In what Tom describes as a ‘‘family thing’’. he has signed to play with Heathcote District Football League club Lockington-Bamawm United for the 2021 season.
Holman said it was a tough decision to leave the Bombers but deep family ties with the Lockington-Bamawm club had influenced his decision.
‘‘Dad (Peter) played there and two of my first cousins (James and Ben McPhee) play there at present,” Holman said.
“Their new coach Brodie Collins is a second cousin and all up there will six players with family links playing in the side.’’
Holman, who has just turned 24, has played 80 senior games with Kyabram and has been a member of its last four premiership sides - 2013 under David Williams and the 2016-17-19 flags under Paul Newman.
While Holman has made his name as a defender, he is versatile and can go forward or play in the midfield.
He was one of the stars in last season’s premiership win over Echuca and was being touted as a future Kyabram captain.
Holman is currently undertaking a fitters and turners apprenticeship in Sunshine and is living at Geelong with his brother.
He will travel each weekend to play with Lockington.
So have the Bombers seen the last of Holman?
‘‘No I will definitely be back one day, I love the club,’’ he said.
Apart from the loss of Holman, most of last year’s Kyabram premiership side and senior squad members have committed to playing with the club next season.
They include reigning Morrison Medallist Mick Mattingly who has joined Brad Edwards as co-coach.
Other members of last year’s flag-winning side who will line up again are assistant coach Lachie Smith, Kyle Mueller, Kayne Pettifer, Brad Mangan, Tom and Jack Sheldon, Brad Whitford, Zac Norris, Josh Dillon, Luke Morris and Riley Ironside.
Other senior squad members who will play again are triple best and fairest winner Jason Morgan, who missed last year, Cade Mueller and Reid Crowe while recruits include Kyabram League star Kane Herbert from Undera and Echuca United best and fairest winner Nic Denahy.
Some of the club’s talented emerging young players in Cooper Vick, Aidan Robinson, Tom Burnett, Mitch Gugliotti and Sam Langley have also committed while Sean Dillon has also returned to the club.
In more positive news for the club, Tom Curnow is returning from Echuca United to co-coach the Kyabram reserves.
Curnow will team up with former players Scott McCormack and Danny Kent, who had been appointed as joint coaches for this year before COVID-19 struck.
Curnow didn’t play a game with the Murray League club last year after suffering an ACL injury pre-season.
But with extended time recovering due to the coronavirus pandemic, he is looking forward to getting back and playing with his home club.
‘‘It will be great to work with Danny and Scotty and hopefully we can get some players back from our premiership sides of 2017 and 2018 and a few other players we are chasing,’’ Curnow said.
Kyabram’s reserves ranks of its 2017-2018 Mark Dillon-coached premiership winning sides were depleted with mass departures after the 2018 flag win.
As a result, the team struggled to win games last season.
Curnow’s last game with Kyabram in its 2018 reserves premiership side was his 100th reserves game with the club. He has also played 19 senior games.
‘‘It would be nice if the body holds up to try to play seniors again,” Curnow said.
“We’ll see what happens but I’m just happy to back with the club.”
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