Dipper bagged 10 goals, and it could have nearly been twice that amount if he had kicked accurately.
His match-winning display was matched by most of his teammates, who were up to the challenge of stepping up to counter missing key playmakers Jason Morgan, co-captain Aidan Robinson and fly-in recruit Rhys Clark.
Players of this trio’s calibre are hard to replace, but those who stepped up were able to make their imprint on the game.
Classy thirds players Isaiah Scoble, who was making his senior debut, and Charlie Isaac were prominent and ex-Brisbane Bears player Sam Sheldon slotted back into the senior side for the first time in seven years and showed he can still hack it at this standard.
Scoble’s debut was most impressive, and he is going to be a quality player because he has the work rate to match his classy ability.
Isaac is also a youngster with a lot of natural ability.
As a contest, it was all over by quarter-time after Kyabram kicked eight goals to one in the first stanza.
Apart from the Dipper heroics and the committed overall team performance, the other big pluses were the form surge of some newcomers and other permanent players who have struggled in the early part of this season.
On-ballers and midfielders Coby McCarthy, Bohden Learmonth, Tom Burnett and Kilsyth recruit Mack Ayton played their best games for the season along with returning defender Aaron Hayes.
Co-coach Corey Carver went out of his way to praise Kyabram’s defence after the game.
Without its general Jason Morgan, the defensive line of Brad Whitford, Cooper Vick, Jack Sheldon, Oscar Dixon, and Jake Parkinson shut down the Euroa forwards for nearly the entire game.
Whitford again displayed his intercept talents of the highest order.
But it was again Kyabram’s onball brigade that generated the winning drive for most of the game.
Without co-skipper Aidan Robinson to support him, ruckman Zac Norris turned in a tireless four-quarter display as usual, as did Jack Russell, who is now a vital cog in this Kyabram side with Morrison Medallist Mick Mattingly out for the season.
They got plenty of support from Kaine Herbert, Riley Ironside, Reuben Rode, Coby McCarthy, Isaiah Scoble and Josh Dillon.
Russell, Rode, Ironside and Scoble were all multiple goal kickers in the Kyabram demolition.
Coach Carver also praised the persistent pressure his team applied and sustained but warned its going to get a lot hotter in the kitchen this Saturday when the Bombers face the unbeaten Shepparton at Deakin Reserve.
Hopefully, Robinson and Clark will come back into the team for this showdown, but it will be the lesser lights again in the Kyabram line-up who will hold the key to the outcome.
My best for Ky in a top team effort were Anthony Depasquale, Jack Russell, Zac Norris, Riley Ironside, Coby McCarthy, Brad Whitford, Cooper Vick, Isaiah Scoble, andBohden Learmonth.
Reserves
Kyabram reserves were back in business after their first defeat the previous week, disposing of an undermanned Euroa side by 155 points.
The Bombers did as they pleased for most of the game, with midfielders Ben Railton, Jack Sinclair and Miller Griffiths showing the way with tireless displays.
Cooper and Hunter Fawcett were also very prominent in the one-sided win.
The Bombers had 13 individual goalkickers led by Sinclair, Griffiths and Railton with three each.
Under-18s
Kyabram thirds also had a big win with a 112 point winning margin at the end of their game.
The young Bombers had key prime movers Nathan Kuiper and Tyler Doolan while Ben Chapman did a lot of telling work which was finished off by key forward Jedd Turpin who kicked seven goals in only his second appearance for the season.
Cooper O’Neil with three goals and James Priest were other lively forwards for the winners, who will find out how well they are travelling this Saturday against the reigning premier, unbeaten Shepparton.
