Kyabram and Tatura will meet again tonight in a major pointer to which team might win this year’s premiership.

The Bombers and Bulldogs, both foundation clubs of the league, have played against each other since the competition started in 1893.

The rivalry between Rochester and Echuca is even longer.

It dates back to the formation of the Rochester Football Club in 1874 for the ‘‘purpose of soon meeting and beating Echuca’’. They have followed each other between leagues ever since to maintain that rivalry.

The great bulk of the history between them was in the Bendigo Football League, from the 1920s until both transferred back to the Goulburn Valley league in the 1970s.

The Seymour-Euroa rivalry dates back to 1880.

The vast majority of the games were played in the old Waranga North-East league from 1913 until Euroa joined the GVFL in 1971.

Seymour resumed the rivalry with Euroa when it entered the league in 1976.

Deakin Reserve co-tenants Shepparton and Shepparton United (which began as City United) have been close rivals since United was formed in 1950.

United famously upset Shepparton’s quest to win five premierships in a row when it beat the Maroons in the 1967 grand final.

Mooroopna and the Shepparton Swans are separated by the Goulburn River and have had a strong rivalry since Lemnos came into the league in 1946.

This has been peppered by coaching and playing transfers between the clubs over the years, especially since the Swans established their base at Princess Park in the mid-1960s.

Benalla (1997) and Mansfield (1998) are relative newcomers to the Goulburn Valley league, although the former played once before in 1940 and won the premiership.

They have yet to develop a rivalry to match that of the other clubs in the league, but are actually the closest to each other.

A rivalry round also presents clubs with a chance to wear their old strip against each other.

Benalla has taken the opportunity this season to wear its old Ovens and Murray league strip, a red jumper with a white V, in certain matches against clubs that do not cause a colour clash.

The Benalla players and supporters have relished going from Saints to Demons.

Like Benalla, Rochester was known as the Demons when it played in the Bendigo league.

Rochester wore a black jumper with a red sash and red socks and had to change to become the Tigers, because Kyabram wore red and black and Shepparton United was the Demons in the GVFL.

One idea would be for Rochester to play in its old Bendigo league guernsey when it plays Echuca, just to really stoke the fire even more.

A rivalry round would also give a club such as the Shepparton Swans a chance to acknowledge its Lemnos tradition.

I am sure it would gladden the hearts of the club’s older supporters to see the Swans run around in the old red guernsey, with a white swan emblazoned on the front.

Tatura has worn various configurations of red, white and blue for most of its history.

For most of the 1950s and 60s, the Bulldogs wore red, white and blue panels (ala St Kilda) on their jumper.

Mansfield was the Blues in the Waranga North-East league from 1946 until 1976, when it went into the Tungamah league and became the Demons.

The club switched colours to blue and gold when it entered the GVFL in 1998 and adopted the nickname the Eagles.

Shepparton could become the Maroons again when it faces United.

Maybe the ghost of Jack Edwards and the spirit of Tommy Hafey could inspire Shepparton to success again.

We all know it would love nothing better than to beat United – and vice versa.

All of the league’s clubs have rich histories, with a significant rivalry with their neighbours.

A rivalry round would make for a great celebration of the heritage of all the clubs in the league.

For many years, Rochester and Echuca played for the George Ogilvie Trophy.

Like Jim Clark, Ogilvie coached both clubs with great distinction.

The trophy has fallen into a state of disrepair. The revival of a trophy named in honour of Jim Clark would be a fitting tribute.