now and rely on Colbo dropping its remaining contests.
Moama, which has the quotient advantage over both Colbo and Elmore, can do itself and the Redbacks a favour with a win over the Ducks this week.
Should the Mowers lose, then both itself and Elmore will be the sides to join B-Murray in 2025-26.
B-grade Murray
All eight sides remain in with a chance to join the final four in a congested league table.
Cooma (162 points) and Tongala (108) are the only two sides who will feel safe in their position, while sides 3-8 all sit on 78 points, followed closely by Moama (72) and Nondies-Cohuna (66).
With things so tight, it's impossible to call who will be forming the final four, and every run will be crucial as the possibility of needing a tiebreaker grows more likely.
C-grade
Echuca has secured a finals berth, but with the next four sides locked on 102 points.
Of those four, Rochester is the only side with an upcoming bye, and will earn winners points in the final round due to the uneven draw.
Kyabram Fire Brigade, Bamawm-Lockington United, and Stanhope all have two games remaining to try and outscore each other.
This weekend’s matches between KFB and Rochy, and BLU and Stanhope, will prove critical to how the final table shakes out.
D-grade
An undisputed top three of Rushworth, Tongala and Stanhope will all feature in the post-season, while fourth place is anyone’s to claim.
Moama (48) currently holds a slight advantage over Echuca, BLU and KFB (all 42) but plenty could change over the final two rounds.
Moama has the bye this week, while its three rivals take on members of the top three.
Echuca will face Tongala, BLU takes on Stanhope, and Fire Brigade battles Rushworth.
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