The Bombers built an eight-goal buffer with a rampant first term, but scraped home by only a straight kick — 13.8 to 12.8 — after a spirited fightback from the home side in the last three quarters.
The young Bombers nearly stopped to a walk in the last term, kicking only two points to Seymour’s 4.1.
It may have been a different story if Seymour had made the most of its chances on goal, particularly in the first half when it missed some sitters in front of the big sticks.
Saying that, the bottom line was Kyabram did hang on to win and record its third victory from five games this season to keep themselves well in finals contention.
And they did it with two of their star players Mick Mattingly and Jason Morgan on the ground for only half a game, and another in Brad Mangan on the sidelines injured, which added to the significance of the young Kyabram team’s win.
The Bombers blitzed a shell shocked home side in the first term with Anthony Depasquale and Mitch Dodos unstoppable up forward, bagging five goals between them in a seven goal to one opening stanza and reaping the dominance of Kyabram’s onballers and midfielders led by Mattingly, Liam Ogden, Kaine Herbert and ruckman Cameron Khoo.
Depasquale continued his stellar start to the season to finish with five goals.
After quarter-time, Seymour upped the ante physically and gradually worked its way into the game and eventually a winning position.
But some fine defensive work, particularly from Aidan Robinson, Mitch Dodos, Jake Torney and the work of onballers led by Ogden and Khoo, enabled Kyabram to hang on in the tense finish.
Robinson took some strong pack grabs at vital stages to show he is nearing peak form after a delayed start to the season through injury.
With the departure of Lachie Smith (see Sporting Snapshots), and its other defensive pillar Jason Morgan off the ground for most of the last half, Robinson is one of the players the Bombers can start building their defensive future around if he can hold that form.
The Bombers welcomed back a classy trio in Khoo, Charlie Barnett and Mattingly for the game and are obviously a better side with their presence, although Mattingly was an early departure and Barnett also suffered an injury.
But the big concern out of the narrow win was the inability of some of the Kyabram players to get themselves into the game when Seymour had the momentum.
Many players just didn’t heed the golden rule of manning up in these circumstances and will need to improve in this area against better sides than Seymour or will be found wanting.
Kyabram hosts Tatura this Saturday and the battling Bulldogs would like nothing better than to upset the Bombers, so they need to be aware.
My best for Kyabram were: Liam Ogden, Anthony Depasquale, Cameron Khoo, Kaine Herbert, Aidan Robinson, Jake Torney, Eamonn Ogden and Mitch Dodos.
– A depleted Kyabram reserves side again showed a lot of fight to keep its winning streak going.
The Bombers had to call on players from the thirds to make up the numbers as the Bombers got home by nine points in an arm wrestle for most of the game.
It was the work of in-from defender Riley Gallivan and experienced players in Josh and Will Wild, Liam Dillon and Noah Ryan, who were able to swing the result Kyabram’s way in a dourly fought affair.
Ben Railton, Bailey Pyke, Tom Bruhn and thirds players in Archer Guinan and Nic Smart stood out at times to help get the desired result.
– Kyabram thirds had a hero at the end of its clash with under-16 player Charlie Isaac slotting two goals from crowded pack situations in the dying minutes to snatch a two-point win for his team.
Isaac had been prominent all day on the ball and in defence and has taken the step up to the higher grade in impressive fashion.
It wasn’t looking good when the young Bombers fell three goals behind early on a soggy ground in the last term after trailing by 10 points at the final change. But they rallied after a goal from classy thirds player Shaun Doolan and the Isaac magic double goal act in the dying stages, getting Kyabram over the line.
Apart from Isaac, another under-16 player in James Hargreaves also stood out along with Josh Gentle on the wings, while midfielder Lachie Carver and Nic Smart set the bar high in their endeavours with strong games.
Ruckman Hunter Chalmers, Jack Doolan and Archer Guinan also had a decent crack and skipper Oscar Dixon, in doubt because of sickness all week, proved effective in containing some skyscraper players in the Seymour side at vital stages.
Kyabram coach Peter Ryan praised his team’s will-to-win as the vital ingredient in the fighting victory.
‘‘We had our backs to the wall and the players really dug in to get the result we wanted,’’ Ryan said.
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