Kyabram took the first of three required steps to qualify for the B-Reserve Goulburn Valley League netball finals series on Saturday.
The Bombers beat ninth-ranked Mooroopna by seven goals and is now equal on points with sixth-ranked Shepparton Swans with two rounds of competition remaining.
Less than 1 per cent separates the Bombers from the Swans, who have the better draw to finish the season – Kyabram coming up against top team Seymour and third-ranked Shepparton Bears in those last two weeks.
The unlikely equation is still mathematically possible after captain Rachael McCormack led her team to a 44-37 win, supported by star defender Taleera Depasquale.
McCormack started in goals, but moved to the centre and Tawnee Vocale (16 goals) joined Abbey Watson (25 goals) in the goaling circle.
Kyabram led by three goals at quarter-time, a margin it held going into half-time and then a 16-12 third term secured the game-winning margin.
Earlier this season the Bombers lost to Seymour by 15 goals and in round nine they lost to Shepparton by seven goals.
• In the under-17 competition Kyabram remains a game clear inside the top six, despite losing by 24 goals to now second-ranked Mooroopna on the weekend.
The Bombers face eighth-ranked Seymour and then top-of-the-ladder Shepparton in the final two rounds, needing to win at least one of those to even have a chance of making finals.
They then need to bank on Shepparton United (which has three games remaining in its season and is only one game behind the Bombers in seventh on the ladder) losing to third-ranked Shepparton Swans, fifth-ranked Rochester and not beating Tatura (11th) by too much in the remaining game.
Even that equation may not be enough as Shepparton United has a far superior percentage to the Bombers.
Against Mooroopna on Saturday the Bombers trailed by 20 goals at half-time, but made four changes and actually outscored their higher-ranked opposition in the final term. Defensive duo Grace Burnett and Stella Trezise stepped up in the second half to match it with their opposition, while Rose Cunningham shot 11 second-half goals to finish with 18 for the game.
The Bombers lost the game 54-30.
• Goulburn Valley League A-grade powerhouse Mooroopna shot 41 second-half goals against Kyabram on Saturday to confirm its ranking as the top team in the competition.
The Bombers were brave in the second term after they trailed by six at quarter-time. Natasha Dodos (18 goals for the game) shot seven second-quarter goals, but in the second half Kyabram managed only 10 goals to lose 28-70.
Abby Waasdorp and Isla Carver were again stand-outs in the mid-court and captain Jemma Hall battled gamely against quality opposition. Molly Carver came onto the court midway through the second term and played in goals alongside Dodos when Maia Roberts left the court.
• It was a similar scoreline in the B-grade game, second-ranked Mooroopna piling on 40 goals in the second half after leading by 27 at half-time.
It wasn’t entirely one-way traffic as Micaela Herbert shot 12 second-half goals in tandem with Molly Carver, who spent the first half at centre.
The 75-28 scoreline was set up by a 35-8 first half, after which Kyabram brought Sharni Clark and Rachel McCormack onto the court. Grace Kilpatrick was the pick of the defenders.
• In the under-15 game against second-ranked Mooroopna the Bombers were brave in quarters two and three when they matched it with their higher ranked opponent.
Kyabram trailed by six at quarter-time, despite Ella Hooper’s eight-goal term. Both teams scored 20 goals as the quarter-time margin remained in place.
In the final term Mooroopna doubled the 10th ranked Bombers’ total to win the game 46-34.
Mia Stockdale spent three quarters in the centre, before shooting two goals at goal attack in the final term. Ruby Baker replaced Stockdale in the centre, having been a solid contributor on a wing in the opening three terms.