Kyabram will be hungry to have a second crack at Goulburn Valley League premiership favourite Echuca after a semi-final that saw the Bombers on top for more than half of the match at Euroa’s Memorial Oval.
Echuca co-coach Sam Reid was the difference between the two teams, underlining his growing status as the most influential player in the competition with 30 disposal/three-goal game that featured eight clearances and nine tackles.
He and Cooper Barber kicked seven goals between them.
Echuca dominated the statistical count with 74 more disposals and 39 more marks in the 15.9 (99) to 11.16 (82) victory.
Both teams were missing stars going into the game, but the absence of number one Echuca ruckman Kane Morris would have been considered more impactful than veteran goalkicker Kayne Pettifer being out of the Bombers team.
Both players were suspended during the week, Pettifer copping a big whack for his act against Mansfield when he was suspended for five weeks.
Now Echuca has progressed to the grand final Morris will be available for the Sunday, September 24, game after accepting a one week penalty with an early plea.
Kyabram will meet Euroa in the preliminary final at Deakin Reserve on Sunday.
Reid’s 151 ranking points, 36 more than any other player on the ground, was indicative of his dominance — particularly in the opening term he had four tackles, four clearances, two inside 50 entries and kicked a goal.
Kyabram trailed by four points at quarter-time and by half-time had cut that margin to one point.
It was the third term that cost the Bombers the match, Echuca kicking 4.6 from its 13 inside 50 entries as the Bombers kicked only six behinds.
Despite winning the final term, the most entertaining quarter of the game with nine goals, Kyabram lost the game by 16 points.
Bombers star Tom Holman backed up his terrific first week finals performance with a four-goal display that featured four marks inside 50 and a forward-50 ruck display where he won 11 hit outs.
Holman also laid four forward 50 tackles and earned six free kicks for his pressure work in attack.
His only blemish was the fact he kicked four behinds to go with his four goals.
Echuca had the four highest disposal winners on the ground — Matthew Lias (27 disposals), Logan Prout (26) and Jackson Stewart (24) ahead of Kyabram’s Liam Ogden and Brad Whitford.
With Kyabram ruckman Zac Norris in control, the Bombers won the clearances by six and had just two less inside 50 entries than Echuca.
They won the free kick count by one, but lost the tackle count by seven.
* Euroa ended Seymour’s season, the second-ranked Lions out in straight sets after losing last week to Echuca.
Euroa kicked six goals in the final term after just 11 points separated the traditional GVL rivals at three-quarter-time.
The 10-goal final term was a highlight of the match, Euroa winning 13.18 (96) to Seymour’s 10.14 (74).
Euroa brothers Ben and Adam Giobbi kicked six goals between them for the Magpies and the Magpies now have the chance to challenge for a second successive grand final berth.