Kyabram got a timely wake-up call on Saturday on the eve of the GVL finals, forced to produce a dominant last quarter to shake off non-finalists Seymour in the penultimate home-and-away round.
In the game on their home turf the Bombers squandered an early 40-point lead and when Seymour kicked the first goal of the last term it had bridged the margin to just three points after dominating the second half of the second quarter and third term.
In fact the Bombers went goalless for nearly a 40-minute period from the second quarter to late in the third term.
The momentum switch was almost instant once Seymour hit its straps and took charge from the stoppages.
Co-coach Corey Carver said his side was ‘‘good and bad’’ over the course of the game but was pleased how they responded when staring down defeat in the last term.
But he warned his charges will need to bring a four-quarter effort to have a chance of beating second-placed Shepparton this Saturday.
When the Bombers were alight early on Saturday the Ogdens, Liam and Eammon, ruckman Marcus Khoo, Kaine Herbert, Anthony Depasquale, Bailey Tome, Jackson Griffiths, Josh Dillon and Will Golds were leading the way.
The Ogdens and Depasquale put their hands up all game and Brad Whitford and Jason Morgan came into their own in defence. But Seymour’s pressure and hard running overwhelmed the Kyabram side at stages and made them look second rate.
Kyabram scored only one goal in each of the second and third terms and with all the momentum with Seymour going into the last term suggested it would be hard to hold out.
But one thing the Bombers have shown all season has been their ability to rise to occasions against the odds and this was another example.
Three successive last-quarter goals from Depasquale and one to Riley Ironside wrestled the momentum back in Kyabram’s favour and eventually delivered a 16-point win.
The big pluses out of the game for Kyabram were another goal kicking clinic from Depasquale, the fightback against the trend of the game and the return of defensive pillar Jason Morgan.
Depasquale continued his stellar season to finish with six goals, mainly from powerful contested marks with a bit of soccer magic thrown in as well.
Playing his first game for seven weeks, Morgan got better as the game progressed and by the end of it was doing things he has done consistently throughout his long and illustrious career with the club - stopping everything that came his way.
The Bombers face Shepparton this Saturday in the final round and if they win or go close to winning will hold fifth spot. But a heavy loss and big Euroa win over Mansfield could see them slip to sixth which would put them into a sudden death elimination final with Rochester in the first week of the finals.
My best for Kyabram were Brad Whitford, Anthony Depasquale, Liam Ogden, Bailey Tome, Eammon Ogden, Jackson Griffiths, Marcus Khoo and Jason Morgan.
X Kyabram’s reserves won a low-scoring dourly fought thriller to hold third place on the ladder.
Goals were a premium - only a total of five goals from both sides in the first three quarters - in trying, damp conditions but the Bombers rallied against the trend in the last term to kick three goals to get over the line by a point.
With Jayden Fitzgerald taking control in the ruck in the last term at the centre bounces Bailey White and Bailey Pyke both slotted goals before skipper Will Wild calmy put the winning goal on the board.
White was busy all game for the Bombers along with defender David Coulthard.
Adam Pulsoni was also one of their better players in the midfield while Riley Gallivan , as usual, gave it his all.
Steve Drake, Danyon Stockdale and Brenton Brasier also made valuable contributions in the win.
The Bombers should beat Shepparton in the final round this Saturday to hold third place on the ladder which would mean an elimination final battle with Shepparton Swans in the first week of the finals.
X Kyabram’s thirds went down by 11 points in a grim struggle in trying conditions to a side which has accounted for the previously unbeaten Echuca and second-placed Shepparton in recent rounds.
The Bombers had their chances but didn’t take them in a spirited display.
Rising talent Charlie Isaac showed the way on-ball for the Bombers where he had to take on the role of ruckman when Liam Mason was injured.
Midfielders and onballer Hunter Fawcett, Tyler Norman, Lachy Carver and Cohen Hooper won plenty of the ball and skipper Oscar Dixon and Cooper Learmonth also did their bit to try and pull off the win.
Going into the final round in sixth spot this Saturday Kyabram has a 12 per cent and a one-game buffer over seventh-placed Rochester but faces Shepparton, one of the flag favourites.
Third placed Rochester takes on Shepparton United in a game which it should win but the teaser is will it be enough to tip the Bombers out of the top six if they don’t upset Shepparton.