Echuca begins its 2026 Goulburn Valley League season this weekend. Photo by Jordan Townrow.
Echuca is aiming for a return to the finals series in Goulburn Valley League netball this year, beginning its campaign with a round one meeting against 2025 finalist Tatura this weekend.
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The Murray Bombers were agonisingly close to sneaking into the top six last year, finishing seventh with a record of 8-10, just behind Shepparton Swans.
Missing the post-season is unfamiliar for the club, who only won the premiership as recently as 2023, sandwiched in between two top four finishes in 2022 and 2024.
There is a concerted effort to return the side to its previous highs, led by new coach Bronwyn Slater, who gave a raving review when asked how the side is shaping up ahead of the new campaign.
“They've trained beautifully in pre-season,” she said.
“We haven't had as many practice matches as I would have liked, but it's coming together really, really well.
“Now the teams are selected and settled, we've been spending a fair bit of time on the court at trainings, there's a lot of experience in my A-grade team, so there's lots of knowledge to share, and they're really starting to come together and gel together.”
Slater admitted the gelling process will take some time, though some of the players have familiarity, having been on court together previously.
Bridget Burns and Lauren Jones are among the notable returnees to the side, with Slater stating that Jones has “trained the house down” after missing the past two seasons.
Jones will team up with Ashlea Hare as the two main pillars of Echuca’s defence, while Stephanie Vick and Greta Pearson will operate through the middle.
In attack, Belinda Lees and Sherry Townrow will be tasked with the scoring responsibilities, with the duo being supported by prodigy Rose Byrne.
Belinda Lees will be joined by Sherry Townrow and Rose Byrne in Echuca’s attack.
Byrne is currently playing with the Bendigo Strikers as well, and Slater expects the youngster to have a strong GVL season.
The coach is looking after both the A and B-grade sides this year, which has allowed her to run similar structures and plays across both squads, setting up a more seamless adaptation should players need to step up from B-grade.
It’s one initiative Slater is implementing as she brings across a significant body of work built through previous stints at clubs such as Strathfieldsaye, Gisborne, Parkville and Macedon Ranges.
Though experienced, the GVL is a new competition for Slater, and she admitted that it has been difficult to gain a lot of knowledge thus far on how other sides have recruited and are shaping up for the new season.
“I can't wait to get started for that reason,” Slater said.
“I can't wait to get on the court and have a look at these teams to see which areas we need to improve on or how we need to approach some of these teams.”
Slater won’t have to wait much longer to assess her side for the first time.
Echuca faces Tatura in its season opener, the Bulldogs demonstrating consistency over the past three seasons, finishing fourth on each occasion, with the fixture representing a solid first litmus test for the Murray Bombers.
“Our team is different from last year, so I guess as a starting point for me, I don't know a lot about them (Tatura),” Slater said.
“That's okay for me for round one because we need to have a look at our team and what we've got.
“We might have five players that are new that weren't in that team last year, so I feel like maybe we've gained a little bit of strength, so it will be a great measure for us to come up against somebody that was in finals last year, that are a nice strong side.”
Echuca takes on Tatura in its Goulburn Valley League season opener on Saturday at Echuca South Recreation Reserve, with A-grade on court from 2.15pm.
