The achievement also earned Harney the Wanganeen medal, presented to the player judged best-on-ground during the Echuca United and Rumbalara match-up.
Harney’s astonishing 72-point effort is the highest individual return in a senior Murray league game so far this season and was higher than the team totals of five sides that played at the weekend, including his opposition.
Having kicked just three goals from his two games before round four, Harney’s big bag has elevated him to fourth position in the goal tally across the league, while he comfortably leads the Echuca United goal-kicking award by seven majors over teammate Jesse Garner.
Eagles coach Farran Priest was full of praise for Harney and made sure to highlight the work of those who got him the ball, although he was confident the performance would not be a one-off.
"Jimmy kicked 12, he's an absolute star, and that definitely won't be a flash in the pan for him,” Priest said.
“But again, he also got on the end of some really good work from players up the ground as well.”
Harney led the goal-kicking in his first year at Echuca United last season, kicking 51 goals from his 17 games, good enough for sixth-best across the league. His highest return in a single game was six goals, which he managed on four separate occasions.
The Murray league goal-kicking is currently led by Congupna’s Daniel Schaper, who has kicked 23 goals from four games this season. His haul of 10 against Tocumwal on Saturday is the only other double-digit haul this season.
Mitchell Ward (Cobram, 19 goals) and Elliot Cavallaro (Congupna, 17 goals) round out the top three, just ahead of Harney, while Mulwala’s Jack Sutherland, who claimed second-place in last year’s goal-kicking award, heads a chasing pack with 13 goals.
