Star Saint has arrived

The return of 244-game AFL stalwart Jarrad Waite to the Benalla Saints highlights what is set to be an intriguing round 12 of Goulburn Valley League action on the field.

And it’s an equally exciting weekend off the field as the GVL celebrates its annual Indigenous Round, with all 12 clubs set to recognise the culture and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people across the region.

GVL acting chair Jacqui Hodgson said Indigenous Round was always a highlight of the season.

“This round is always a special round in the GVL’s calendar,” Hodgson said.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to come together and celebrate our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players, history and culture.

“Our member clubs all celebrate the day with acknowledgements, Welcome to Country, traditional dancing and smoking ceremonies organised at various games.”

The GVL also took the chance to announce that it was the successful recipient of a funding grant of $147,000 from the Preventing the Cycle of Violence - Strengthening Families Fund.

Benalla v Seymour

All eyes will be on the Benalla Showgrounds on Saturday afternoon as the Saints welcome hometown hero Jarrad Waite for a big clash with Seymour.

Coming off a 153-point hiding at the hands of Echuca last week, Benalla will be hoping the presence of Waite up forward gives it the spark it needs to put up a more competitive performance.

Saints president Lloyd Johnson said the club learnt a lot from last week’s trip to Echuca as it hoped to welcome a bumper crowd for Waite’s return.

“On Saturday Echuca showed what depth at a club does,” he said.

“To our boys’ credit they actually stemmed the bleeding after quarter time but the damage was already done and we’d been blown out of the water.

“It’s a big home game for us this weekend and a chance for us to build a bit of excitement and build towards season 2023.”

Seymour on the other hand comes into this clash one of the form teams of the competition after winning its past five matches.

Fresh off a thrilling one-point win over top four side Mansfield last week, the Lions will be filled with confidence as they hope to find themselves back in the top six come Saturday night.

But in what is set to be a big day for Benalla, Seymour coach Ben Davey said he would not be taking the 11th placed side lightly.

“I’m sort of thinking that they’ve built this game up as one where they can have some wins and have a bit of a kick-start for their new future,” Davey said.

“The thing about Benalla is they have a good core of players so you can’t take them lightly.

“The Martiniellos and Marchbank had good games against us last time out, so if we want to win we’ve got to limit these blokes getting the footy.”

Seymour could be bolstered by a trio of big inclusions, with young gun Nick Quigg (NAB League), veteran Ben Clifton (suspension) and Ben Cooney (corked thigh) all in line for a return to the senior team.

Shepparton v Euroa

Shepparton will be looking to prove it can still mix it with the competition’s best as it welcomes Euroa to Deakin Reserve.

Winning their past nine matches, the Magpies have been a 22-man wrecking crew in recent weeks as they continue to apply pressure on GVL pace-setter Echuca.

Last week’s win against Tatura showed the power of Euroa’s attack when firing on all cylinders, as it recorded a remarkable 76 inside50s and took 44 marks in its attacking third compared to the Bulldogs’ zero.

After a promising start to the season, the past two months have been a slog for the Bears, failing to win a match since its round four triumph over Tatura.

Now facing arguably the toughest test in GVL football at the moment, Shepparton coach Ted Lindon said he was just hoping for an improved performance.

“Obviously it will be tough going against one of the premier sides in the competition but internally we’re looking at ways of measuring success in a different method rather than wins and losses,” Lindon said.

“We need to put together a similar performance to what we did against Kyabram a couple of weeks ago and just a little bit more predictable in terms of our output.”

Mitch Brett returns from illness, while Nick Allen will also be back in the line-up after recovering from injury.

Kyabram v Tatura

Tatura is the walking wounded of the GVL at the moment, and faces yet another daunting task in the form of a trip to Kyabram.

With 12 players missing from the senior side, the Bulldogs found themselves on the receiving end of a 170-point belting by a finely-tuned Euroa outfit last week.

But with at least three experienced players set to return, Tatura coach Paul Kirby said there was a bit more optimism as it hopes to put up a more competitive performance.

“We are looking at getting a few back this week, not as many as we need, but hopefully we can put up a better performance,” Kirby said.

“It has just been one of those years where our injuries have been more long-termers and to our better players in Brad Ryan and Jimmy Bennett.

“We’re hoping to turn things around a bit and as we get more and more boys back we can produce some good games.”

Headlining the ins for Tatura are Billy Cooper and Ben Cosgriff, while Luke McGill will also make his return from illness.

For Paul Newman and his Kyabram team, this match offers an opportunity to find some form after an underwhelming month.

Mansfield v Shepparton United

Mansfield coach Chad Owens will be after a brutal response after his team fell by one point in a thriller against Seymour last week.

Controlling the contest for most of the day, the Eagles were overrun in the final term, losing inside-50s by nine and clearances by five, as a last-minute Rory Scopel goal clinched a memorable Seymour win.

Now turning its attention to a young Shepparton United team,

Owens said his team was itching to get back out on the park.

“We threw away a golden opportunity, the players are dirty with themselves,” Owens said.

“We’re looking for a response this week, it’ll be interesting to see what we come up with.

“United are quite a young, fast, skilful team, I think the boys understand what we need to do this week, we need to finish off our work — our kicks inside 50 just need to be neater and tidier.”

On the personnel-front, the Eagles’ forward options are set to be bolstered this weekend with the return of Will Foster and Jayden Howes.

Shepparton Swans v Echuca

Echuca will once again be looking to flex its muscles as it travels to Princess Park for a clash with Shepparton Swans.

The Murray Bombers have been the clear benchmark in the GVL this season, leading the league in clearances, inside-50s, disposals, contested possessions and marks, along with a host of other key indicators last week.

The Swans on the other hand will be hoping to build on their win over United last week, with a sharp increase in kicking efficiency pivotal to the triumph.