Kyabram’s Brad Mangan lines up a shot on goal from distance. Photo: Rechelle Zammit
Look out – Kyabram is peaking at the right time of the season.
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Building on a runaway win against Shepparton United the previous week Kyabram claimed the scalp of Mooroopna on Saturday at Mooroopna – also in emphatic fashion.
Co-coach Corey Carver acknowledged Mooroopna was not at full strength, but was full of praise for his players.
He was particularly happy his team had put to together four quarters for the second game running and every player again had a made a contribution.
Inspired by a goal-kicking clinic from Anthony Depasquale and Mitch Dodos the Bombers smashed the fourth placed side by 55 points — 16.14 to 8.7 — in the commanding win.
Mooroopna’s Bayden Fallon lays a tackle as Kyabram's Liam Dillon gets a kick away. Photo: Rechelle Zammit
Strange as it may seem it’s the only the second time (Rochester was the first in round two) Kyabram has beaten a top six side this season and it came with the added bonus of assuring the side will now contest every GVL finals series since 2014.
The talented and skilled Depasquale sparked the Bombers into action early, booting Kyabram’s first three goals in an even first term.
He then kicked the first goal of the second quarter to start Kyabram’s dominance in the game.
He added another three majors later in the game to take his season tally to 61 to hold a comfortable lead on the league’s goal-kicking list.
The tall Dodos was almost as effective at the goal front as Depasquale with a career-high five-goal haul and some heady knock-on play in congested situations which also resulted in goals.
But the Bombers again performed without any passengers in another top team effort with sharing the ball and hard running and tackling features of their relentless display.
Kyabram ruckman Marcus Khoo had a good battle in the ruck hit-outs with Cats big man Keelin Betson and contributed well again in general play.
Its on-ball and midfield brigade led by Liam Ogden, Bailey Tome, Jackson Griffiths Kaine Herbert, Bohden Learmonth, Will Gold, Josh and Liam Dillon and Eamonn Ogden ensured the Kyabram forwards got plenty of chances to kick goals.
But as the final scores indicated many shots on goal went begging from relative easy chances.
Kyabram’s defence again stood tall.
With the early season departure of champion interceptor Lachie Smith and an injury-plagued season from another of its defensive pillars Jason Morgan the Bombers’ defensive unit has performed remarkably well and above expectations all season.
Full-back Aidan Robinson is the most improved player on Kyabram’s list who leads from the front with committed attacks on the ball and the ability to win the one-on-one aerial duels.
Kyabram’s Brad Whitford celebrated his 100th game with the club with another top display. Photo: Aidan Briggs
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Aidan Briggs
Brad Whitford is the other standout defender who reads the ball as well as any other player in the Kyabram side.
It was his 100th game with the club on Saturday and turned in his usual reliable display.
Robinson and Whitford received great support from Jake Torney, Cooper Vick and Jake Parkinson with Charlie Barnett’s return adding even greater flexibility.
Kyabram is expected to have Morgan, Riley Ironside and Tom Burnett available for the next game against Seymour on Saturday week which is going to present some pleasant headaches for selectors in the team’s current form.
The Bombers rest with the split round this weekend and then face Seymour and Shepparton, both at home, in the remaining home and away rounds which will decide where they finish in the final six and will meet either Mooroopna, Euroa or Rochester in the cut-throat first week of finals.
My best for Kyabram were: Anthony Depasquale, Mitch Dodos, Liam Ogden, Aidan Robinson, Marcus Khoo, Bailey Tome, Brad Whitford, Jackson Griffiths.
· It was a Wild win for the reserves with Kyabram romping home by 100 points with a dominant last three quarters, including an 11-goal last half in which it kept its rivals scoreless.
Mooroopna was down on numbers and it was a 15 players-a-side game.
The Wilds — Matt and William — bagged nine of Kyabram’s 17 goals and did the finishing off work of Adam Pulsoni, who turned in a best-on-ground performance in the midfield and Steve Drake, Danyon Stockdale and Makyah Pratt who played on the ball and in defence.
Matt Wild has added vital aerial power to the Kyabram side since his mid-season appearance and booted five goals and skipper Will slotted four majors in another lead from-the-front display.
Caleb Williams and Khy Stovell, who have both played at senior level this season, made a brief appearance in the game after injuries.
· Kyabram thirds reversed an earlier season loss to Mooroopna with a strong finish to win by 20 points.
It was a tough slog and the game was in the balance at three-quarter time.
But Kyabram kicked 2.1 to 0.1 in the last term to secure the premiership points and strengthen its spot in the top six.
But it has tough remaining games against Seymour, which beat the previously unbeaten top side Echuca on Saturday, and then faces second-paced Shepparton in the final round.
On Saturday Kyabram got top games from on-ballers Lachy Carver and Charlie Isaac, key forward Danny Miller, who kicked three goals, while defenders Max “Nugget” Carroll and captain Oscar Dixon, Cohen Hooper and Cooper Learmonth were prominent in the fighting win.
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