As the euphoria of Kyabram’s recent GVL premiership triumph subsides, the first negatives have surfaced, with premiership players Tom Holman and Liam Ogden on the move.
One of the match-winners for the Bombers on grand final day, Holman is switching to Murray League club Tongala.
He knows the Murray League scene well after spending a season with Moama in 2024 where he won the club’s best-and-fairest and goal-kicking awards.
He has also had a season with Lockington-Bamawm United in the Heathcote District League recently.
Now a five-time premiership player with the Bombers, Holman will leave a big hole in Kyabram’s attack, as he was a bulky go-to target capable of out-marking most of his opponents when on song.
Approaching the veteran stage, he should give the Blues a massive boost next season as a goal-kicker and assistant to the returning head coach and club stalwart, Jordan Souter.
Ogden is another of the Kyabram veterans on the move.
Melbourne-based, he is returning to play with Pascoe Vale in the Essendon District Football League, where he played after Kyabram’s 2019 premiership win. He returned to his home club last year.
A product of the Kyabram juniors, Ogden has been one of the GVL’s premier small men in his time and with Holman has represented the GVL in interleague games.
Kyabram co-coach Corey Carver said Holman and Ogden would leave big gaps in the Bombers’ line-up, but he was confident they could be adequately replaced.
“We have a lot of players on the edge of senior selection, and they will now have a better chance to make the team if they are really serious about it,” he said.
“It’s a good challenge for them.”
Carver hopes to get several pre-season training sessions in before Christmas, an approach that yielded results and ultimately a premiership last season.