There is good news on the free kick front for frustrated supporters of Kyabram’s senior Goulburn Valley football team — the Bombers are giving away seven less free kicks a week in 2023.
But before those passionate fans who line the outskirts of GV Creamery Oval start to pop the champagne corks, the team is also receiving five less free kicks than it did throughout 2022.
In fact, there may be a new line of attack taken by those same spectators as the Bombers are now the 12th ranked (bottom) team in regard to free kicks paid to their players this year.
And not just by a little, Kyabram is paid just 16.3 free kicks a week (two less than 11th ranked Echuca and three less than 10th placed Mooroopna).
The Bombers have won just one free kick count this season, a 19-17 victory against Echuca in their only loss of the seven-week-old season.
On the weekend they lost by just one to Shepparton United, 19-20.
That 20 free kick total is equal to the most free kicks the team has earned in any game this year, one more than when the Bombers lost the free kick count by five to fifth round opponent Mooroopna.
On three occasions this year, Kyabram has earned less than 15 free kicks in an entire afternoon of football, while still ranked mid-field for the amount of free kicks it has given away.
On average, the Bombers have given away 22.16 free kicks every week this year, down significantly on last year when that figure was 29.6.
Last year the Bombers gave away a total of 563 free kicks, while being awarded only 408 for the season from its 19 games.
Euroa played three more games and still only had 500 free kicks paid against it and Echuca (the second worst team on the frees against list) played two more games and still gave away 25 less free kicks than the Bombers.
Kyabram had five players ranked inside the top 30 for free kicks against, Zach Keogh (yet to play a game this year) ranked fifth with a 31-41 frees for and against records, while Zac Norris was eighth with a 24-40 return and Jake Parkinson 14th with a 20-34 record.
Thomas Burnett (16-33, 16th) and Tom Holman (29-28) were the others high on the wrong side of the umpire’s whistle.
This year the most prominent players in regard to free kicks for and against do not feature anywhere near the top 10 in the league.
Charlie Barnett has earned just two free kicks this season, while giving eight away and Burnett (from five games) has a 4-12 for and against record in 2023.
Key defender Billy Barnes has also given away 10 free kicks, but has had five paid in his favour.
Norris has improved significantly, having a 4-4 free kick record, while Anthony De Pasquale has been quite prominent in the decision making process (having a 8-9 record).
Tatura’s umpire favourite Ethan Penrith has given away 25 free kicks this season, the most of any player in the competition.
Not surprisingly, Shepparton United’s Sheldon Bodgan is next on the list after he gave away the most free kicks (55) for the 2022 season.
A surprise, however, is the player to have matched his efforts as the league’s leading ball winner Will Hayes has also given away 23 free kicks.
Benalla ruckman Joshua Marchbank, who last year won 35 free kicks and had just six paid against him, is again at the top of the frees for list.
He has been paid 22 so far this season, just three behind Penrith and one behind Rochester mid-field bull Joe Atley.
Shepparton Swans is averaging the most free kicks in its favour it this year (29.6), with Shepparton close behind and Mansfield third (26).
It is the Eagles who are causing the umpires to blow the whistle the most this season, leading the free kick against count with an average of 27.9 a week.
Euroa (25.4) and Seymour (24.7) are next on the negative side of the ledger.
Kyabram has offended worst on the holding the ball count this season, 56 of the 175 free kicks paid against it for this ruling.
