SEPTEMBER is a month when rivalries boil over. Such was the case in the Goulburn Valley League finals on Sunday between two of the state’s most intense rivals, Echuca and Rochester.
The clubs, linked by the Campaspe River in northern Victoria, have been at each other’s throats since day one. The Echuca Football Club was formed in 1872. Rochester was formed two years later for the express purpose of beating Echuca. The rivalry has remained undimmed for more than a century. When former St Kilda coach Ken Sheldon expressed shock at the abuse that was showered on him during his debut as Echuca coach during the opening round of the 2000 season, Rochester coach David Williams said simply that the Tigers supporters were excited after unfurling their flag.
Williams, the former Melbourne forward, this year left Rochester after 16 seasons and now coaches Kyabram. His Rochester replacement, Daniel Schmidt, guided the Tigers to two comfortable wins over Echuca during the home-and-away season and his team was strongly favoured before Sunday’s elimination final.
The match was tough but without spite until Rochester’s Steve Rasmussen was driven into the ground on the wing during the final seconds of the third quarter. During the subsequent push and shove, the umpires failed to blow time-on. The siren blew as players remonstrated and a couple of them traded blows. One of the great things about local footy is that supporters can wander on to the ground during breaks, usually to listen to a coach’s address. But on this occasion, several dozen supporters wandered into the fracas. Fans abused each other and players until officials became worried that a brawl would erupt. Rochester president Darren Gledhill, on seeing members of his committee hurl insults Echuca’s way, rounded up Tigers supporters and herded them from the ground. Echuca officials did the same. Both clubs later reported that no punches were thrown among supporters and no players were hurt.
The match proceeded in reasonable spirits in the last quarter before Rochester scored a comfortable victory, with veteran forward Anthony McPhee kicking six goals in his 409th game. The latest blow in a torrid rivalry had gone to the Tigers.
In Melbourne’s Eastern Football League, the rivalry between Vermont and second-year club Balwyn has no history. But it has another classic component of a good rivalry: a gloried champion trying to stave off a challenger. Vermont has won the Eastern League’s past three division-one flags but Balwyn finished this season two games clear. Confidence was high in the Balwyn camp before Saturday’s second semi against Vermont at Bayswater.
But the further the matchprogressed, the further Vermont pulled away. Matthew Greig kicked five goals in the Eagles’ 10-goal victory to bring his tally to 118, while former Richmond player Pat Bowden kicked eight for Balwyn to give him 113.
But it was Bowden’s miss as he ran into an open goal that summed up his team’s failure in this latest instalment in an emerging rivalry.
