The Cats were dog-hungry on Saturday night, but the Bears proved too strong late.
Round four of Goulburn Valley League had Mooroopna fall to Shepparton in what turned out to be a Saturday night 5.8 (38) to 11.11 (77) ground and pound.
In the Bears’ previous three victories for the season they had been allowed to roam freely through the corridor, utilising their speed, endurance and flair.
However, the Cats were not willing to give their opponents one bit of clean air at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve.
After the touching Anzac Day tributes had concluded, spectators were treated to a high-pressure and hotly-contested slog.
Old-fashioned football purists would have had smiles across their faces as the two sides threw their bodies into each other to a symphony of thuds.
Bears part-time recruit Tom Clurey left the ground after his leg was caught in a tackle in the first term.
He did return to the field briefly, but didn’t play too big a part in the rest of the match.
Shepparton snared an early 15-point lead in the first quarter before the contest turned to a war of attrition in near-perfect conditions.
The pressure on display was highlighted by Bears player-coach Ted Lindon who performed a spectacular chase-down smother on Cat Logan Campbell who was taking a running shot on goal with eight seconds left in the quarter.
As Shepparton took the points for the first bout, Mooroopna spat a tooth into the bucket and pounded its gloves as the two sides launched into another physical quarter of football.
Mooroopna made a habit of forcing Shepparton long down the line, which kept the ball movement slow and the contest tight and physical.
However, the Bears continued to grind and finished the half up by 22 (15-37).
Shepparton player-coach Xavier Stevenson said his star midfield mix of Ned Byrne, Jake Watts, Adam De Cicco and Luke Smith were crucial in the clinches.
“(The game) was a little bit ugly; it was ugly in the way for the spectators I thought,” Stevenson said.
“We probably struggled to get the game on our terms in the way that we wanted to play, which is fine, we found another way to win which was through contest and more effort.
“Byrne and ‘Wattsy’ were really, really good in the contest and I thought they stood up for us and got the game on our terms at times.”
The influence of Shepparton's gentle giant Ash Holland can’t be understated.
Stevenson said the 2024 Morrison medallist’s impact on the Bears was immense.
“(Holland) is a beauty,” he said.
“The standard he has set himself, he probably isn’t playing the highest level of footy right now and he is growing into the season, but he is still having a huge influence on games.
“I have been really privileged to play with him for a long period of time and I think he is one of, if not the, best country football ruckmen, in particular.”
In the third term, if Fox Footy’s mystical pressure rating measurer was applied to Saturday night’s game, both team’s bars would have been pushed to the limit.
The Cats and Bears continued to hunt the ball and each other in a manic way, with tensions threatening — but never eventuating — to boil over at stages.
Mooroopna clawed its way back to an eight-point deficit (30-38) as the potential of an almighty upset rose into view.
However, two quick goals from league-leading goal-kicker Lewis McShane pushed the Bears’ margin back out to 21 at three-quarter time.
During the final break, Mooroopna coach John Lamont called for his players to believe and “have a throw at the stumps” in the final term.
And although the push from the Cats did come, their “throw” was wayward as they missed crucial shots on goal early.
Shepparton put a line through any potential comeback with a four-goal-to-one quarter.
Stevenson said his side had had a natural progression from the talented yet inexperienced Bears outfit the league saw last season.
“What people forget is that our list demographic last year was still pretty young, so another pre-season under the belt is huge,” he said.
“That natural progression in terms of body shapes and sizes.
“We know by all means we had a successful season last year, but when it came to the last day we weren’t good enough, so we have had to change some things.”