It was the best side all season and it proved it when it counted most.
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The Corey Carver and Kaine Herbert coached Kyabram won its fourth Goulburn Valley League flag in 10 years at Deakin Reserve on Sunday to add to the glory of finishing as the minor premier.
The young and old Bombers held their nerve against a fierce Rochester side to claim the flag by 30 points –13.14 to 8.14.
Match stats revealed Kyabram had the ball in its 50m arc once more than the Tigers 53 to 52, but the Tigers didn’t convert as often as the Bombers did.
The only time the Tigers were in front in the clash was in the first few minutes when Drew Lloyd slotted the first goal of the premiership showdown, played before a large crowd in cold and sometimes drizzly conditions.
After busy small man Liam Ogden booted Kyabram’s first goal a couple of minutes later, the Bombers were never headed and at stages got their lead out to 40-plus points.
At half-time Kyabram held a 31-point lead, but key forward Tom Holman broke the game wide open and propelled Kyabram to a match-winning lead with the first three goals of the third term when the Bombers had the advantage of a two-to-three-goal westerly breeze.
Holman, who has stood up magnificently in the finals series, was again Kyabram’s top goal-kicker with four for the match.
Once he gets his marking game on song he is almost unbeatable.
He was outpointed in the first half by a tenacious Flynn O’Keefe, but was able to swing the game decisively in Kyabram’s favour with his third-term aerial heroics and straight kicking.
Young gun Nic Jephson, Coby McCarthy and winger Ogden each with two goals added scoreboard pressure, while Riley Ironside, Kaine Herbert and Anthony Depasquale also helped to keep Kyabram’s scoreline ticking over.
McCarthy saved his best game in a lengthy and injury-interrupted first season with the club until it mattered most.
He was part of Kyabram’s lethal midfield and on-ball brigade, which again was the key to the Bombers’ win.
Zac Norris dominated the ruck all day, and co-skipper and ruck partner Aidan Robinson was also effective on the ball and in defence.
The Kyabram running machines Mick Mattingly and Herbert had a huge say in the final result with their tireless efforts and were backed to the hilt by Archie Watt, Jack Russell, McCarthy and Josh Dillon in freeing up the ball from stoppages.
And the Kyabram defence, led by veteran marvel Jason Morgan and the prince of interceptors Brad Whitford, again stood up with plenty of support from Jack Sheldon, Cooper Vick, Jake Parkinson and Robinson.
Young guns Angus Scoble, Bohden Learmonth, Jephson and Oscar Dixon have also been fast tracked this season and will benefit from the experience they have gained playing in a premiership side.
Rochester didn’t have the depth of class players as Kyabram, but never shirked an issue and would have finished a lot closer only for a bout of last-quarter yips when kicking for goal. It scored 2.10 for the quarter.
Ryan O'Keefe, Mitch Trewhella, Cooper and Wil Hamilton, James McPhee, Hamish Heine and Sean Williams were able to get into the game at times and have an impact.
But this was Kyabram’s flag to lose, and the Bombers showed they were hell-bent on this not happening and prove they were the best team all season on the day it counted most.
My best for Kyabram were: Mick Mattingly, Kaine Herbert Jason Morgan, Zac Norris, Brad Whitford, Aidan Robinson, Jack Russell, Tom Holman, Coby McCarthy.