Echuca, the hot-favourite to clinch this year’s flag, gave everybody a reminder as to why it deserves to be short-odds on the premiership market.
Down by 16 points at the main break in Saturday’s round 15 clash to rival Kyabram, Echuca displayed its best football in a powerful second half.
And not for the first time this season either.
The Murray Bombers achieved a similar great escape against Mooroopna in round nine.
Thanks to GVL Data, we can highlight that the Murray Bombers dominated in just about every statistical category after half-time in the win over Kyabram.
Echuca tallied up 104 disposals in the third quarter and was +44 in possessions.
The talented outfit’s slick gamestyle, based around a stingy press, was on full display in the third term.
The hosts had 26 more handball receives, compared to Kyabram’s eight, and had +19 marks for the quarter.
Kyabram was all over the ladder leader in the first term and Paul Newman’s charges executed the game plan superbly.
The Bombers led in contested possessions (41 to 34) and laid 22 tackles, while they had six more clearances.
Kyabram also had a ton of inside 50 deliveries for the first term and posted 17 entries compared to Echuca’s nine.
But like great sides do, Echuca flicked a switch and ran over the top of the injury-hit Bombers to post its 14th consecutive win.
At a glance
Echuca’s third quarter
Disposals: +47
Uncontested possessions: +35
Marks: +19
Handball receives: +18
Groundball gets: +9
Forward 50 marks: +8
Key stats
Echuca v Kyabram round 15
Disposals
Echuca: 323
Kyabram: 257
Uncontested possessions
Echuca: 187
Kyabram: 127
Inside 50s
Echuca: 52
Kyabram: 45
Forward 50 marks
Echuca: 20
Kyabram: 4
Tackles
Echuca: 64
Kyabram: 53