After being blown away early by Euroa before staging a spirited but unsuccessful second-half comeback, the Bombers now make the long trip to Mansfield to keep their finals chances alive against another of the teams also jostling for a top-six spot with only five home-and-away rounds remaining.
The Bombers had yet another pre-match setback a Euroa when utility Will Golds withdrew with a leg injury, necessitating young talent Tyler Norman being taken off the field in the thirds clash to take his place.
But the Bombers did have additions in Liam Ogden, Brad Whitford and Jackson Griffiths as well as Bendigo Pioneers players Archie Watt and Nic Jephson from the previous week.
But Kyabram’s best player from the previous week, Bailey Tome, was called on to play with VFL side Box Hill and another key player, Jason Morgan, nursing a hamstring strain, also missed again.
In contrast to their blistering start the previous week against Rochester, the Bombers put in their most dismal first half of football for the season, conceding seven of the eight goals scored and posting only two majors.
At one stage Kyabram went goalless for over 40 minutes and had to revert to kicking backwards to try to find a way forward.
Co-coach Corey Carver summed it up perfectly at half-time when he said there was actually some good news out of his team’s tame first-half effort — his charges couldn’t possibly play any worse.
In a spirited revival, the Bombers, led by onballers and midfielders Anthony Depasquale, Liam Ogden, Archie Watt, Kaine Herbert, ruckman Marcus Khoo, Riley Ironside and Eamonn Ogden, sprang to life, kicking five goals in nine minutes at the start of the third term.
Depasquale bobbed up everywhere and his two goals helped him reach the 50-goal milestone for the season to hold the lead on the league’s goalkicking list.
Baby Bombers in Watt, Norman, Jephson and Bohden Learmonth also pulled their weight in the resurgence.
Veteran forward Brad Mangan suddenly found the ball coming in quickly and outbustled his opponent to kick two goals in the revival and another two for the last half.
In the first half, Kyabram’s defence was under siege as Euroa ran the Bombers ragged and dominated stoppages and aerial duels.
Jack McKernan was a big thorn in Kyabram’s defence where Brad Whitford, Mitch Dodos and Jake Parkinson battled bravely against the odds.
Kyabram’s stunning third-term comeback carried it to within two straight kicks of the lead but Euroa was able to regroup and get late goals to keep the visitors at bay in the last term to record a deserved 16-point win.
Despite the loss, the Bombers were able to hold sixth spot on the ladder on percentage from Mansfield, which slipped to seventh with its loss to Shepparton Swans, who have now entered the finals picture with their win.
Mansfield is equal on premiership points with the Bombers and just a couple of straight kicks in arrears in percentage, so the outcome of this Saturday’s clash is crucial to both teams.
The Euroa-Shepparton Swans clash this Saturday is another huge duel that could have fatal consequences as far as finals ambitions go for the loser.
My best for Kyabram were Anthony Depasquale, Brad Whitford, Kaine Herbert, Liam Ogden, Marcus Khoo, Archie Watt, Riley Ironside and Mitch Dodos.
• Kyabram reserves faded in the second half in a 28-point loss that dropped them from third to fourth on the ladder.
The Bombers were a point up at half-time but kicked only 3.3 in the second half to the home team’s 8.3.
The Bombers had to again call up thirds players to make up the numbers, but the players, as usual, gave it their all.
Talented Miller Griffiths, back from the seniors, was a prominent player in the midfield as were onballers Riley Gallivan, Bailey Pyke and ruckman Brenton Brasier.
Up forward, Will Wild and Dylan Argus presented and together kicked more than half of Kyabram’s seven goals.
• Kyabram thirds were overrun in the last term but hold sixth spot with a two-game buffer on the seventh-placed side, Seymour.
The young Bombers held a 16-point break at the last change after kicking 4.1 to 1.2 in the third term to seemingly take control. But the home side mounted a successful challenge, getting home by five points with the last kick of the match.
Cohen Hooper, Charlie Isaac and Callum Leocata had big says in Kyabram’s lead at three-quarter time but Tyler Norman’s departure after a late call-up to the seniors certainly didn’t help the Kyabram cause.
Hamish Stewart and Jack Doolan, both with three goals, and Danny Miller with two, kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Bombers.
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