But Sheldon’s brother Jack, a 2019 premiership player, will line up with Kyabram again.
Tom has been a highly respected and vital member of the Kyabram side since switching from Nathalia after it had won the Murray Football League flag in 2012.
He was a member of the Dave Williams-coached Kyabram team that claimed its first flag for 17 years in 2013 and won the Wilf Cox medal in that game for being best afield.
The long-kicking left footer spent two years as a punter with North Carolina in 2016 and 2017 and returned to play with the Bombers in its beaten grand final team in 2018. He then skippered the side to its 2019 flag win against Echuca.
Tom will leave the Bombers an agonising one game short of playing 100 senior games with the club and will make it four 2019 Kyabram premiership players in the Moama ranks next season.
Josh Pell spent this year there and next year will have 2019 Kyabram premiershjp teammates in Sam Sheldon, Axel Child and Tom Sheldon alongside him again.
Tom’s departure means Kyabram will go into the 2022 season without at least seven of its 2019 flag-winning side.
Others who will be missing next season are Morrison Medallist Mick Mattingly, who is playing in the South Australian Football League, Patrick Wearden and premiership skipper Josh Vick.
But two key players in the 2019 premiership line-up, utility Tom Holman and Jake Reeves, are coming on board under Paul Newman, who has taken the coaching reins again from co-coaches Brad Edwards and Mattingly.
Tough and skilful onballer Zac Keogh and prolific possession gatherer Kaine Herbert were welcome additions to the Kyabram ranks this season and will be around again next year.
Newman is confident Kyabram still has the nucleus of a strong side, with the likes of Keogh, Herbert, Lachie Smith, Jason Morgan, Zac Norris, Brad Mangan, Reeves, Kyle Mueller, Jack Sheldon, Brad Whitford, Josh Dillon, Cade Mueller, Cooper Vick and super veteran Kayne Pettifer.
He believes these players combined with natural further improvement of younger players led by Aidan Robinson, Liam Dillon, Riley Ironside, Billy McLay, Cade Mueller, Sam Langley, Liam Dillon, Mitch Gugliotti and Tom Burnett to name a few can keep the Bombers competitive again in 2022.
And the Bombers are chasing a midfield recruit with plenty of credentials, which will be an added bonus.
Newman plans to start pre-season on November 29 and hopes to get in about six sessions before Christmas, resuming in mid-January after a break for the festive season.
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