Kyabram’s 2023 line-up is filled with September specialists and the Bombers’ ranking as the best contested marking team in the Goulburn Valley League is no more important than in the spring conditions that come hand-in-hand with finals time.
This year, however, the Bombers’ “one wood’’ is also a strength of its major opposition for this year’s title — both Echuca and Seymour not far behind Kyabram in regard to their aerial capability.
Echuca, Seymour and Kyabram have been the three outstanding teams of the 2023 GVL season.
Reigning premier Echuca has had just the one hiccup against Seymour in round 10 (a 12-point loss), while the Lions have lost twice — by a single point to Kyabram in round seven and by 10 points to Shepparton in the final home and away round.
Shepparton has been the giant killer of the competition, upsetting Kyabram in round 14 by 20 points.
Kyabram’s other two defeats came against Echuca by 21 points at GV Creamery Oval in round two and by 37 points in round 13.
Echuca, as one might ascertain by its record for the past two years, has few flaws in its game.
It is the leading contested possession team, normally the domain of the Bombers, goes inside 50 more than any other team and lays more tackles in its forward zone than any of its 11 GVL rivals.
Seymour, in contrast, is a high ball use team that relies on its accurate field kicking to rack up countless uncontested possessions before taking the ball into a forward line that features several of the league’s best inside 50 marking players.
The Bombers rely on putting enough pressure on opposition mid-fielders to allow Lachie Smith, Brad Whitford, Riley Ironside and captain Jason Morgan to rack up intercept possessions at will.
Three of those are in the top 10 for the category in the competition.
Kyabram also has an advantage in the ruck, at least against Seymour, where vice-captain Zac Norris has been a tower of strength in 2023.
If they click, which they certainly didn’t the last time the Bombers played Echuca, Kyle Mueller, Brad Mangan, Tom Holman and Kayne Pettifer offer plenty of headaches to opposition defensive units.
All four, in recent weeks at least, have added a defensive element to their games that will be vital to the Bombers extending their stay beyond week two of the finals.
– Teenager Archie Watt set tongues wagging in September last year when he kicked six goals in a losing Kyabram Under-16s team.
Watt was a stand out for the under-age Bombers in the finals series, kicking eight goals in two games and becoming the talk of the town with his spectacular mid-field and forward craft.
Fast forward 12 months and the teenager was a member of the Bombers’ winning senior team on Saturday, collecting 15 disposals, credited with five inside 50s and a handful of clearances — and kicking a goal.
In between school football commitments he has played four Under-18s games and five senior appearances with the Bombers while also making his debut as a bottom-age player with Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League.
Watt has an opportunity to add to his reputation this weekend.
HOW THE BOMBERS MEASURE UP
Ranked 1: Echuca (17 wins, 1 loss)
STRENGTHS
– Teams average only 48.88 points against Echuca this season, while the Murray Bombers average 105 points.
– Averaging 137.1 contested possessions, Echuca is 10 clear of its nearest rival (Euroa) and averages 15 more in this category than Kyabram.
– Every week Echuca has had, on average, five more inside 50 entries than any other GVL team.
– Echuca has the league’s highest tackle count, averaging 11 more than Seymour and 13 mor than Kyabram (last with 49.5 a week).
– With 12.7 forward 50 tackles every week the Murray Bombers are the best at keeping the ball inside their attacking zone and they lead the GVL in centre clearances.
WEAKNESSES
– Echuca earns less free kicks than 10 of its 11 rivals (Kyabram the only team worse off).
– Clutching at straws, but Echuca is ranked 11th for effective kick ins.
Bad news is that is just about it when it comes to statistical flaws in the Murray Bombers game.
Ranked 2: Seymour (16 wins, 2 losses)
STRENGTHS
– Seymour takes more uncontested marks than any other team and is the best team for effectively rebounding out of its defensive 50.
– Every week, on average, Seymour has 26 more effective disposals than its opposition.
WEAKNESSES
– Seymour has the second least amount of hit outs to advantage in the GVL, is ninth for hit outs and is second last for clearances in the GVL.
– Seymour is ranked second last for overall pressure acts.
– The Lions receive the third last free kicks of any team, only Echuca and Kyabram behind them (ironically the three top teams)
Ranked 3: Kyabram (15 wins/3 losses)
STRENGTHS
– Kyabram takes more intercept and contested marks than any other team.
– The Bombers are second only to Echuca in regard to centre clearances and has more ruck gathers than any other team.
WEAKNESSES
– Kyabram is the league’s most inaccurate team, kicking an averaging of almost 10 behinds a week (and 13 goals).
– The Bombers lay only 49.5 tackles a week, second least in the GVL.