The Bears finished on top of the ladder, one game clear of Echuca.
The Bears dropped one game in the regular season – a 10-point loss to Echuca.
Echuca dropped two – both unexpected losses. The first was 34 points to Seymour in May and then 20 points to Kyabram in July.
And while some of its form has been erratic, it has swept into the grand final dumping the Bears by 30 points in the qualifying final and crushing Kyabram by 68 in the semi.
Echuca playing co-coach Gus Byrne knows he is blessed with a full squad, knows he has a reserves side brimming with talent and pushing for any likely chink to get into the big game and knows he has a potent forward line.
But Byrne also knows games are won in defence, won by shutting down the opposition and won by refusing to yield any ground to anyone.
“Shepparton is a very slick side, good ball movers and quick, so the defence will be the foundation of our success,” Byrne said.
“We will need to bring pressure on the Bears and their running game, contest every ball and try and make the midfield our last stand so nothing gets past,” he said.
“If we can rebound the ball and take advantage of our height then we have some serious power up front with Hugh Byrne and Darby Jones (who has just been named GVL Rising Star of the Year). They also get good support from Liam Tenace, as an attacking ruckman.
“The Bears are strong, they will be hungry but so are we, we didn’t even make the grand final last year, and it is hard enough just getting here so you don’t want to waste it.”
Byrne himself has had issues during the season with his feet, but said that was now behind him, and he was in top shape going into Sunday’s game.
The same goes for the rest of his squad.
“We have access to the full roster, only a couple of guys have a couple of little niggles, nothing serious, so we will see how they go through the week,” Byrne said.
“We have a game plan, we have been getting better every week, and it was great to have the break, and now we just have to make sure we are all on the same page.”
Speaking to the main group before training proper started on Tuesday, Maddox guaranteed players he and Byrne would be analysing every one of them before getting to the last session ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
“We will be talking to all the players, they will know where they stand so they know what we are thinking and expecting,” Maddox said.
“We didn’t want to blindside anyone on Thursday ahead of selection, leave them feeling as if they didn’t see that one coming,” he said.
“The best thing about this team, and this club, all year, has been the absolute we, not me, whether we are supporting each other or turning out to support the netballers.
“It isn’t about one team, it’s about the club, about Echuca, and that’s what’s got us here and that’s what we’re taking to Deakin with us on Sunday.”
Byrne, meanwhile, is doing the maths and has one eye on the sky – the forecast fine weather is a big plus for his bigger side.
And he might be a history and PE teacher, but he still knows two doesn’t go into one.
