Over the past few seasons, both Kyabram and Seymour’s reserves football sides have trekked an eerily similar path.

The Bombers finished on top of the ladder in 2022, but went down in the decider to Echuca, a feat the Lions repeated after an unbeaten regular season culminated in a devastating grand final defeat to Shepparton United in 2023.

After both making the finals last year but falling short of a grand final berth, the respective sides have bounced back and forged their way to the final day of the season this weekend.

At around 2:30pm on Sunday, however, only one team will be invited into the grandstand to hoist the 2025 Goulburn Valley League reserves football premiership cup.

Kyabram has been the benchmark all season, finishing on top of the ladder with a 17-1 record, flying into the big dance at the first time of asking with a 15-point victory over the Lions in the second semi-final.

Kyabram’s senior side has also advanced to the grand final with a similarly formidable record, which has kept the energy at the club high, and coach Sean Dillon is confident his Bombers will be firing on all cyclinders when the ball is bounced and the two sides go to war on Sunday.

“Obviously, we finished on top, so that’s what you want, you get that extra week off if you win that first one, so it’s good,” he said.

“We play footy to play in a grand final, some blokes go through their whole career and not even play finals at all, so, the vibe’s good.

“It’s a good time of the year and good vibes around the club, so everyone’s up and about.

“It’s really good to get along with the boys really well, which makes it nice and easy to connect for them all, the club feels like home.

“We match up pretty well against them (Seymour), I think we can get the job done if we bring our A game.”

Over at Kings Park, Seymour’s season got off to a shaky start, losing two of the first three games of the season before the Lions roared to life, winning 13 of their final 15 games - including the final six on the trot - to climb to fourth spot on the ladder (14-4) and head into the finals series with the second-longest active winning streak of any side in the competition.

Co-coaches Julian Morgan and Dale Short have since navigated the finals series with aplomb, defeating Echuca and Mansfield either side of the second semi-final loss to advance to the big one.

Despite the Bombers leading the head-to-head this season 2-0, the average winning margin has only been 14 points, and the Lions remain confident of poking their noses in front at the final siren on Sunday.

“Absolutely, we know that our best footy can match it with them,” Morgan said.

“It's just trying to stem the momentum when they've got it, and then when the ball's going our way, to capitalise as much as we can and put a bit of scoreboard pressure on them.

“I think (that) will be the key on Sunday, trying to jump out early and getting the lead early and trying to hold on.”

There is talent littered across both sides which is sure to shine come Sunday.

For the Lions, young gun Dylan Davis has starred throughout the finals, having stepped up from underage football to make his senior debut throughout the season, while league leading goalkicker Jack Radford, midfielder Curtis Powell, ruckman Alexander Elliott and defender Sam Fuhrmeister have been instrumental in Seymour’s deep run.

Kyabram similarly possess players capable of turning the contest, such as former AFL Lion Sam Sheldon, himself a key part of the senior Bombers dynasty in the mid-2010’s, who has been among the best in three of his past four outings, while the likes of Zac Cerrone, Eamonn Ogden and Thomas Burnett have found themselves in the reserves at finals despite spending plenty of time in the senior side throughout the season.

A win for Kyabram in the two’s could set the tone for a big Bombers double, marking a return to power, while Seymour will be desperate to earn success on the field and hopefully join their B and B Reserve netball sides in posing for premiership photos.

Grand finals bring pressure, and adapting to it will go a long way to winning, which is exactly the sort of message Morgan and Short will deliver to their Lion charges before running out on Sunday.

“Just embrace the butterflies, embrace the nerves, embrace the pressure,” Morgan said.

“It's a big day for the club, but just go out there, play footy, and trust yourself and trust your teammates that our best footy is good enough.

“Obviously, to all the supporters and the support crew that we've got going up, hopefully we can do them proud, do the club proud, and bring home some silverware.”

The first bounce in the GVL reserves football grand final is set for 11:55am at Deakin Reserve this Sunday.

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Sunday, 27th August 2023

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