Kyabram has had a “chalk and cheese” start to its Goulburn Valley League season after giving an early indication that it was favouring a more high-possession game in its opening match of the season.
Saturday evening’s wet weather and class of opposition may have contributed to the fact the Bombers went from being the most high possession team in the league (352 disposals in round one) to having 73 less disposals in round two.
Round one’s convincing win against Rochester pointed to a new style of football for the Bombers, a higher possession and greater ball control game to suit the skilful mid-field now amassed at GV Creamery Oval.
LIKE ‘NIGHT & DAY’
Round one: Kyabram 12.14 (86) d Rochester 7.6 (48)
Round two: Kyabam 8.14 (62) lost to Echuca 13.5 (83)
Round one disposals: 352. Round two: 279.
R1 marks: 108. R2: 66.
R1 (20-plus disposal players): 7. R2: 2.
R1 clearance count: 45-16. R2: 24-46.
R1one Inside 50 count: 55-30. R2: 44-55
R1 pressure acts: 76-34. R2: 12-44
In round one Bombers had 70 more possessions than their 2022 season average in the opening round and took 33 more marks.
The night game against Echuca at GV Creamery Oval in Kyabram on Saturday saw the team have just 279 disposals (44 less than Echuca) and 42 less marks than the Rochester match.
Kyabram was ranked ninth last season for total marks, but in round one was second and only five behind Seymour.
The Bombers took a total of 108 marks, compared to its 75.3 average last year.
It took nine less than its average on Saturday night, finishing with 66 (seven more than Echuca).
Seven players had more than 20 possessions in the round-one win against Rochester where the Bombers had more disposals than any other team in the competition (352 disposals).
On Saturday night, however, only two players had more than 20 possessions — Kaine Herbert (20) and Brad Whitfort (28).
Last season only two players averaged more than 20 disposals a game, prolific ball-winners Kaine Herbert (23.4) and Zac Keogh (22.3).
Kyabram rarely topped the 300-disposal mark during the season, with key-position player Lachlan Smith’s 17.2 disposal average the third best at Bomberland.
That is in contrast to last year’s status for Kyabram as the 11th-ranked team for total disposals, only 10 better than bottom-ranked Tatura.
There was not a significant difference in the amount of contested possessions the Bombers had in round one. In round two they were pretty much right on their 2022 average, with 133 (compared to Echuca’s 140).
Last year they averaged 130.5 in that category, third behind grand finalists Echuca and Euroa, and in round one they had 137 (third and only 14 behind top-ranked Echuca)
The difference in round one came in the amount of uncontested ball won by the Bombers as they shared the ball freely through the mid-field, resulting in seven players having more than seven marks.
In 2022 Lachie Smith averaged 9.2 marks, but next best was Jason Morgan and Tom Holman, who were the only other players to average five marks a game.
One thing that was consistent in round one was the Bombers contested and intercept marking games.
Last year they were ranked first and second in these categories and in round one they maintained top-three status.
In round two only two players, Lachie Smith and Whitford, took more than six marks (both with eight).
Aside from the 44-disposal difference, in Echuca’s favour, the ground ball and hard-ball gets were well in favour of the visiting team.
Echuca dominated the hit outs (46-24) and won the clearance count 43-31. That resulted in it also having 11 more inside 50 entries.
Last week at Rochester the Kyabram mid-field won the hit outs 36-13 and the clearances 45-16 (including 15-3 at centre clearances). They were beaten out of the centre to the tune of a 9-13 result in the Echuca match.