Father’s Day thumping

Kyabram was brutally brushed aside by the visitors except for the last five minutes of the game, but by that time, the visitors had a buffer of 12 goals and were on their way to a 68-point win, 19.13 to 8.11.

It was Kyabram’s heaviest loss for a long time and revealed its shortcomings.

Kyabram was beaten in every facet of the game and never at any stage of the clash indicated it could match it with the Murray River boys.

Kyabram couldn’t cope with the aerial power of its rival who had the Darby Jones, the Byrne brothers, Angus and Hugh, Liam Tenace and Curtis Townrow dominating the airwaves, and William Deutsher, Jack Evans, Samuel Reid doing what they pleased at ground level.

At one stage halfway between the second quarter and earlier into the last term, Echuca had kicked 11 unanswered goals.

Only a handful of Bombers could hack the pace and pressure Echuca applied.

One was the ever reliable onballer Kaine Herbert who gave his hard running best for four quarters.

He got most support from midfielders Coby McCarthy and onballers in Zac Norris, Jack Russell, Bohden Learmonth and co captain Aiden Robninson.

Robinson and Norris were the only Kyabram players who could match it in the aerial duels with the Echuca tall timber and Robinson kicked three goals.

Kyabram’s defence was decimated with Jason Morgan leaving the ground by half-time followed by the only other attacking defender in the Kyabram side Brad Whitford later in the game.

Rhys Clark was another key Kyabram player struck down with injury who didn’t see out the game.

Aaron Hayes was the pick of the Kyabram defenders on the day, but Kyabram didn’t have the manpower to cover the Echuca talls once the ball was in its forward half.

Charlie Isaac also showed glimpses of his exciting potential in a couple of roles, but like nearly every one of his teammates, could not make an impact on the final result.

On that performance, it’s Echuca’s flag to lose.

Kyabram now has to beat Shepparton in the preliminary final at Deakin Reserve this Sunday to get the chance to defend the flag it won last year the following weekend.

That possibility doesn’t seem realistic unless there is a massive Kyabram form turnaround.

Morgan and Whitford will probably miss and Kyabram haven’t the players to replace them.

Anthony Depasquale is set to return after Werribee’s straight sets exit from the VFL premiership race after a loss to Port Melbourne last Saturday.

But he can’t be expected to make the difference between Kyabram winning and losing after Sunday’s massacre.

My best for Kyabram were Kaine Herbert, Coby McCarthy, Bohden Learmonth, Aiden Robinson, Zac Norris.