GVL | Grand final spot up for grabs as Euroa and Mansfield do battle in preliminary final showdown

And on Sunday afternoon at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton, Euroa and Mansfield will add another exciting chapter to the rich history of Goulburn Valley League preliminary finals, as they battle it out for the opportunity to face Echuca in the 2022 decider.

Throughout the season not much has separated the Eagles and Magpies.

Finishing second and third on the ladder respectively, the two sides have been the clear top challengers to the Echuca juggernaut and often been mirror images of each other.

The finals series has been an excellent example of this, with both teams suffering crushing losses to the Murray Bombers and producing stirring do-or-die triumphs to set up this tantalising preliminary final battle.

Mansfield is the side that brings winning form into the clash, after accounting for a brave Mooroopna by 15 points last weekend.

This came after a devastating burst by spearhead Cam Arnold, who’s two final-quarter goals secured the preliminary final berth after a tense battle.

With an young side at his disposal, Eagles mentor Chad Owens side that experience of winning a final was invaluable to his team as it mounts its premiership charge.

“The boys are feeling really good, for a lot of them to get that first senior final win was a big moment and now they’ve tasted that they want another one,” Owens said.

“Obviously it is a different opponent, who plays a very different style of football to Mooroopna, so we will have to adjust to that.

“But overall everyone is just super excited to get over to Shepparton on Sunday and give it everything we’ve got to get into a grand final.”

While Euroa would be licking its wounds after being completely outclassed in a 74-point rout at the hands of Echuca in last weekend’s first semi-final.

But with the benefit of a double chance, Magpies coach Scott Rowan said he was quick to wipe that performance from the memory bank and solely focus on getting the job done against Mansfield this weekend.

“We moved on pretty quickly from the Echuca game, we weren’t happy with the way we played, so this week has been all about getting in a good mindset to take on Mansfield,” Rowan said.

“It should be a very exciting preliminary final, not much has separated us and Mansfield this year, midfield is going to be very important, so we will need to rectify a few things in there.

“We just need to get back to playing our best footy and, if we do that, I am confident we can come away with a good result.”

The third meeting between the two teams this year, the season series currently sits at 1-1 after Mansfield prevailed by 27 points at Memorial Oval in round one, before Euroa exacted revenge with a 64-point demolition in the High Country in round nine.

But having not seen each other since early June, Owens said Sunday’s preliminary final offered a clean slate for both teams.

“It is so long ago now, I mean round one was 19 weeks ago, so we take confidence out of the fact we have beaten them, but they have also gotten hold of us, so it is set up to be really interesting,” Owens said.

“I think this weekend will be a very different game to those two earlier in the year, the bigger ground is a positive for us and will suit our game style, but both teams are in the prelim because they are good football teams.

“We’re one-and-one against them this year and we are confident we have the team that can beat them and get us into a grand final.”

Both coaches will be busy on the selection front in the lead up to the match, with Mansfield set to bring back reigning best-and-fairest Tas Clingan for his first senior appearance since round eight.

While Euroa will be without Adam Giobbi, who pulled out of last weekend’s semi final against Echuca in the warm up, and Max Gleeson, who suffered a concussion following a third-quarter incident involving Murray Bombers on-baller Jack McHale.

However, the Magpies will be buoyed by the return of skipper Marcus ‘‘Gus’’ Varley, who will add another dynamic to Rowan’s team.