With a ticket to a grand final on offer, Echuca’s leaders and usual suspects took control of its semi-final encounter with Euroa on Saturday, as they steered the Murray Bombers to a dominant 18.18 (126) to 8.4 (52) win.
Few may be surprised that at the heart of most good things for the bottle green was Echuca playing coach and ex-Carlton midfielder Andrew Walker.
Walker was at his damaging best at stoppages and wasn’t afraid to do it the hard way, chalking up a staggering 19 contested possessions, his second most for the season.
Producing a see-ball, get-ball display of the highest quality, when the ball was loose, Walker would collect it from the deck 18 times — his highest total of ground ball gets for the season.
What is perhaps most dangerous about Echuca is how dominant it is in every third and Walker had no shortage of friends around him on Saturday.
Jack McHale put in a shift with 19 disposals and 10 contested possessions, while half-forward Angus Byrne had a day out with 21 disposals, 12 contested possessions and 10 uncontested possessions.
Walker is seventh for average handball receives this season and slides in at eighth for average clearances.
By the numbers
Andrew Walker in 2022
Disposals 24.9
Contested possessions 10.9
Uncontested possessions 14.4
Handball receives 10.3
Ground ball gets 9.3
At a glance
Andrew Walker v Euroa, first semi-final
Disposals 30
Contested possessions 19
Uncontested possessions 13
Ground ball gets 18
Clearances 11
Handball receives 8
