Goulburn Valley captain Daniel Johnston says the league's drought-breaking win over the Ovens and Murray on Saturday is payback for the passion of its supporters.
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The GV ended a three-match losing streak and claimed the Ash-Wilson Trophy for the first time since 2010 with an inaccurate 8.15 (63) to 7.6 (48) win at Shepparton's Deakin Reserve.
The Ash-Wilson Trophy is named after former GV star midfielder Stephen Ash and O and M stalwart Mick Wilson.
"You can see the passionate supporters who follow the clubs and the league itself, it's massive for them," Johnston said.
Since the teams started playing annually after COVID, the O and M had posted 55 and seven-point wins in 2022 and last year respectively.
There's tremendous rivalry as to which is the strongest country league, with the interleague fixture the obvious comparison.
The O and M bolted to a 28-point lead early in the second quarter, but the GV dominated from there, kicking five unanswered goals in the second half until Yarrawonga's Perry Lewis-Smith stopped the run with only five minutes left.
The visitors' poor showing will again raise questions over how a league can field as close to its All-Star lineup as possible but, given the competitive nature at club level, some players just want a break.
Coach Damian Sexton has coached the league since the annual format started.
"There might be someone out there that wants to do it, I certainly don't own the job, it's whatever is best for the league," he offered.
The leagues first met in 1930.
The O and M will now turn its attention back to club level with a blockbuster between Albury and Wangaratta on Saturday, with the Albury Sportsground clash also doubling as a 'Big Freeze' event to raise funds for motor neurone disease (MND).
