But not before the young, injury-ravaged Kyabram Bombers staged one of their spirited revivals, which has kept them in winning contention in all their games in the early part of the Goulburn Valley League season.
This time, the comeback was impressive against the trend of the play but fell short in the end.
The visiting Mansfield side ran away in the finish, positing an impressive 31-point win — 16.15 to 12.10.
That margin may have flattered the Bombers a little because the visitors were mainly in control for three of the four quarters.
If they had kicked straight in the second term, the game would have been over by half-time when they still held a handsome six-goal lead.
Fired by some inspirational play from Anthony Depasquale, Liam Ogden, Kaine Herbert, Josh Dillon and Jason Morgan, the Bombers mounted a character-filled comeback, which resulted in them snatching the lead with a minute to go in the third term after kicking six unanswered goals.
But the Eagles, always quicker and more hurtful with their delivery by hand or foot, wrestled the lead back with a goal in the final seconds, the first of six goals for the remainder of the game to Kyabram’s one.
Apart from the efforts of Despasquale, who slotted three goals in that quarter and finished with five for the game, the Bombers’ Herbert, Ogden and Morgan had some of its ‘unknown’ teammates put their hands up to get involved.
Kaleb Williams on a back flank was in everything in the best of his handful of senior games so far.
The Burnett brothers — Will, who rucked tirelessly for the entire game in the absence of Cameron Khoo, and Tom on a wing — battled hard and first gamers in Miller Griffith and Noah Ryan showed enough to suggest they aren’t out of place in this company.
Veteran defender Jason Morgan, back for his second game for the season, Queensland recruit Jackson Griffiths, Jake Torney, Eamonn Ogden, Jake Parkinson and Cooper Vick all lifted along with young forward Nick Jepson and Mitch Dodos when switched to attack.
The Bombers lost its most physical and experienced forward in Brad Mangan in the first half, which reduced Kyabram’s goalscoring potential, while Morgan was feeling an old hamstring strain in the second half.
Depasquale proved a reliable go-to in Kyabram’s attack, which he has been all season.
On paper, at least, this Kyabram side is only a shadow of what looks like its best side.
On Saturday, Mick Mattingly was a late withdrawal after another hamstring tinge at training; ruck find Khoo, key defender Lachie Smith, Charlie Barnett, Riley Ironside and, Will Golds and Brad Whitford, all walk-up starts in Kyabram’s best team, were missing which magnifies Kyabram’s plucky effort even more.
Mattingly, Khoo, Smith and Barnett should all return for this week’s trip to Seymour, but Morgan is in doubt, and Mangan will miss with a back injury.
Ironside (compound leg fracture), Whitford (knee), and Golds (dislocated elbow from the United game) all have long-term injuries.
Kyabram coach Corey Carver again praised his young players for their application but acknowledged Mansfield was the better side with its cleaner delivery and running power.
My best for Kyabram were Anthony Depasquale, Kaine Herbert, Liam Ogden, Caleb Williams, Jason Morgan, and Will Burnett.
• Kyabram’s reserves continued their hot form to account for Mansfield by 62 points.
The clash was a 16-player-a-side affair because of a COVID-19 outbreak reducing Mansfield’s numbers.
Kyabram had a telling first half, led by Nohan Ryan, who was elevated to the senior team at half-time after Mick Mattingly’s withdrawal.
Riley Gallivan, in defence, was the standout in an even Kyabram side with plenty of support from Will McDonell, who made a welcome return to the side.
Danyon Stockdale, recruited for the game from Stanhope, which had the bye in the Kyabram District Football League, also proved hard to pass in defence.
Tom Bruhn in the centre and Liam Dillon, in his 50th game, generated a lot of positive drive.
Bailey Pyke and skipper Will Wild proved productive in the forward line. Together, they scored five of Kyabram’s 12 goals.
Kyabram has another winnable game this Saturday against another top six side, Seymour, so will need to be ready.
• A purple patch of goalkicking in the third term proved the difference between Kyabram and Mansfield in the thirds clash.
The Bombers booted six unanswered goals to turn a 10-point half-time deficit into a 27-point lead at the last change.
Mansfield dug deep in the last quarter but missed some chances but still made up some leeway on the scoreboard to get within 11 points at the finish.
For the Bombers, skipper Oscar Dixon led from the front in defence and got solid support from Max (Nugget) Carroll and under-16s star Charlie Isaac when not on the ball, where he also did well.
Liam Mason rucked well all game, and he and the versatile Archer Guinan in the midfield and defence did a lot of good work.
Classy young players Nick Smart and Hamish Stewart, both with three goals, applied scoreboard pressure, but most Kyabram players were in the game at times.
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