Before the Seymour game a fortnight ago, the Corey Carver and Kaine Herbert coached team had not finished a game “in the black” on the free kick count since earning 23 free kicks to Mooroopna’s 16 in the opening round of the season.
They backed up the Seymour result with a 24-19 free kick win against Tatura on Saturday at GV Creamery Oval.
There was some talk of the nightmare 2022 season when the Bombers were, by a long way, the Goulburn Valley league’s most penalised football team.
Fourteen weeks into that year, Kyabram had given away 71 more free kicks than the next most penalised team and there was a 131 free kick differential between free kicks for and against when it came to the Bombers.
In one game, a three-point loss to Rochester in wet conditions midway through the season, Kyabram was on the end of a 41-12 losing free kick count.
Things certainly are not that bad in 2024, in fact, last year the Bombers improved dramatically in their grand final making season and earned the third most free kicks for the season.
At the end of the year they were paid 20.4 free kicks (on average) and only gave away 22.5 — a big improvement on the previous season.
This year, the Bombers have been paid 144 free kicks and given away 151.
They are eighth on the ladder when it comes to having the whistle paid in their favour.
Ahead of them are Mansfield, Tatura and Shepparton Swans (the top three for free kicks this year), among others.
While the Bombers have given away 151 free kicks, their plight is much better than that of reigning premier Echuca and the much improved Mooroopna.
Echuca has earned the least amount of free kicks this season, while the Cats are only marginally better.
Kyabram’s free kicks counts, for the most part, have mirrored the scoreboard.
Four of the Bombers games this season have been decided by a goal or less, the only real “blow outs” coming with Saturday’s 21-point win, a 69-point win against United and a 29-point loss to Mansfield.
Free kicks, it appears, haven’t played a major role in deciding those games.
After earning seven more free kicks than Mooroopna in round one, Kyabram was awarded four less than Rochester (20-24), four less than Euroa (19-23), three less than United (18-21) and seven less than Mansfield (18-25).
The Seymour game broke a run out outs, the Bombers earning five more free kicks than the Lions (21-16). Then again on Saturday, the Bombers won the controversial statistical category.
Last year the Bombers lost eight of the opening 10 rounds when it came to free kicks, the worst of those an opening round 13-27 negative count against Rochester.
By the end of the season, however, things had evened out. During the four finals games, the Bombers won 114 free kicks and was only penalised on 112 occasions — a rare positive return from a four-week stretch.
In the grand final loss the Bombers earned 32 free kicks and only gave 21 away, despite losing to Echuca by six goals.
Liam Ogden has been the most popular Bombers with the men in green, earning the second most free kicks in the competition (16), four behind Shepparton star Luke Smith who heads the category.
Against Mooroopna in round one, Ogden earned six free kicks, one of six statistical areas where his performance this year has been elite.
He averages 127.7 ranking points, 29.3 disposals, 4.8 inside 50s, 7.5 clearances and nine ground ball gets.
Other Bombers to feature are Marcus Khoo (11, ranked equal 15th), Anthony De Pasquale, Josh Dillon and former bad boy Jake Parkinson.
In 2022, Parkinson, often given a close checking role in defence, was a regular target of umpires.
This year he is in the top 50 players in the league for free kicks, with seven to his credit.
The four most prevalent free kick categories have been holding the ball, high contact, holding the man and push in the back.
When it comes to tackling, the Bombers are 34-37 in the red and push in the back is similar – just a one free kick differential.
Kyabram has had 10 less free kicks in its favour, than it has given away, for holding the man and seven less free kicks than its opponent for high contact.
I am sure those who have the statistical data at their fingertips will be keeping a close eye on how things progress for the remainder of the season.
