Round 17 Football Preview with 'Scoop'

Could Sunbury pull off another upset? Will North Ballarat escape their losing streak? And can the Cobras keep their finals hopes alive? 

The equation for the Cobras ahead of their Round 17 meeting with Redan is simple: win and your finals hopes remain alive, all be them slim. Get beat, season over.

Sure, there'll be some dialogue around a premature return of star ruckman Daniel Burton, given the stakes, but if they're fair dinkum, waiting another week to face recent giant killer Sunbury may well be the best option.

The Redan Lions aren't the strongest team this year in the ruck, indicating recent addition Spencer Meagher is more than capable of filling the void for another week. The 19-year-old is combative and will prove a handful for 18-year-old opponent Nick Cushing.

The rucks won't determine the result, which I'm sure of as the focus shifts to more pointed areas. The forwards for starters - can Cobras trio Aaron Willetts (26 goals), Rex Hickman (18 goals)and Joel Freeman (15 goals) have their way against a defence that ranks 8th in the comp? They have to be some chance but rest assured the challenges that will come at the other end loom equally as large.

Lions' sharpshooter Izaac Grant (34 goals) and mid/forward Lachie George (23 goals) are the obvious pair Cobras coach Tom German will need to put time into. There's no Jake Owen (concussion) to save the day. Jack Williams and company down back will be asked questions about their ability to restrict the Lions to an inferior score. Despite the Cobras' 10-point loss to the Devils last week, they did concede 106 points for the game, including 31 scoring shots.

So, a tightened backline for the Cobras and a determined midfield cutting supply will be paramount for their chances. Little motivation should be required for the Cobras, for a season on the line is enough.

For Jarrett Giampaolo and his boys, a fourth win in the east beckons in another throw at the stumps game. While they can't make the six, they can most certainly shape it.  

Expect Melton to bring their A-game when they meet flag contenders East Point at Eastern Oval. Luke Heeney and Blake Souter are likely to return to bolster the Bloods stocks and have them near injury free, and ready to launch in the penultimate round of the Home & Away season. Bloods coach Aaron Tymms conceded last week his boys were below their best off the bye for a second time, leaving the door of hope slightly ajar for the daring and willing. And that's what will be asked of Jake Bridges' Kangas on their home deck for their fate is not yet known given their Round 18 bye.

I've no doubt the Kangas' best is good enough but their inability to contain opposition scores has the wider competition questioning whether it can stand up ahead of another finals campaign. A footy audit awaits Bridges' boys and the response will generate a majority of the focus on rival finals contenders. A loss for East Point could see them finish as low as fifth come 5pm August 20 as teams below fight feverishly for a top three finish.

The onus determining the Kangas' chances lies heavily in the performance of their top-end talent. On the flip side, as has been the case against most - the Bloods are not so dependent. In fact, their best three or four players could have a low day and they're still capable of getting the job done. They rank one for defence (55pts AGST avg per game) and one for offence (103 pts for avg per game) and are certain to test the Kangas. While Bridges' boys rank two in offence (91pts FOR pg) their defence rank 9th (79 pts AGST per game). The numbers, weather permitting suggest the Bloods by six goals.

Speaking of danger games, there's no more obvious one than here. Surely Ballarat's 'come from behind' history can't stand up for another month as a free-running Sunbury lob at Alfredton Oval aiming to throw a cat amongst the pigeons.

Travis Hodgson's Lions should be brimming with confidence after their amazing 15-point win over flag favourites Melton. The Lions' best is clearly good enough and would have the Swans worried especially now they have nothing to play for. I'll repeat the earlier adage - while Sunbury are done in a race for a top six position, they can most certainly play a role in shaping it. The Swans have two tough games to finish off - the Lions and later Sebastopol. It's fair to say they're no good things in either given their pattern of play despite a 10-4 season.

If the Lions have VFL affiliates Mitch Lewis, Josh Guthrie and Jack Sutton available, this game looms as a flip of the coin.

The two sides contrasting fortunes are spelled out in the results. Sunbury has lost seven games by 21 points or less, while the Swans have managed to win as many games trailing at halftime, not to mention six of those by seven points or less. It's ridiculous! But in fairness to Joe Carmody's Swans,  good sides find a way to win and their good players are getting it done. How the Swans in form midfield led by Captain Sammy James and young gun Will Liston cope with the experience and growth of the Lions will tell its own story come the final siren.

Both sides have multiple avenues to goal and while the game is not expected to be high scoring given the nature of results at Alfredton Oval, it may take only one to get off the hook and prove the difference.

A win on the road for Sunbury would deliver them kudos and a fifth win of the season while the Swans aim for an all-important top two/three finish. Despite the two team's separation on the ladder, a win for Sunbury would not surprise unless, in fact, they celebrated last week as if it were their Grand Final.   

North Ballarat have the ideal opportunity to end a three-game losing streak at Mars Stadium when they take on Melton South.

Brendan McCartney's boys need to put this game to bed early and strip the visitors of their will, fresh off the bye. The Panthers have shown they can be competitive in games especially early on, so don't expect North to be rolling out the welcome mat.

Panthers coach Heath Pritchard went on the record voicing his respect for North Ballarat and was actually one of a few to tip them to beat the then-undefeated Bloods back in Round 13. No doubt Pritchard will be hoping North are a little flat on the back of recent losses and leave the door slightly ajar for a sniff of an unlikely upset.

It's difficult to forecast anything that will resemble an upset as McCartney's boys go to work, executing their learnings over the last month. Their season depends on it.

Expect Jack Riding (30 goals), Josh Chatfield (if plays) and Jamie Quick (28 goals) to prove a handful and combine for double-figure goals. Just how the Panthers can impact at the other end minus Dylan Conway (retired) and mount a big enough score is an obvious conundrum facing the visitors. I do believe in miracles, just not for this game. North Ballarat simply have too much more to play for.

A win for Sebastopol could see them shoot as high as second place on the BFNL ladder come 5pm Saturday night. And what an achievement that would be given the wretched run of injury to key players they've had to endure.

Put simply, the Burras' destiny lies in their own hands ahead of the penultimate round of the season. Just bank the points and show enough to acquire some needy percentage before an all-out assault against the Swans at Marty Busch next week to determine (likely) a top three finish. But one step at a time.

Let's not forget the Lakers managed to post their second highest score of the season last week against the might of East Point. With that scoreboard bonus despite the loss, I'm sure Jack Fitzpatrick's boys will have derived a lot of confidence in what's been a long season for the club. Again, there's no pressure on the Lakers to deliver given their season - it is all on Sebastopol.

Given the names among the Burras' list, I am surprised they rank just sixth for offence, boasting a modest 71 points per game. Weather permitting, it would be encouraging for Burras coach Michael Searl to earn the game on their own terms and see them go to work. On occasions this year, their ball movement has looked stifled. I don't know how much that comes down to opposition pressure but I'm tipping their execution of the fundamentals has been in part to blame.

On paper, the Burras are capable of booting a ton on any given day, against any opposition, having been successful against East Point and Melton South (both away). But can they do it home with a double chance on the table in front of their 'dare to dream' faithful? The Burras' defence led by Tony Lockyer is a pillar of strength, only Melton has better numbers. It's the forwards turn without Luke Kiel to get it right - and look out if they do

Lakers forward Callum McKay will be up and about after a five-goal haul last week and will give the Burras something to think about. Joel O'Connell, Scotty Carlin and Jacob Coxall will ensure, whatever happens, the Burras will have been made to earn it whatever the outcome.

Round 18 Football Preview with 'Scoop'

The finalists are set in the McDonald's Ballarat Senior Men's comp, but there might be a few moves around the ladder to play out this weekend.

Brendan McCartney's North Ballarat will test the self-belief of an improving Dan Jordan-led Darley who have secured a remarkable return to finals off a winless 2021. Given both sides have locked in a prized finals berth already, it will be interesting to see what version of themselves is represented. I've no doubt both sides will be as strong as they can be on the selection front and keen to impact early. Darley should be especially, given North Ballarat have just monstered them at the contest, with and without the ball in recent times.

The addition of Josh Chatfield this week and for the remainder of the North Ballarat finals campaign is a timely boost given they've only had one win from their last four home and away games. Admittedly their opposition was solid, namely East Point, Ballarat and Sebastopol. McCartney will be keen to improve on the learnings of recent weeks and get hold of a Darley group fresh off the bye. I've no doubt the former Western Bulldogs coach will want this game put to bed early, to enable freedoms of his own volition later in the game.

Who knows what the Devils want to take out from this game? Proving they can match the physicality of North and execute under their trademark pressure remain unknowns and potential areas of growth. Needless to add an extra avenue to goal for the Devils aside from Nick Rodda (55 goals) would be a bonus given the returns of dangerous North trio Jack Riding (34 goals), Jamie Quick (34) and Josh Chatfield (10 from 5 games).
Both sides can prepare knowing the result is not the be-all and end-all. For footy fans, it's another opportunity to see Cam McCallum ply his craft in the ruck, as he aims to provide first use for the likes of Chatfield, Riley Polkinghorne and Tim Spiers. That midfield grouping vs the Devils' Brett Bewley, Dylan Landt (available?) and Luther Baker will be worth the entry ticket alone.

While a win no doubt satisfies the confidence levels ahead of finals, I'm not sure the losers will lose too much sleep unless there is domination and or injury to process.

Six of North Ballarat's eight-win seasons have come at Mars Stadium. Winning away from home remains a work in progress for the 2021 Minor Premiers. Darley is 4-3 this year at home.

Scenarios:If Darley wins they finish 4th and will face East Point in an Elimination Final. If the Devils lose they finish 6th and meet the loser of Sebastopol vs Ballarat in an Elimination Final. If North Ballarat wins they finish 5th and meet East Point in an Elimination Final. If North Ballarat lose they finish 6th and meet the loser of Sebastopol v Ballarat in an Elimination Final.

I'm not sure how to assess the drawings of this top vs bottom clash in the final round of the home and away season. One piece of information that is not circumstantial is that both coaches will lead their respective clubs again in 2023 which must be reassuring for both parties.

Melton will win, but what is there to gain other than an opportunity for the ladder-leading Bloods to brush up on their touch, and share the ball around a bit replicating the trademarks of a near-faultless season? Bloods Coach Aaron Tymms will be hoping Ryan Carter and Daniel O'Leary return, avoiding a potential 21-day break ahead of next week's Qualifying Final against either Ballarat or Sebastopol. I've no doubt the Bloods faithful will have their fingers crossed hoping to get through this game unscathed.

And that essentially is likely to carry more weight than the margin.

For the Lakers, what a way to measure the levels of organic growth from such a young group under the tutelage of Jack Fitzpatrick. All the former Hawthorn and Melbourne player can ask of his boys is one concerted effort for the road. While the Lakers are facing a 15th straight loss the message from Fitzpatrick, before anything else, will remain the same - be better for longer. I know it's a popular phrase for clubs seeking evidence of improvement but it doesn't apply to any one team in the BFNL this year more than the one-win Lakers.

Just whether they can execute and deliver on such a request against the yardstick of the competition looms arguably their greatest challenge of the season despite the 'dead rubber' nature of the meet.

The five winning teams from last week posted scores beyond 100 and you would be within reason to predict (weather permitting) the Bloods will surpass that figure again.

*For the record, it would be the 10th occasion this year the Bloods have achieved this feat. In the most recent East Point Premiership years the Kangas broke the 100 mark nine times in 2018 and just five times in 2019.

Locks:Melton - Minor Premiers, Lakers - Wooden Spooners

Expect Redan to finish their season on a high with a fourth win on the trot when they meet the struggling Panthers at City Oval.

Full credit to Lions coach Jarrett Giampaolo and his progressive group, recording a fourth win in as many attempts in the east last week with an old-fashioned 92-point thumping of Bacchus Marsh. The Lions are unbeaten since July 16, and see no reason for any stall in momentum, albeit one round to go. Gee, the Lions would be lamenting their opening round loss to Lake Wendouree given their very watchable style of play on a number of occasions since. Including wins over the top six teams Sebastopol, North Ballarat and Darley.

Clearly, the Lions' best is good enough to match it with any team for large periods. There is enough evidence to suggest Melton South will have their work cut out matching the spread and run of the Lions. If Giampaolo can get his boys up for one final assault, expect this game to really open up late. If Cooper Craig-Peters plays, the Lions look set for a day out.

For the Panthers, one more big effort, pride in the jumper performance will be asked from coach Heath Pritchard. Whether his fatiguing young group has enough fuel left to deliver on such a request remains to be seen. Unfortunately for the visitors, a three-win season finish appears likely, having not won a game since Round Nine.

Scenarios:If Redan wins, they finish 7th. If they lose, the Redan Lions can fall to 8th only if Bacchus Marsh wins.

Lock:Panthers finish 10th.

The second spot and a guaranteed double chance await the winner in this highly anticipated match between the 'Burras and the 'Swans. Both sides boast super form heading in, paving the way for a nail-biting finish similar to their earlier meet in Round 9. Sebastopol has won their last five games on the trot and will be as strong as ever to give this battle for 2nd an almighty shake. Their opponents Ballarat are not to be sneezed at, having the best home and away record in the competition over their last nine games - the Swans are 8-1.

While Joe Carmody's Swans wins have been unorthodox at times with their come-from-behind nature, the theory was put to bed last week when they put giant-killers Sunbury to the sword with ten goals to four in the opening half. But don't expect to be afforded the same liberties around goal by the 'Burras defence (Comp #3 - averaging 63.5pts against per game). The similarities between the two sides at both ends give every indication we'll need every bit of Saturday afternoon to find a winner.

Comparatively, Ballarat's defence (Comp #4 -averaging 67.5pts against per game) and offence (Comp #7 - averaging 72.5pts for per game) rate just shy of Sebastopol (offence Comp #6 - averaging 74.5pts for per game). So the numbers and a home-ground advantage are enough to sway me in favour of the 'Burras as they welcome the return of Luke Kiel from suspension. Coincidentally Kiel missed their Round 9 clash on June 18 along with Lachie Cassidy and Riley O'Keefe.

Swans forward Andrew Hooper remains 'Burras coach Michael Searl greatest concern given his seven-goal haul last week and matchwinning five-goal effort in their earlier meet.

Let's hope the weather permits both sides to present the best versions of themselves in what looms as the ultimate preview of things to come ahead of a mouth-watering BFNL finals series.

Scenarios:Winner finishes 2nd and plays Melton in Qualifying Final. Loser finishes third and meets loser of Darley v North Ballarat in an Elimination Final. 

Expect Sunbury to expose Bacchus Marsh with their run and carry on the bigger Clarke Oval, reversing the Round 9 disaster of their earlier meet.

Despite losing last week and just four wins to their name in 2022, all is not lost at Sunbury. A win over flag favourites Melton on this very ground just a fortnight ago is an indication that Travis Hodgson's men are heading in the right direction. Not only have they improved with their organic growth in the second half of the season, but they're also simply playing better footy, period. I'm sure the hierarchy at the Lions would agree their ball use has been their achilles heel, for the most part, losing seven games by 21 points or less. And today, despite the Cobras' superior record over them in 2022, I have the Lions earmarked clear favourites. You just need to look at the last five weeks in isolation to tip the scales in favour of the home side. Since Round 12, Sunbury are 3 (wins) - 2 (losses) with a healthy percentage of 125%, average 90 points FOR per game and 72 points AGST. The Cobras for the same period however are 1-4, with a poor percentage (69%), averaging 62 points FOR and 90 points AGST.

Similar to 2021, the Lions are just getting warm late in an otherwise disappointing season on the win/loss front given their draw and levels of expectation. A home win will surely spark the mood ahead of Mad Monday - albeit a premature one for the proud club.

The Cobras welcome back inspirational leader Jake Owen (concussion) for this bragging rights clash against former coach Travis Hodgson's Lions. The only way I can see the Cobras getting it done is on the back of a day out from their midfielders and a bag of goals (shared is ok) from Aaron Willetts, Rex Hickman and Joel Freeman (available?). Conditions should suit gun runner Michael Culliver down to the ground but I'm not certain there's enough run and carry weapons amid the group likely to be without Harry King (hamstring).            

Scenarios:Cobras (likely) finish 8th. Can move up to 7th only if they win and Redan lose.

Lock:Sunbury finish 9th.

Scenarios:Kangas finish 4th if North Ballarat defeat Darley setting up an Elimination Final with North Ballarat next week. 

There was plenty of intrigue heading into Round 1 of the season and Scoop was there to have a look at how the weekend played out.

Darley will be 'better for the run', having taken the best part of three quarters to shrug a determined Ballarat in trying conditions at Alfredton Oval to win by 40 points.

While the Devils won 'going away' in the end, there was very little separating the two sides for the most part. The visitor’s greater efficiency inside forward 50 combined with some cream rising to the top when it counted most, proved the catalyst.

Former Devils’ captain and dual club best and fairest winner, Shane Page, made it an eighth appearance in the best players from his last nine season openers.

Reigning Henderson Medalist Brett Bewley kicked two much needed second-half goals to maintain separation for the Devils on the scoreboard.

New recruit Matt Denham also showed a touch of class in the third quarter to outsmart his opponent for arguably goal of the day.

For the Swans, midfielders Will Liston and Paddy Simpson had plenty of the ball and were the beneficiaries of Marcus Powling's solid ruckwork. Debutant Wyatt Squires impressed and looked right at home at the level.

Honours however belong with the Devils as the Swans were made to pay the price for wasting their opportunities.

The result ends a 1330 day winning drought for the Devils over the Swans with Darley last tasting victory in the matchup back in Round 18 2019.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Shane Page (Darley)- 28 disposals, 12 intercept possessions, 18 contested possessions

Brett Bewley (Darley) - 27 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 9 inside 50s

William Liston (Ballarat) - 37 disposals, 9 tackles, 13 clearances

COACHES' VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat);"We competed well in the opening three quarters and if we had converted our opportunities we would have applied more scoreboard pressure. As the rain increased Darley's bigger, stronger bodies had more influence. Our young team will gain a lot from the experience."

Dan Jordan (Darley);"Pleasing to kick the season off with a win, I thought it was a bit of an arm wrestle in the first half but we took the ascendency the longer the game went and adjusted to trying conditions well."

Remember Melton? Well, they're back with a bang in 2023, totally dismantling inexperienced cross-town rivals Melton South by a whopping 161 points.

The writing was on the wall early as the reigning Premiers recorded a blistering 55 to zero opening term to virtually put the game to bed.

New Panthers coaching duo Jason Hamilton and Ryan Hoy would have been wondering what to make of their not so warm welcome to the BFNL. And just when you thought half-time would be an ideal time for a Panthers reset, any intentions were hijacked by the ruthless Bloods with a dominant 11.10 third term.

Bloods’ coach Aaron Tymms would be rapt with the shared nature of the win with 11 individual goalkickers. Deciding on the best players after such an emphatic display would not have been easy before settling on anyone’s name beginning with the letter 'L' or 'J'. Lachlan Walker, Lachlan Watkins, Liam Carter, Jonathan O'Brien, Jack Walker and Jordan Kight all featured.

For the Panthers, new Captain Cody Chapman, recruit Phil Hoyland and progressive youngsters Jarrod Bibby and Rhys Lee never gave up the fight. Sixteen-year-old small Lachie Pritchard debuted for the

Panthers reaching double figure disposals on a day that will be remembered more for yet another mismatch in the Melton derby. The Panthers have not beaten the Bloods since 2017.     

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

 Jack Walker (Melton) - 42 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 13 clearances

Jordyn Cotter (Melton) - 33 disposals, 13 marks, 11 intercept possessions

Cody Chapman (Melton South) - 23 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 10 tackles

COACHES' VERDICT

Aaron Tymms (Melton);"It was a solid day out. We were able to implement some tweaks to our game style which started to work well. It was pleasing to see some of the newer and less experienced players come in and play their roles well, complementing our core from last year."

Jason Hamilton / Ryan Hoy (Melton South);"Melton are a supreme team in the competition. Our young boys tried hard but their more seasoned and bigger bodies were too much for us to contain. But with the experience we gain learnings, dust ourselves off and prepare to again next week." 

Flag spruik Sebastopol showed little mercy for a re-building Bacchus Marsh at Marty Busch Reserve with an ominous 121-point win.

Forty-three scoring shots to seven in slippery Ballarat Winter-like conditions tells the story of where the two teams are at. And if not for the 'Burras inaccuracies around goal, the gulf on the scoreboard could easily have been greater.

Similar to Melton, the 'Burra had 12 goalkickers on a day more conducive to lower scores but such was their dominance the second half was a near mirror image of the opener as the home side extended from a 67-9 advantage to 138-17 at the final siren.

It's tough for Cobra fans to absorb the reality that their opening half return of 1.3 exceeded that of their second (1.2). Shattering yes, but not by all means a complete surprise. Sebastopol will certainly get hold of a few teams this year, you can lock that in.

What is encouraging for the Cobras will be getting games into their youth while the recruits continue to deliver on a weekly basis. Newcomers Josh Onderwater, Luke Goetz, Eamonn Oggden and Jake McReery all featured in the best players along with usual suspects, Jake Owen and Tyson Shea.

For the winners you could take your pick from a widespread list of contributors. The 'Burras hierarchy settled on Lachlan Cassidy, Chase Dummett, Bailey Medwell, Jed Hill and you guessed it… Tony Lockyer.

The Cobras have a tough year ahead, that is real but will expect a few back for the local derby on Saturday against Darley. Sebastopol have the bye. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Lachlan Cassidy (Sebastopol) - 33 disposals, 14 tackles, 7 clearances

Tony Lockyer (Sebastopol) - 33 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 8 rebound 50s

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh) - 67 hitouts, 18 disposals, 7 tackles

COACHES VERDICT

Luke Kiel / Michael Columbro (Sebastopol);"Good solid hit-out, our effort over four quarters was consistent with not many lapses. (We've) still got plenty to work on! Bacchus Marsh played a few kids and are on the right path. Coach (Jason Williams) has them playing team football with a good structure. With a couple more quality players they would be a solid outfit."

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh);"Sebastopol's depth was too much for our guys to handle. As the game went on the gap between our best and worst footy widened as much as it did on the scoreboard."

Sunbury came from 20 points down at half-time to overrun a gallant North Ballarat at Clarke Oval.

Thoughts of deja vu must have crept into Lions’ coach Travis Hodgson's head at the main break as he and his entourage aimed to arrest momentum on the scoreboard.

While the deficit was manageable for the Lions, the frustrations of having had the same number of scoring shots were palpable. North Ballarat have been notable 'good starters' under Brendan McCartney - 10-0 for first quarters in 2021 and eight goals or more (to halftime) in their opening three games last year.

This game happened to be the corresponding fixture from Round 1 2022 where North held a 33-point lead at the half. So, the narrative would not have been new for Hodgson as he backed his boys in to respond. And that they did.

Lions’ duo Mitch Lewis and Josh Guthrie led the charge through the midfield while the ever consistent Tyson Lever was typically influential. With goals coming at a premium, it was ageless Lions forward Leigh Brennan who again delivered with two much needed goals. Former Essendon AFL listed 195cm recruit Cody Brand kicked one goal, along with four behinds.

North Ballarat can hold their heads high and won't be the last team to have their colours lowered by the Lions at Clarke Oval this season.

Harry Loader continues to provide for McCartney across half back and is now crucial to the set-up of the Lions defence following the departure of Ryan Hobbs in the off-season.

Jamie Quick (two goals) always looks dangerous around goal while Brock Leonard, Nelson Troon and Clay Jenkins were solid.

North Ballarat played the weekend absent of Sam Glover, Tom Hotchin, Jack Riding, Riley Polkinghorme and Joey Symonds from their best 22. Jake Sutton remained on Essendon VFL duties for the Lions while Nick Hannet and James Cree both missed through injury.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

 Josh Guthrie (Sunbury) - 44 disposals, 9 tackles, 13 clearances

Tyson Lever (Sunbury) - 27 disposals, 7 intercept possessions, 6 rebound 50s

Harry Loader (North Ballarat) - 21 disposals, 13 rebound 50s, 5 intercept possessions

COACHES VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury);"It was a good game of footy, both teams had chances to win. I thought we had control of the game between the arcs for most of the game but North Ballarat were very good at both ends inside Forward 50 and Defensive 50. Great for the club to kick off the season with three footy wins."

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat); It was a great game of footy. Sunbury took control around the ball in the second half. Good learnings, either team could have won. Looking forward to next week (Redan)."

With flags unveiled and wins under lights, there was plenty of action to come out of the Round 1 football results.

Scoop reviews the weekend that was.

New Cobras coach Dennis Armfield remained upbeat despite his sides 16-point loss to Chris Maple's much improved Swans.

The Red Yellow and Black army were in this game up to their eyeballs on their home deck before a late rally from the Swans saw them steady late and go onto to register an all-important win on the road.

There was less than a goal separating the two sides at every change to have the Cobras and Swans faithful on the edge of their seats.

Both sides had many contributors, but it was the genuine pace of the Swans that hurt the Cobras’ wishes of having the game played on their own terms.

If not for the Swans butchering the ball on repeat occasions with their entry kick inside 50, the margin could well have been greater given the visiting Swans had 30 shots on goal.

Scores were level for a moment in the final term locked at 69 apiece as supporters from both camps were forced to contemplate the thought of a draw. But it wasn’t to be as Maples’ young Swans came up with the goods.   

Progressive youngster Paddy Simpson was named best for the Swans while Will Lalor got the nod for the Cobras.

The Swans return home this week against Redan for a chance to make it a 2-0 start to their season. The Cobras on the other hand will be looking to bounce back with a must win on the road over fellow round one losers Lake Wendouree.

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dennis Armfield (Bacchus Marsh):"Close game all day, (we) were hurt on turnover (and) slow to react. They were predictable to one another and were able to find the quick free option. We had a patch where I thought we may kick away but to Ballarat's credit, they turned it and ran away in the end. Plenty to like but some key areas to improve."

Chris Maple (Ballarat);"It was a very close contest all day, (and) pleasing for guys to finish off the game well - just reward for a big pre-season. The Marsh were strong in the contest, our field and goal kicking let us down. Still plenty to work on in all phases of the game."

Sebastopol essentially did what they had to do on their way to an 80-point win over Lake Wendouree at Marty Busch Reserve.

Popular Burras utility Luke Kiel headed a list of nine contributors on the major front finishing with four goals after making a safe return from a leg issue.

While there were no real great surprises to come out of the game, new Burra coach Tony Lockyer ensured his boys were ready for their next footy audit with a Round 2 clash against their nemesis Melton, a side they haven't beaten since the 2019 Preliminary Final.

As for the morale boosting win over the Lakers, KIel was named among the best alongside familiar names Riley O'Keefe, Jack Bambury and Jed Hill. Newcomer Ruckman Rhys McNay was named best.

For the Lakers under new coach Rohan Brown promising youngsters Bailey Ryan, Bailey Thompson (3 goals) and Timmy Collins featured prominently as they did a number of times last year.

In fact, Thompson was the Lakers leading goalkicker in 2023 averaging more than a goal per game.

The Lakers are at home this Saturday and will look to catch Bacchus Marsh on the hop after they fell short of Ballarat in an entertaining season opener.

COACHES’ VERDICT

Tony Lockyer (Sebastopol):"Pleased to see the boys get some reward for their dedication over pre-season with a solid performance. Credit to Lakers who had some great patches through the second and third quarters. (We) review our learnings and move onto Melton next week."

Rohan Brown (Lake Wendouree): "(I) thought we played some very good football for patches of the game especially (in) the third quarter. (We were) beaten by a very fast and well drilled side. We review, recover and look forward to another challenge this week v Bacchus Marsh."

Any thoughts of East Point taking it up to the reigning premier and ending a horror run of outs at Darley Park were put to bed early when Dan Jordan's men ran riot in the opening half booting 11 goals to none. Game over.

The Kangas were simply a mile off despite arriving with an encouraging list buoyed with the inclusions of a few Rebels boys and the return of Mickitja Rottumah-Onus to bolster top end stocks alongside proven x-factor talent led by the Johnston boys.

But not even Matty and Jordy could get a sniff of the action as the competition’s best player, and reigning dual Henderson Medalist, Brett Bewley put on a clinic with three first half goals to aid the separation on the scoreboard.

Livewire Darley forwards Will Johnson (four goals) and Brady Wright (three goals) were the inherent beneficiaries of a dominant midfield group that includes Bewley, Luther Baker and Adam Azzopardi who was named best afield.

Utility Billy Myers made it 17 wins from as many starts for the Devils since his return at the beginning of the 2023 season.

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley): "Solid performance from our group. (We) executed our plan from the outset. Good to see some of the things we've been working on over the pre-season to show some benefit. Still plenty to work on as we build into the new season.

Joe Carmody/Jackson Merrett (East Point): "Taking nothing away from Darley, our boys didn't turn up today to play. (We) were comprehensively beaten across the ground in the first half in all facets of the game. Pleasing to see somewhat of a response after half time and our system started to come through in what we displayed."

It was all one-way traffic at Melton Rec Reserve as the Bloods, under new Coach Troy Scoble, made it 11 local derby wins in a row over the struggling Panthers.

The 188-point drubbing was not too dissimilar to the 214-point margin that separated the two in their Round 13 meeting at the same venue last year.

Anyway, enough of the record-breaking numbers, and time to acknowledge some individual effort.

Bloods’ playmaker Braedyn Kight finished with a game high seven goals to feature prominently among the better players alongside Kyle Borg and Ryan Davis who each booted four.

Mobile key forward Liam Carter kicked five goals before he was injured and taken from the ground and is in doubt for next week’s big game against Sebastopol.

Riley and Lachlan Walker were also prominent for the Bloods while Jaycob Hickey wasted little time getting his hands on the footy following his off season return from Diggers Rest.

For the ailing Panthers, big man Brodie Collins was solid and the efforts of newcomer Patrick Veszpremi validated but there is still plenty of work to be done at Melton South.

Another chance presents for Hodgson this week when they prepare to meet his old team Sunbury.

Good luck!

COACHES’ VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Melton South):"(Our) first quarter was the positive of the day. We looked how we want to look and were in touch against a side that's going to be in the finish this year. (For the remainder) we went away from what we need to be doing and Melton took control - the final margin was reflective of that. Although clearly worlds apart, (I) would've liked to have gotten within 20 goals - so disappointing overall."

Troy Scoble (Melton):"The game was very competitive for the first 10-15 minutes as expected for any Round 1 clash. Once we were able to settle, we were able to be really consistent in all three phases of the game. Today was certainly a step in the right direction with players beginning to have more belief in our system."

Sunbury were deserving winners over a very young Redan side to the tune of 25 points at City Oval kickstarting new coach Matty White's tenure in fine style.

The Sunbury Lions led at every change and increased their advantage accordingly to lead by 4, 13 and 25 points before a stalemate of sorts prevailed on tiring legs in the last quarter that saw the margin settle on 25 at the final siren - an accurate reflection of where the two teams are at.

Jake Sutton booted five goals for the winners and Pat Scanlon three while evergreen Redan forward Grant Bell finished with a team high four goals, ahead of talented left footer Marty Boyer (two goals).

Sunbury midfielders Mitch Lewis and Josh Guthrie had the ball on a string and accumulated at will to be arguably the highest possession winners on the ground.

Sunbury will look to make it 2-0 when they host Melton South this week. Redan meet Round 1 winners Ballarat. 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"I thought we had some periods of play where we controlled the game. However, crucial turnovers and discipline cost us in the end!

Matt White (Sunbury):"Really good performance by the boys. Take nothing away from Redan, they challenged us all day. We were able to win the Bottle Shottle in the end.

The top of the table is tighter than ever after a number of enthralling results over the weekend.

Scoop reviews all the big games from Round 10.

North Ballarat head into their Round 11 bye as the form team of the competition following a fifth straight win, after defeating Lake Wendouree at the weekend.

Brendan McCartney’s men have stormed into third placing on the BFNL ladder, just one game shy of ladder leaders Melton.

The impressive Roosters have won 18 of their last 20 quarters, averaging 122 points per game during this period, including wins over Sebastopol (2nd) and Darley (4th) whilst conceding less than 39 points per game.

It's an ominous warning for the broader competition as North Ballarat boast one of the more heathier lists at the halfway mark.

The thought of Jamie Quick (Geelong VFL), Josh Chatfield (Footscray VFL), Jack Riding (Werribee VFL), Stewart Crameri and Tom Hotchin potentially forward on any given day rings alarm bells that McCartney's boys are on the cusp.

Throw Riley Polkinghorne, Cam McCullum, Simon McCartin, the Loader boys, Isaac Lovison, progressive youngsters Nelson Troon, Joshua Sparkman and returning Ryan Hobbs in for measure and you've a bona fide flag contender.

Apologies to the handful not mentioned, for they would walk into most other teams.

This Round 10 meet was over at half time as the inform Roosters led by 55 points. Credit to the Lakers for minimising the damage after half-time restricting the visitors to six second half goals while posting four of their own.

Nelson Troon was named best for the winners ahead of Jack Riding and Riley Polkinghorne. The Lakers gave Captain Joel O'Connell the nod ahead of Bayley Thompson (two goals) and bonus new recruit Felix Fogarty.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat): 28 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 14 tackles

Jack Riding (North Ballarat): 37 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 9 score involements

Angus Gove (Lake Wendouree): 27 disposals, 17 rebound 50s, 10 intercept possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Tim Shearer (Lake Wendouree):"We were keen to match 'North' in the contest and felt we did a pretty good job for most of the game. They got us on the outside for a while in the second quarter, but we felt we fought it out pretty well after the break."

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"Lakers were very honest and kept at us all day. Good result for us after five good weeks of footy. Players and staff have done a great job maintaining high standards of performance. Ready for a week off (now)."

The Cobras’ two game winning streak came to an abrupt end going down to finals contender East Point by 43 points at the weekend.

Despite a goalless second term the spritely Kangas assumed control with 11 goals to five after half time to consolidate their position inside the top six, percentage shy of fifth placed Sunbury on five wins.

It felt inevitable, dangerous duo Kangas Bryce McDougall (three goals) and Brad Whittacker (four goals) were always going to have a lasting impact at some stage and they didn't let playing coach Jackson Merrett down.

Star playmaker Jordy Johnston and busy small Joe Dodd were the driving force behind the Kangas 'shifting of the gears' after half time, equating to some much-deserved separation on the scoreboard at games end.

While the four premiership points on the road were invaluable for the Kangas, life at Cobra land continues in the learning phase for an otherwise inexperienced group.

The home side were well served by the top end talent of Luke Goetz, Jake McCreery and Tyson Shea. Youngster Bryce Kerney did his job forward of centre to finish with three goals. Cobras co-captain Jack Parente and speedster Ashton Craig continued their recent block of good form despite the loss.

Next up post the interleague weekend, both sides are on the road. The Cobras are off to Ballarat while East Point make the trek to for an all-important meeting with Sunbury.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Joe Dodd (East Point): 39 disposals, 24 contested possessions, 11 score involvements

Jordan Johnston (East Point): 34 disposals, 11 inside 50s, 10 marks

Jake McCreery (Bacchus Marsh): 35 disposals, 12 tackles, 12 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh):"Our boys started slowly and were unable to retain the footy but were better in the second quarter holding East Point goalless. Unfortunately, we were expecting too much from too few after half time. Credit to East Point they were pretty good inside the contest and equally as good on the outside."

Jackson Merrett (East Point):"After a disappointing first half, our resolve to come out with a couple soldiers down was really pleasing. We had the game on our terms after half time and go into the bye happy with how our young fellas are going."

Reigning premiers Melton were merciless off their 21-day break dishing out a 121-point thrashing of Ballarat on MacPherson Park.

The Bloods piled on 12 goals in the first half and 10 in the second to finish with seven multiple goal scorers on a day that welcomed back Jack Walker, Lachie Watkins and, for their first games, key big man Brenton Payne (four goals) and North Melbourne VFL listed star Jack Watkins.

Leading forward Ryan Carter matched Payne to share a game high four goal return while Ryan Davis, Luke Heeney and Braedyn Kight finished with three.

While it's unlikely Aaron Tymms' group will see much of Payne or Watkins moving forward it gave us enough sample size of what to expect in the event of a reoccurrence.

The Bloods were able to get it done without Liam Carter (calf), Brett McIntyre (foot), Brady Rowles (bursitis) and Adrian Monitto.

On the flipside, Swans’ coach Chris Maple made no excuse for the failings of his young group's footy audit. While they were never expected to win, a showing of much greater resistance would've been the minimum.

The day was dominated by the maroon and white with a genuine team effort. For the visitors however, impactful contributions were slim.

Marcus Powling, Ben Wardley. Zach Maple and Andrew Hooper (two goals) had ‘pride in the jumper performances’ on an otherwise "disappointing day" for the Swans.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jordyn Cotter (Melton): 36 disposals, 13 marks, 11 intercept possessions

Jack Watkins (Melton): 40 disposals, 25 contested possessions, 9 clearances

William Liston (Ballarat): 35 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 tackles 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Aaron Tymms (Melton): "Happy with the result but more pleased with how sharp we were executing our game plan in trying conditions. A real solid effort across the board for us."

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"A very disappointing day for our club. Melton played an exceptional brand of football and outplayed us in all facets of the game. Young teams have highs (last week) and lows (this week). The gap needs to reduce considerably."

Darley have slipped to fourth place on the BFNL table after Redan pulled off a remarkable 18-point victory over the Devils.

The highly anticipated return to Darley Park ended in a 'fizzer' for Dan Jordan's men, culminating in a second straight loss.

The Devils had few winners on the ground, winning just one quarter for the match resembling a shell of the team that went 7-0 to start the season.

For the record, since the Melton game in Round 8, Darley has won just one of eight quarters. You can theorise reason all you like, but the reality is the Devils are simply not coping without key personnel.

Nonetheless, Redan weren't shy on a number of absentees of their own with Saturday's outcome to tell a story of depth comparison between the two clubs.

All honours with Redan seizing the moment. Their ability to outwork and outnumber the Devils both inside the contest and out was a recurring theme for the afternoon.

As a result, the Lions were cleaner extracting from stoppage, allowing more effective ball movement on the outside, placing the once ladder leaders on the back foot.

The Lions had many winners on the day, arguably seven of the best 10 players on the ground.

The hierarchy at Redan settled on Izaac Grant, Jacob Short, Jacob Werts and Declan Phillps as the pick of a genuine team effort boasting nine individual goal kickers.

For the Devils, Brett Bewley, Riley Matricardi (two goals) and Will Johnston (four goals) were the standouts on their return home. More broadly however, for the second game in a row, the Devils’ skill level hovers in the 'poor' region.

While Redan couldn't break back into the six with the win, they remain in touch and should not fear anyone moving forward with Lachie George, Liam Hoy and Lachie McLean yet to return. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jacob Short (Redan): 24 disposals, 13 rebound 50s, 7 intercept possessions

Izaac Grant (Redan): 23 disposals, 9 contested possessions, 6 score involements

Brett Bewley (Darley): 42 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 15 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Craig Baker (Darley Football Manager):"Our skills have been poor over the last fortnight. Our inability to find a target though the middle of the ground cost us. We got within a goal in the third (quarter), but they were always able to reply. Redan have some really good young talent and thoroughly deserved the win."

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"We competed really well for four quarters and really pleased with our spread of goalkickers and our our ability to respond when the Devils were able to kick a goal. (We) understand the Devils had a few out but Lachie George, Liam Hoy, Lachie McLean etc will make us better."

Sebastopol shrugged off an undermanned Sunbury in the second half to win well by 27 points at Marty Busch Reserve.

In fairness to the Burra an untimely wedding saw them a handful shy of their best 22, while the visitors misfortunes were put down to injury with up to six or seven missing.

Burras quartet Tony Lockyer, James Keeble, Ryan Noether and Grady Snowden all missed, but the outs for Sunbury proved too much to overcome.

Absentees for the Lions included Mitch Lewis, Tyson Lever, Nick Hannett, James Cree, Nathan Wood, Joel Muir, Leigh Brennan, Rivva Karpany and Lachie Urban. Anyway, enough of the 'have nots'.

Sunbury started well into the breeze to be within three points at quarter time but failed to flatter with it, trailing even further, albeit just 11 points at half-time.

You can't take anything for granted against the frugal natured Burra defence, even without some key personal, and didn't they respond for coaching duo Luke Kiel and Michael Columbro.

The Burra extended the advantage to 35 points at the final change and would ask too much of the Lions list to overcome. Travis Hodgson's men were 'ok' adding three final quarter goals but conceded two in the process. Game over. Harry Minton-Connell was named best for the losing team ahead of Jake Egan and Cody Brand.

For the winners, Toby Hutt (three goals), Riley O'Keefe and Jack Bambury took individual honours while on the goal front Hugo Papst, Liam Latch and Adam Forbes aided scoreboard separation with two goals each.

Both sides face top six opposition in Round 11 - Sebastopol are on the road to Darley (4th) and Sunbury hosts East Point (6th).   

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Arnold Kirby (Sebastopol): 53 hitouts, 18 disposals, 14 contested possessions

Liam Latch (Sebastopol): 33 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 7 pressure acts

Joshua Guthrie (Sunbury): 34 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 10 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Luke Kiel/Michael Columbro (Sebastopol):"Took us 15 minutes to find our feet. We thought both teams played their best footy into the breeze in the first half. We were able to get on top after quarter time but failed to capitilise on our scoring shots."

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Thought we started well against the wind, leading at quarter time and played our way for big patches of the game. Our opportunity to stamp some authority would have been the second quarter to the scoring end but we were substantially outplayed. The better side won and won well."

BFNL football action returned following a successful Interleague weekend to start July.

The confidence drawn from the BFNL's Under 23 Interleague win over the Hampden League saw no less than 10 players of a possible 20 (North Ballarat bye) feature in their club's best players at the weekend.

Well done young guns!

Ballarat assumed bragging rights over Bacchus Marsh as the unofficial eighth ranked team in the competition with a four quarter, 41-point win at Alfredton Oval.

Following a tight opening term, the Swans booted nine goals to three asserting the authority, on their way to a fourth win of the season.

Given the age profile of Chris Maple's young group they're arguably one game ahead of forecasting, given their upset win over Sunbury in Round 9.

The Swans have now won three of their last four games as another example of the 'footy audit' presents this week against third placed North Ballarat.

Trying conditions prevailed for the games entirety but couldn't deny Swans midfielder Will Liston a lasting impact with best on ground honours ahead of more experienced trio Will Garner, Keegan Mellington and the returning Daniel Kennedy.

Zak Maple and Wyatt Squires delivered on their roles while sharpshooter Andrew Hooper finished with three goals.

For the Cobras, the disappointment was palpable. Coach Jason Williams, and not for the first time, touched on a recurring theme of relying on too few for too much.

No surprise to see usual suspects Jake Owen (three goals), Jake McCreery and Tyson Shea land in the bests on a tough day at the office for the red, yellow and black.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

William Liston (Ballarat): 42 disposals, 14 tackles, 7 score involvements

Paddy Simpson (Ballarat): 32 disposals, 14 tackles, 8 score involvements

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh): 69 hitouts, 22 disposals, 9 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"A solid performance from our boys. The Marsh applied a lot of pressure throughout the game. A good result in all three grades on a day that means so much for our football club. 4EK🤍

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh):"Tough day in some really tough conditions. Ballarat were more efficient going forward and put a gap on us because of that. Again, a day where we expected too much from too few."

For the second game in a row, the frugal Bloods kept their opposition to just three goals as they marched towards another four-quarter demolition - this time against the Lakers by 75 points.

While the result was considered foregone by many heading in, it does require a power of work getting the job done in true Bloods fashion.

Aaron Tymms' army remain a game clear on top of the table after a full round of matches.

They have the highest percentage (217%) of any and rank #1 in offence and the only team averaging over 100 pts per game (104.4).

The Bloods defence have regained their #1 ranking in the comp conceding just 47.9pts against on average, more than a goal clear of Sebastopol (54) and North Ballarat (54.6).

The title defence is on right on track, near a mirror image on the same time last year.

After 11 rounds in their 2022 Premiership year the Bloods averaged 108.3 pts per game, conceding 56.9 ppg.

While they're down a miserly four points in offence this year they have improved in defence conceding nine less points per game. Only North Ballarat (29.5/40) have won more quarters than the Bloods (29) this year.

The more experienced hosts led by example at the weekend with familiar names Blake Souter, Jordy Kight, Jordy Cotter, Ben Archard, Jack Walker (three goals) and Lachie Watkins featuring in the best.

Whilst the visitors were denied any scoreboard impact the Lakers defence did well denying the Bloods a fifth score of 100 or more for the season.

The form of Tom Zampatti, Felix Fogarty and Flynn Loader is really encouraging for the rebuilding club alongside Bailey Thompson (best), Timmy Collins and Ben Hayes. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jack Walker (Melton): 34 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 12 score involvements

Jordyn Cotter (Melton): 36 disposals, 11 intercept possessions, 9 score involvements

Bailey Ryan (Lake Wendouree): 18 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 7 intercept possessions 

COACHES VERDICT

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"Another solid four quarter effort in trying conditions. Our defence was very solid and pleasing to limit them to five scoring shots for the day."

Tim Shearer (Lake Wendouree):"Pretty competitive (game) today. Melton are the benchmark of the competition so a big challenge for us today. Thought we brought a good level of energy and pressure. They were a bit too clean for us overall, but we think we showed some positive signs."

Sunbury showed its true potential with an 80-point thrashing of a disappointing East Point side on Saturday.

With a spot in the top six up for grabs there was little between the two sides at the first break despite the visitors kicking with the aid of a tricky breeze.

But that was all she wrote of the competitive nature that would transpire as the Lions piled on 14 goals to two for the remainder of the match to run out big winners.

The Lions were buoyed with the return of captain Tyson Lever, who was named in the bests, and Mitch Lewis to bolster top end stocks and marks on expectation from a clearly talented group.

Jake Sutton (five goals), Harry Minton-Connell and Cody Brand also featured in the best players, the immediate beneficiaries of confidence building Interleague performances against the Hampden league a week ago.

It was a timely scalp for Travis Hodgson's Lions who cling to fifth place on the BFNL table, by percentage, ahead of a surging Redan.

The loss sees the Kangas now a game outside the six with little time to regroup ahead of a potential season defining game against Redan.

The 80-point loss for the Kangas gives them no guarantees of a return inside the six even in the event of a win over the sixth placed Redan. Needless to add the Kangas percentage copped a real hit, a key variable expected to play a role at the business end.

For the visitors, it was their more experienced soldiers who provided much of the resistance that unfortunately could not equate to impact on the scoreboard.

Cam Lovig, Joe Dodd, Matthew Johnston, Joel Van Meel, Jordan Taylor and up and comer Geordie Slater could hold their heads high on an otherwise forgettable trip to the Clarke Oval for the proud Kangas.       

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Joshua Guthrie (Sunbury): 34 disposals, 88% disposal effeciency, 13 score involvements

Harrison Minton-Connell (Sunbury): 35 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 score involvements

Joe Dodd (East Point):  34 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 8 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Very good four quarter performance. I felt we matched East Point at their undoubted strength around stoppage and contested ball and applied good pressure all day."

Jackson Merrett (East Point):"Comprehensively beaten in all aspects of the game. Credit to Sunbury, they looked sharp and played the ground very well. We will review some areas of the game and move forward to next week."

NEVER will I expect to write about two players from the one team sharing 34 shots on goal again.

Lions’ young forwards Izaac Grant (10.12) and Marty Boyer (5.7) surely did enough to enter the record books in one way shape or form given the astronomical number of shots on goal alone. It was truly remarkable.

The duo's rare feat usurped the match result at the top, as news of the 151-point margin came as little surprise to many BFNL followers.

Lions’ coach Gary Learmonth conceded the boys "left a few" out there, giving every indication that Grant especially, missed the opportunity outdoing former East Point forward Joel Ottavi's 17-goal haul against the Panthers in Round 10, 2021.

Records aside, Grant's 10.12 return catapults the former Hepburn junior to outright leader in the race for the Tony Locket Medal, one clear of North Ballarat's Jamie Quick on 32 goals.

While Grant and Boyer did the damage on the scoreboard, Rory Gunser, Nathan Dunstan, Cooper Craig-Peters and Jacob Short continued their rich vein of recent form. The Lions have won 10 of their last 12 quarters including games against Darley (2nd) and Sebastopol (4th).

For the Panthers, Mitch Fino flew the flag alongside fellow Under 23 talent, Rhys Lee, Riley Theo, Jarrod Bibby and Ayden Reilly. Captain Cody Chapman went down early with injury.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Izaac Grant (Redan): 33 disposals, 25 score involvements, 14 marks inside 50

Cooper Craig-Peters (Redan): 35 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 16 score involvements

Rhys Lee (Melton South): 36 disposals, 15 rebound 50s, 8 intercept possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Ryan Hoy (Melton South):"(We) played great football in 10 minute patches. Our Under 17 boys stood tall for us today. (It was) hard to contain Izaac Grant."

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"(It) was a solid effort with an even contribution from 22 players. Great to see Ziggy Lee debut from our U/19s. (Melton) South played some good footy and it was disappointing to see Chappy go down early."

A revitalised Darley outfit ended a two-game losing streak with an all-important 17-point win over flag fancy Sebastopol.

The Devils welcomed back a handful of 'ins', both old and new, providing Dan Jordan with his first win on Darley Park this season and a return to second place on the BFNL table.

The Burra, who were loaded with 17 of their 2022 Grand Final side (no Tony Lockyer) and a sizeable advantage in the ruck, were unable to reel in the Devils who were never headed after hitting the front midway through the opening term.

Improving Devils forward Will Johnson (five goals) was arguably the difference in the first half, and star mid Brett Bewley in the second.

Billy Myers returned after a month off and was both important and better for the run.

While Riley Matricardi's (two goals) energy and physical presence has proven a bonus for the Devils this year, the continued progress of Matt Denham at his new club following a near three-year break is beginning to raise eyebrows, all for the better.

The Burra did a lot right. Jed Hill (four goals) and James Keeble (three goals) had heart rates racing for both sides. Excitement for the visitors, nervousness for the hosts.

Hill and Keeble's forward craft, cleanliness and ability to keep their feet was a standout in tough windy conditions. That's the second time in as many visits to Darley Park Hill has booted four goals against the Devils.

Burra forward Toby Hutt covered a heap of ground and kept presenting while Bailey Medwell in the middle and defensive duo Luke Kiel and Jack Bambury provided plenty of drive. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley): 44 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 12 clearances

Will Johnson (Darley): 16 disposals, 8 score involvements, 5 goals

Arnold Kirby (Sebastopol): 58 hitouts, 21 disposals, 10 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley):"Good response from our group after a couple of flat weeks. Pleased with our ability to play four quarters and have 22 contributors against a high-quality side."

Luke Kiel/Michael Columbro (Sebastopol):"Darley started the better side, (we) tried hard all day and just couldn't get close enough. Will learn and continue to improve."

Despite a certain air of predictability looming ahead of forecasted results in round 12, all the underdogs (bar Melton South) improved on their earlier 2023 meetings with their respective opponents.

In fact, East Point overcame Redan to be just .57% outside the six and while the race for finals is down to seven, there's plenty more to play out to determine its ultimate order.

A five-goal-to-one final term gave North Ballarat the separation on the scoreboard they were longing for on their way to an eighth win of the season and second place on the BFNL ladder.

It’s a winning trend they must continue with their remaining five home and away games against top seven opposition, the toughest run home of any.

While the Swans weren't expected to win given North Ballarat's imposing record at Mars Stadium under Brendan McCartney, they did surprise to be within nine points at the final change.

But, the unpredictability of youth, discipline and the onset of fatigue led to the Swans conceding four goals from free kicks in the final term - essentially game over in a low scoring affair.

Werribee VFL listed, North Ballarat dangerman Jack Riding was given the nod as best on ground ahead of mid-season returnee Ryan Hobbs and ever consistent midfielder Riley Polkinghorne.

Swans’ forward Andrew Hooper's four goals kept the visitors in the game along with the efforts of Sam Fisher and Mitch Bishop who is enjoying a welcome return season in defence.       

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jack Riding (North Ballarat): 38 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 12 score involvements

Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat): 40 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 16 clearances

William Liston (Ballarat): 27 disposals, 13 tackles, 10 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):“Genuinely tough game to play in. Lots of long contests and tackling pressure. Ballarat were very good with their chase and tackling. Our boys did what they have done all year and wore them down to have a great last quarter."

Chris Maple (Ballarat): "We were very good for two and a half quarters and probably should have been further in front. Unfortunately, our last 40 minutes of football wasn't strong enough. Credit to the North boys, they sustained the pressure throughout.

Sunbury trounced Melton South by a whopping 204 points at the Clarke Oval on the weekend.

The win rockets the Lions into the number one scoring team after 12 rounds.

The 36.20 scoreline was the highest posted of any team this year and the third time a score of 200 points or more had been inflicted against the struggling Panthers.

As the unwanted records continue to fall for the embattled club, they registered their 2000th point against after just 11 games, at an average concede of 176pts per game.

But more on the winners....

Lions coach Travis Hodgson debuted four players ahead of six changes for the game due to player management, VFL selection and injury. No less than 15 Sunbury individuals cashed in on the goal front as Mitch McLean and Cody Brand shared the honours with bags of five goals each.

Harry Minton-Connell, Harry Power and Riley Miller enjoyed a day out on the possession front to join McLean and Brand in the best players on an afternoon that culminated in an 'easy watch' for Lions fans.

Usual suspects Rhys Lee (in best 6/10 games), Aydin Reilly (5/11), Jarrod Bibby (7/11) and Mitch Fino (5/10) were again named in the best for the visitors. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Harrison Minton-Connell (Sunbury): 41 disposals, 18 score involvements, 11 inside 50s 

Joshua Guthrie (Sunbury): 34 disposals, 17 score involements, 85% disposal efficiency

Broden Collins (Melton South): 22 disposals, 21 hit outs, 13 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Repeat of last week really. We had a full complement of contributors including four debutants who blended in seamlessly. Looking forward to next week’s challenge (v Ballarat)."

Ryan Hoy (Melton South): "Competitive for two quarters. The four Under 17 players stood tall for us today. Sunbury were way too quick and super-efficient in front of goal."

Hats off to Jackson Merrett and East Point by responding for arguably their most important win of the season.

The seventh placed Kangas simply had to win (tick) and win well (tick) to narrow the gap on sixth placed Redan who were a game and considerable percentage ahead after 11 rounds. Such was the nature of the Kangas win and away from home mind you, the 2018 and 2019 premiers are within .57% of Gary Learmonth's Redan, and level on six wins.

More credit to the Kangas for overcoming Redan, who had arguably their best side in for the year.

In the race for a top six finals berth, Redan has the easier run home with 2/5 remaining games against top seven opposition while East Point have 3/5.

The Kangas will need another scalp that's for sure, but they've proven more than capable already this season and rank #4 in offence against top seven opposition, averaging 74.1 points per game.

Redan on the other hand rank #7 (v top 7 opposition) averaging 72.6 points per game.

The Kangas 'leak spot' against the top seven lays in their defence, the only side in the sample who concedes more than 90 points per game on average.

So, who got it done at the weekend? Bryce McDougall booted a game high five goals for the winners ahead of Jack Jeffrey and Brad Whittaker who booted three apiece.

Star midfield combo Matt and Jordy Johnston delivered when it mattered most to feature one and two listed names in the best.

For Redan, debutant Jonty Faull (four goals) was outstanding ahead of a handful of young Lions who continue to progress at the level, near flying under the radar. Gun mid/forward Isaac Grant was kept goalless for just the third time this season.

The battle for a prized finals spot continues this week - Redan (6th) host North Ballarat (2nd) while East Point (7th) are away to Melton (1st). Every goal counts. Can't wait!

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jordy Johnston (East Point): 36 disposals, 25 contested possessions, 17 clearances

Matt Johnston (East Point): 26 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 10 clearances

Lachlan George (Redan): 29 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 13 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"We were beaten in all aspects of the game by a hungrier East (Point) side. Our skill level and ability to stick to structure was a concern. We need to improve to compete with the better sides in the competition. Jonty Faull was outstanding on debut."

Jackson Merrett (East Point):"Really pleased with the way the group responded after our performance last week. We had a plan going into the game and we executed that for the most part across four quarters."

Sebastopol were one of many top six aspirants who were able to collect a win with a bit in reserve following a 46-point victory over an improving Lake Wendouree.

Sure, the result consolidated Luke Kiel and Michael Columbro’s men to third place on the BFNL table but the underdog Lakers did put up a fight before succumbing to their fourth narrowest loss (out of 10) for the season and scoring 2.5 points above their season average along the way.

It was a valiant effort against a top three opposition.

The Burra’s coaching division cited plenty more work to be done in their camp despite an enviable third place standing in the BFNL.

The club welcomed Werribee VFL listed whizz Jay Dahlhaus (three goals), who will now be better for the run with his new teammates.

It's unsure how long Dahlhaus will be made available for the Burra, but given Werribee's 10-game winning streak, the returning dangerous small forward may be around for longer than first thought as reenters his footy fray following recurring concussion issues.

Burra fans will be rapt at the thought of having the 22-year-old, 171cm, 70kg threat as part of their finals campaign.

Connor O'Shea and James Keeble were named best for the winners, while Hugo Papst (four goals) and Dahlhaus did the damage forward.

For the Lakers, youngsters Felix Fogarty, Flynn Loader and Tom Zampatti continue to impress behind experienced midfielder Michael Foster.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jay Dahlhaus (Sebastopol): 32 disposals, 24 contested possessions, 11 clearances

Luke Kiel (Sebastopol): 30 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 9 score involvements

Tim Collins (Lake Wendouree): 28 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 11 pressure acts 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Tim Shearer (Lake Wendouree):"Pleased with our lad’s ability to respond after Sebastopol got on top just after half time. We've got some areas still requiring improvement but feel we're becoming more competitive generally."

Luke Kiel/Michael Columbro (Sebastopol):"Played three good solid quarters of football, Lakers came at us in the third. (We) focused on a couple of things at the start of the week and made good progress today."

Melton simply did enough to earn the points with an eye toward 'bigger fish to fry' as the ladder leaders made it ten wins from eleven games in 2023.

The frugal Bloods kept the Cobras to just 1.1 in each of the opening three quarters to have the game well and truly tucked away, 51 points in front at the final change.

While it wasn't the best version of the Bloods, some credit must go to the Cobras for their willingness to go down fighting with a spirited five-goal-to-three win in the final term.

The effort was in stark contrast to their previous meet against the reigning premiers that amounted to just one goal for the day!

Their 8.6 return was just two points shy of their season average while managing to keep the Bloods below a 100-point tally, the seventh time it’s been done this season.

After 12 rounds last year the Bloods had been reduced to less than 100 points only four times.

Jack Walker (three goals) was named best for the winners, again his endurance ability gives him every chance to accumulate over four quarters - he never seems to tire.

Adrian Monitto had plenty of it and was clean for the most part, unlike many who struggled to execute on a scrappy day with the footy. Key forward Ryan Carter was made to work hard for his three goals.

Cobra youngsters Isaac Nixon and Josh Huxtable had arguably their best games at senior level given the quality of opposition. Jack Parente and Ethan McKercher booted two goals each.    

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jack Walker (Melton):35 disposals, 12 score involvements, 91% disposal efficiency

Braedan Kight (Melton): 23 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 9 marks

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh):78 hit outs, 18 disposals, 10 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh):"Big improvement today having the (Coates) Talent League guys available and in the side makes a big difference. Our future is really exciting. We battled hard against a really good footy side."

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"Not the prettiest performance but we will take the four points. Pleased with the grind for three quarters and credit to the Marsh for making it difficult all day."

With just a handful of games left in the 2023 season, every result counts. Here is how the Round 13 action played out.

Top three contenders Darley recorded an all-important ninth win of the season with a 12-point win over cross town rivals Bacchus Marsh.

The Devils looked to be cruising at half time with a 23-point lead all while registering 12 scoring shots to four.

But, to the Cobras’ credit, they dug their heels in after the break to outscore their more fancied opponents 6.3 to 4.5 in the run home to finish within 12 points at the final siren.

The Cobras’ defensive plan to have a clear out number behind the ball contributed to a higher than average stoppage count in the second half as the Devils failed to capitilise on their landslide weight of forward 50 entries.

Shane Page, Adam Azzopardi, Joel Cadman and Brett Bewley were named best for the Devils as five players shared multiple goals to impact the scoreboard - Billy Myers. Mitch Gardiner, Brett Bewley, Riley Matricardi and Will Johnson each finished with two goals,

For the Cobras, Western Jets listed Joel Freeman kicked a game high five goals, maxing out his limited opportunities while Jake Owen (back), Luke Goetz (ruck), Josh Huxtable (mid) and Alex Porter (wing) made solid four quarter contributions in a losing side.         

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Joel Cadman (Darley): 32 disposals, 10 clearances, 93% disposal efficiency

Brett Bewley (Darley):32 disposals, 10 inside 50s, 9 pressure acts

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh): 68 hit outs, 17 disposals, 12 pressure acts

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley):"(We) controlled the game early and failed to execute when Bacchus Marsh went defensive. Always great to have a win and still identify areas of improvement. Full credit to the Marsh for a four quarter effort and intensity."

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh):"Really pleased with our group today, we are getting more and more competitive. Our top end footy is just as good as most teams in the comp. Glad to compete but we need to take the next step and start winning."

Sebastopol had 49 shots on goal on their way to a major percentage boosting win over Melton South at the weekend.

Burras’ big and small duo Toby Hutt (seven goals) and Jay Dahlhaus (six goals) led 13 contributors on the goal front in the one sided affair.

The nature of the win elevates Luke Kiel and Michael Columbro's men into the box seat for a top three finish and only heightens the importance of this Saturday's Round 14 clash against North Ballarat.

Both sides sit on nine wins, separated only on percentage. Darley, fourth with nine wins, are still with a game in hand and face the Lakers this weekend.

For the winners, Bailey Veale, Luke Kiel and Adam Forbes did the damage at ground level joining Hutt and Dahlhaus as the Burra found some quality touch and ball movement on their own terms.

Melton South enjoyed some moments with a three goal third term to give home fans something to savour but again the gulf in class was ever apparent.

Quartet Rhys Lee, Nathan Gemmell, Tevita Hallet-Tualalli and big man Broden Collins did enough to ensure a fourth score against of 200 plus was avoided.

Bring on Saturday's ‘Match of the Round’ billing between Sebastopol (2nd) and North Ballarat (3rd) - should be a ripper. The Panthers (11th) however, have the reigning Premiers and competition benchmark Melton.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jay Dahlhaus (Sebastopol): 38 disposals, 24 score involvements, 19 contested possessions

Bailey Veale (Sebastopol): 31 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 12 score involvements

Broden Collins (Melton South): 41 hit outs, 21 disposals, 15 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Ryan Hoy (Melton South):"Proud of the boys for grinding it out for the full 120 minutes. (We were) down to 15 men in the last quarter and still fought out the game. Sebastopol were very strong through the corridor. Watch out for Jay Dahlhaus in the finals, he's a real live wire!"

Luke Kiel/Michael Columbro (Sebastopol):"Melton South put in around the contest. We were able to move the ball effectively and gave our forwards decent enough service."

League benchmark Melton were simply too good, denying visitors East Point a sniff with a four quarter, 46-point win at MacPherson Park.

Forwards Ryan Carter (seven goals) and Braedyn Kight (four goals) combined for 11 of the winners’ 13 goals to keep the Bloods two games clear on top of the BFNL ladder.

Unfortunately for the Kangas, it wasn't their day, as their proven front half struggled to overcome the Bloods’ defence, finishing with just five goals for the game, their second lowest score of the season. 

Kangas’ coach Jackson Merrett praised his young defence in the aftermath for their uphill battle against the 11-win Bloods, but were unable to generate any scoreboard impact of their own at the other end.

Any resemblance of a first half win for the visitors, noted in five of their previous six outings were put to bed with a seven-goal-to-three scoreline in favour of the hosts.

The margin was for the most part gradual but always on the rise for Aaron Tymms’ men who have full respect for the Kangas capabilities.

Carter's returns on the goal front were enough to earn best on ground honours ahead of the ever consistent Jack Walker and crucial big man Ben Archard.

Defenders Lachlan Phillips, Blake Souter and Conrad Farrugia were largely responsible denying the visitors any momentum.

The Kangas’ Harry Ganley, Jack Jeffrey, Joe Fraser, Joe Dodd did everything they could to support the Johnston brothers but the Bloods were too strong.

Seventh placed East must win this Saturday to keep their top six chances alive when they host Ballarat (8th). Melton is away to Melton South (11th).

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Ryan Carter (Melton):23 disposals, 15 score involvements, 13 marks

Jordyn Cotter (Melton): 32 disposals, 9 marks, 8 rebound 50s

Harry Ganley (East Point): 23 disposals, 10 marks, 8 intercept possessions  

COACHES’ VERDICT

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"A really complete performance across four quarters. I thought we were able to win the contested ball which set up our spread. Our defence stood up again and kept a quality attacking side at bay for almost the entire game."

Jackosn Merrett (East Point):"Our young defence stood up really well for the most part against the benchmark. However, our inability to apply scoreboard pressure let us down."

North Ballarat shellshocked finals aspirant Redan with a six-goal-to-one opening term before closing out a 19-point win to hold third place on the BFNL ladder, percentage shy of Sebastopol in second place.

Sure, Redan outscored Brendan McCartney's men 6.11 to 4.5 after quarter time but the damage was already done.

The Roosters are warming to their charge toward finals with a seventh straight win and passed their first test of five straight games against top seven opposition en route to the September action.

Marquee North Ballarat recruit Stewart Crameri had arguably his best game for the club to feature in the best alongside Isaac Carey, Isaac Lovisson, Riley Polkinghorne and bigman Callum McCullum.

Just the thought of the Roosters potential front six featuring Crameri, Riding, Hotchin, Quick and  Glover come finals is a nervous proposition for all opposition clubs.

For Redan, Lachie George, Daniel Bond and Nathan Dunstan were important arresting momentum away from the Roosters after quarter time while Jacob Short, Harry Lawson (two goals) and Izaac Grant rated mentions.

Looking ahead Redan has the week off ahead of their last four games with only one of those coming against top seven opposition. East Point (7th), who remain percentage shy of Redan, must overcome a competitive Ballarat to keep the pressure on the Lions to win.

North Ballarat (3rd) meet (Sebastopol (2nd) in a ‘Match of the Round’ billing on Saturday at Marty Busch Reserve.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Stewart Crameri (North Ballarat): 25 disposals, 13 score involvements, 9 inside 50s

Jack Riding (North Ballarat): 24 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 8 score involvements

Lachlan George (Redan):27 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 7 clearances 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"Deja vu first quarter cost us. North (Ballarat) were terrific in the first quarter which was the difference. From then on it was a tough, even contest. Lots to like but lots to learn from."

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"We played some really good footy at times. The game showed we have some areas to work on and develop as well. Redan kept coming at us strongly, but our system and competitiveness shown over the last few months again stood up. Our club is looking forward to the challenges ahead."

Sunbury turned the tables on Ballarat with a resounding 60-point win at Clark Oval.

The win keeps Travis Hodgson's crew comfortable in fifth place, just one game shy of Sebastopol, North Ballarat and Darley.

While there's building conversation around the final make-up of an all-important top three finish, don't rule out Sunbury who are beginning to deliver on their potential, largely on the back of returning Captain Tyson Lever.

In just his third game since overcoming a foot injury, the rebounding defender has been named best aground twice.

While other results will likely favour the Lions in the run home, destiny lays in their own hands with three of their remaining four games against top four opposition - namely Melton (away), North Ballarat (away) and Darley (away).

A scalp on the road would validate their currency and confidence levels ahead of a return to finals.

The weekend's win for the Lions was dominant from the outset winning the opening three quarters comfortably to set up a match winning 10.14 to 3.2 lead.

The Swans hopes of a second season win over Sunbury were thwarted after the withdrawal of dangerous forward Andrew Hooper.

The dangerous forward missed his first game of the season, a campaign that sees him sit third on the goal kicking ladder with 33 goals.

Ageless Lions forward Leigh Brennan (four goals) did the damage on the goal front while the ground level contributions of Blake Watson, Josh Guthrie, Tom Werner and Harry Minton-Connell were significant.

For the Swans, five individual goalkickers is all they could muster despite the efforts of Keegan Mellington, Marcus Powling, Sam Fisher and Lawson Prendergast, who never gave up the fight.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Joshua Guthrie (Sunbury): 39 disposals, 12 marks, 10 tackles

Tyson Lever (Sunbury): 24 disposals, 11 marks, 10 intercept possessions

Paddy Simpson (Ballarat): 41 disposals, 9 marks, 9 tackles 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Another pleasing performance. Ballarat competed hard at the contest and worked hard to slow us down. Credit to the boys, they're showing some real faith in our system now and being rewarded. We get the footy the footy audit after the bye."

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"A lot of learnings from our hit out against Sunbury. Our boys continued to be competitive but couldn't match a strong Sunbury outfit."

Saturday's eight-point wins, ladder leapfrogging and rare victories were all part of the highlights to come out of Round 15. 

Bacchus Marsh duly saluted with a morale boosting win on the road against Melton South.

While the result may have been expected, Cobras’ coach Jason Williams wasn't prepared to take anything for granted given their modest two-win season.

In fact, it was against the Cobras at their earlier meet where the winless Panthers won their only quarter for the season. Given that was the opening term back in Round 9, Williams’ focus was eyeing an impactful start from his visiting party.

Prime mover jake Owen didn't let him down with two goals in the opening four minutes to lay claim on a potential big day in front of the sticks.

While the former captain finished with a game high five goals, he may have come up shy on the days potential given he had 10 shots on goal for the day.

Cobras’ next generation pair Rylan Porter and Spencer Jenks both kicked three goals.

Owen was named best for the winners ahead of Tyson Shea, Josh Huxtable and Jack Parente. Improver Xavier Jenks also featured for a fourth time this season.

For the embattled Panthers, they did show some fight matching the Cobras with a two goal second term but again the reality of victory was beyond their reach.

Jarrod Bibby, Rhys Lee and Aydn Reilly were once again prominent contributors for the hosts while big man Broden Collins fought valiantly against arguably the competitions’ premier ruckman, Luke Goetz.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jake Owen (Bacchus Marsh): 28 disposals, 22 marks, 17 score involvements

Tyson Shea (Bacchus Marsh): 33 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 14 tackles

Rhys Lee (Melton South): 36 disposals, 13 marks, 10 rebound 50s

COACHES’ VERDICT

Ryan Hoy (Melton South):"Felt our first half was really good, especially the second quarter where we defended well. Unfortunately, we lost our way a bit in the third (quarter) where Bacchus Marsh got control at the stoppage and weren't able to quell momentum. Credit to our boys, they stuck it out in the last quarter which was pleasing."

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh): "Grateful to win and have a lot of contributors across the day. I enjoyed seeing the boys really enjoy themselves. Melton South were good in the second half and challenged us which I think will help us over the coming weeks."

Darley moved into outright second on the BFNL table, just one game behind ladder leaders Melton, after a hard fought 34-point win over North Ballarat.

In what was billed as one of the games of the round, the contested brand of footy on display earned the plaudits of all and sundry in attendance.

While scoring on the major front was a difficult assignment for both sides, it was the Devils who held their nerve to breakthrough the Roosters defence, extending their lead at each interval en route toward a meritorious four quarter win.

The convincing nature of the result put pay to any doubts held more broadly across the competition that the Devils could turn the tables on their 57-point loss earlier in the season.

In fairness, the Roosters chances were dealt a severe blow with the late withdrawal of Jack Riding (Werribee VFL).

The creative playmaker’s recall was untimely given the absence of sharpshooter Jamie Quick (concussion), Sam Artz (concussion), Ryan Hobbs (calf), Harry Loader (overseas) and Thomas Hotchin (knee). 

For the Devils, top end talents Matthew Brett, Shane Page and Brett Bewley were the prime instigators in the all-important win while Joel Cadman and Darren Leonard were the only multiple goal scores on the day finishing with two each.

Roosters’ defenders Isaac Carey and Isaac Lovisson were named best for the travelling party, while Callum McCullum, Riley Polkinghorne, Brock Leonard and Tom Bromley-Lynch fought bravely between the arcs.

Honours with the Devils for keeping North Ballarat to their lowest score of the season.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley): 41 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 9 tackles

Matthew Brett (Darley): 24 disposals, 12 marks, 11 contested possessions

Cam McCallum (North Ballarat): 78 hit outs, 17 disposals, 13 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley): "A good performance against an undermanned North Ballarat outfit. We were strong in the contest and executed mostly what we wanted for the day. Still plenty to work on."

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"Tough day for us. Darley were strong in all areas of the game, in particular overhead and owning the outside of the ground. Dan is a high-quality coach and is building a team built to succeed in finals. Another challenge for us next week where we can put some of our learnings to the test."

An inaccurate Redan took more than a half of footy to shrug off the one-win Lakers to gain a much needed four premiership points to elevate themselves back inside the top six at the expense of East Point.

The Lions had won just three of their previous eight games and were looking to consolidate early but were often denied by a plucky Lakers outfit who played some good footy to be within a goal at the main break.

However, the Lions awoke from their post bye slumber adding 7.15 to 1.3 after half time to earn some separation on the scoreboard.

Twenty-two shots on goal to three after the main break tells its own story of dominance. Nonetheless the Lions would be disappointed with their 10-goal return given the Lakers’ average concede per game is in excess of 100 points.

Isaac Grant (four goals) and Grant Bell (three goals) found their mojo around goal while Declan Phillips, Declan Hart, Jacob Short, Daniel Bond and Lachie George won more than their fair share of the ball to feature in the best players.

For the Lakers, Bailey Thompson continued his run of recent form, booting three of his team’s four goals to aid the efforts of midfield duo Timmy Collins and Michael Foster who accumulated possession whilst under the pump.

Lakers’ big man Tom Zampatti made it a fifth appearance in the best from just seven games with his new club.

While the Lakers have just the one win to their name, they've shown longer periods of competitiveness that should hold no grave fears ahead of their Round 16 clash with Bacchus Marsh this Saturday.

Redan's ongoing battle with East Point for sixth place on the BFNL ladder continues when Gary Learmonth's pride head to Alfredton Oval aiming to consolidate an eighth win of their season.

For the record, East Point host third placed Sebastopol, who will be without livewire forward/mid Jay Dahlhaus with a hand injury. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Izaac Grant (Redan): 32 disposals, 14 score involvements, 14 contested possessions

Declan Phillips (Redan): 28 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 9 pressure acts

Bailey Ryan (Lake Wendouree): 28 disposals, 13 rebound 50s, 7 intercept possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Tim Shearer (Lake Wendouree): "Another competitive effort today. Playing group was excited about the opportunity in front of them at half time. Redan showed why they are heading towards finals with the poise they displayed after the break."

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"Lakers never gave up and played some good footy. We gave the ball back too often and left plenty of goals out there. We take the win and move on to a great test against Ballarat."

Melton stood up when it counted to deny Sunbury with a four-quarter winning performance at Macpherson Park.

While the visitors were brave for the most part, the Lions were unable to make inroads, trailing by eight, 13, 17 points at each of the breaks before going down by 27 at full-time.

Coach Travis Hodgson cited 'crucial mistakes' at both ends of the ground as the catalyst for their inability to arrest the gradual separation on the scoreboard.

The Lions were in the contest all day but couldn't deny the 'forever honest' Bloods who were well served by their more experienced heads Ben Archard, Jordy Cotter, Braedyn Kight (four goals), Lachie Watkins and the Walker brothers.

Liam Carter returned from a calf injury sustained in Round 7 to finish with two goals alongside Port Melbourne VFL listed speedster Kyle Borg (two goals).

Back-to-back goals for the hunting Lions against the might of the Bloods defence was always going to be a challenge.

With goals at a premium young gun Jake Egan, Jake Sutton and Mitch Trimboli managed two apiece while Patrick Scanlon, Josh Guthrie and Riley got the nod, featuring at the head of the best players.

Melton have the bye his week while Sunbury head to Mars Stadium for another footy audit against fellow Round 15 losers North Ballarat (fourth).

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jordyn Cotter (Melton): 33 disposals, 13 marks, 12 intercept possessions

Ben Archard (Melton): 75 hit outs, 25 disposals, 14 contested possessions

Joshua Guthrie (Sunbury): 38 disposals, 24 contested possessions, 17 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"A really good contest and we were able to grind out a professional win against strong opposition. We were able to control the game and were able to adjust to the different looks they gave us."

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Tight contest all day. Proud of the boys and I thought we were a genuine chance for most of the day and during the last quarter. We made some crucial mistakes in front of goal and deep in defence that no doubt hurt. That's what makes Melton so good, they punish you for it."

The BFNL welcomed another series of twists and turns over the weekend with upsets, finals previews and big wins all making appearances in Round 16.

North Ballarat held off an honest Sunbury with a tense 12-point win at Mars Stadium.

The important win was set up in the first half as Brendan McCartney's men led by 22 points at the main change.

While the half time difference doesn't seem much on face value the Roosters were near double the Lions score leading 47-25.

The four premiership points consolidates North Ballarat's fourth position on the BFNL ladder with the bye and East Point (H) to come.

Brock Leonard, Tom Bromley-Lynch (two goals), Sam Glover, Sam Scally, Sam Artz (one goal) and Elliot Lamb (two goals) were named best for the winners in a game where goals came at a premium.

Returning star duo Jamie Quick (two goals) and Jack Riding (one goal) looked threatening at times before the Werribee VFL listed Riding left the field temporarily with the blood rule after a heavy knock.

The Roosters impressive record under McCartney at Mars Stadium extends to 16-3 since he took the reins in 2021.

For Sunbury, it was another 'almost' performance, honest by definition. Their 1-5 record against top four teams ahead of finals is a concern given the Lions’ best is very good in capable of matching it with the best.

Unlikely source Harry Power (four goals) had all of Sunbury's three goals at half time to keep the Lions in with a slim chance. But it was always going to be a tough recovery mission reeling in a 22-point deficit.

Credit to Travis Hodgson's visiting party winning the second half 5.6 to 3.8 but their struggles in Ballarat continue with an eighth loss from their last 11 visits.

While Power's contribution warranted best player honours for the Lions, Riley Miller, Fraser Ampulski, Mitch Lewis, Tyson lever and Cody Bramble were recognised for their support roles.    

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Cam McCallum (North Ballarat): 52 hit outs, 19 disposals, 13 contested possessions

Brock Leonard (North Ballarat): 28 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 7 tackles

Mitchell Lewis (Sunbury): 34 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 clearances 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"Good day for the club. Great game of footy. Very proud of our players’ resilience and competitiveness."

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Another solid performance in which we challenged the opposition for most of the day but were unable to get the four points."

The Swans claimed a second top six scalp with a morale-boosting 19-point win at home over Redan.

Chris Maple's young group were victims of the post bye slumber early, smashed by the Lions 47-8 prompting a genuine wakeup call at the first change.

To the Swans credit, five unanswered second quarter goals had the game back on near level terms with the hosts just four points in arrears. Welcome back!

Overall the effort after quarter time was arguably the Swans best output for the season as they bounced back with 11 goals to two to run out deserved winners in the end.

Unfortunately for Lions coach Gary Learmonth the challenge of reducing the gap from their best and worse remains a problem as they endeavour to hang on for a place in the finals.

As it stands, they sit nervously inside the top six just 3.3% ahead of East Point. It's hard to comprehend the Lions failings after quarter time given their seven-goal blitz in the opener.

A 35-point lead squandered against the eighth placed team of the competition tells you just as much about both sides.

For the winners, ruckman Marcus Powling took the honours to be named best afield ahead of any number of Swans (nine goalkickers) with Daniel Kennedy, Mitch McGrath, Will Liston and Rhys Perry got the nod.

Redan named Jacob Werts, Jacob Short, Nathan Dunstan, Dean Matthews and Flynn Atchison among their best while seven goal scorers made up their nine-goal return.

Sharpshooters Andrew Hooper (Ballarat) and Izaac Grant (Redan) were both kept goalless.   

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Paddy Simpson (Ballarat): 31 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 13 score involvements

Daniel Kennedy (Ballarat):33 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 9 score involvements

Izaac Grant (Redan): 21 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 9 tackles 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"After a poor first quarter we regrouped well, and showed plenty of spirit. Good for our group to have some reward for their efforts."

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"First quarter was super, after that we were terrible. Credit to Ballarat for sticking together and clawing their way back."

Match favorites Darley made light work of their hit-out against Melton South with a massive win to celebrate club favorite Darren Leonard's 250th game.

The contest was over at quarter time as the merciless Devils posted 10 unanswered goals, holding the winless Panthers scoreless.

If not for rain in the last quarter the rampant Devils could have conceivably finished with 40 goals such was the gulf in class between the second and eleventh placed sides on the BFNL table.

Billy Myers and Will Johnson booted seven goals each to feature prominently while as many as seven other Devils hit the scoreboard to consolidate the one-sided nature of the affair.

Star midfielder Brett Bewley (three goals), Andy Azzopardi (four goals), Darren Leonard (four goals) and Leigh Spiteri (two goals) proved a handful all day for the clearly undermanned Panthers.

Melton South ruckman Brodie Collins kicked their only major in the last quarter. Captain Cody Chapman, Rhys Lee and Collins were acknowledged for their "never give up" attitudes on what was simply a devil of a day for the embattled Panthers.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley): 41 disposals, 10 clearances, 10 inside 50s

Lucas Impey (Darley): 33 hit outs, 23 disposals, 13 clearances

Broden Collins (Melton South): 68 hit outs, 24 disposals, 12 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley):"Executed the way we wanted and played good team footy all day. Great to see Leonard get some individual reward in the last quarter in his 250th game. A great clubman."

Ryan Hoy (Melton South):"Outclassed. The boys tried hard and never gave up."

The Cobras impressed with a dominant 92-point win over Lake Wendouree at Maddingley Park on Saturday.

Progressive youngster Isaac Nixon (six goals) and prime mover Jake Owen (four goals) did the bulk of the damage forward with their aerial presence and accuracy at goal a major feature.

The duo were the ultimate beneficiaries of a landslide in clearance numbers. Midfield trio Luke Goetz, Tyson Shea and Jake McCreery combined for a stack of possessions and were the primary instigators behind a majority of the Cobras’ season high 38 shots on goal.

While the Porter brothers Alex and Rylan chimed in with two goals apiece it was Rylan's volley out of midair over the shoulder that stole the show - a genuine goal of the year contender.

The nature of the finish resembled more of a round ball game 'strike', at the HIGHEST of level mind you - check it out on the highlights this week!

There was very little joy for the visitors in a performance described by coach Tim Shearer in the aftermath as "poor' despite the efforts of Brayden Helyar, Michael Foster, Ethan Prestan, Jamie Norton and Jack Butler who fought the game out to the very end.

All honours with the Cobras, they're clearly a different proposition with the added depth provided by their returning Coates talent league players.

One more win in the final two rounds would see the Cobras hit par in their first season rebuild under new coach Jason Williams.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh): 69 hit outs, 25 disposals, 11 score involvements

Jake McCreery (Bacchus Marsh): 30 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 11 score involvements

Angus Gove (Lake Wendouree): 31 disposals, 11 Rebound 50s, 8 marks

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh): "Today we rolled out close to our best squad for the season and got a result that reflects the personnel. Really sets us up for the last two games of the year."

Tim Shearer (Lake Wendouree):"We were very poor today. Credit to Jason and his Bacchus Marsh lads, they were dominant in the midfield and set up their win from there."

East Point fell agonisingly short of moving back into the top six at the expense of Redan when they went down by nine points to flag fancy Sebastopol at Eastern Oval.

There was external interest in the lead up as to which side was able to impact off their round 15 bye and what influence that would have finding some early separation on the scoreboard.

While the Kangas led by 12 points at quarter time it was the Burras’ nine goal second term that would see the visitors head into the main break with a 19-point advantage.

For the record it was the only quarter of the match the Burra won but enough to grant Luke Kiel and Michael Columbro’s men an 11th win of the season.

Despite the high scoring affair that included 30 goals, not one forward in particular was able to get off the hook, as 10 individual goalkickers made up each teams’ 15 goal return.

For the winners Arnold Kirby and Adam Forbes finished with three goals, while Kangas’ duo Matty Johnston and Bryce McDougall also booted three.

Forbes and Kirby were named in the best for the visitors behind Kiel, Daniel Widgery, Ben and Toby Hutt.

It was a familiar sight for the Kangas heading their list of major contributors as Henderson Medal prospect Jordy Johnston was named best for a fifth time adding to his overall 12/14 game appearances in the bests.

Experienced Kangas quintet Matthew Johnston, Joel Van Meel, Cam Lovig, Bryce McDougall and Harry Ganley weren't far behind JJ and were acknowledged for their efforts.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Luke Kiel (Sebastopol):26 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 10 score involvements

Toby Hutt (Sebastopol):21 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 13 score involvements

Matt Johnston (East Point): 25 disposals, 11 score involvements, 10 tackles  

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jackson Merrett (East Point):"It was a really pleasing performance across the board today. Barring a few moments in the second quarter, we controlled large portions of the match."

Luke Kiel/Michael Columbro (Sebastopol):"Solid win. Didn’t take our opportunities in front of goal. East Point hung around to their credit. Good solid hit-out post bye."

There have been plenty of twists and turns so far in season 2023 and Round 17 proved no different with a weekend full of upsets, premiership statements and brilliant individual efforts.

Bacchus Marsh validated it's rebuild with a thrilling, come from behind win over finals aspirant Sunbury at the Clarke Oval.

It was the third successive win for Jason Williams' team and their fifth for the season elevating the Cobras to eighth place on the BFNL ladder ahead of the final round of home and away matches.

While many observers had been encouraged by the Cobras recent spike in competitiveness against top six opposition, very few gave them much chance taking care of Travis Hodgson's Lions on their own deck.

The upset loss made it three on the bounce for the enigmatic Lions, who leave the finals door slightly ajar for Redan and East Point to usurp their standing in the top six.

But more on the joyous Cobras, claiming a scalp above them on the ladder after trailing by as much as 23 points midway through the game.

Sixteen-year-old Cody Salmon stole the show with three final quarter goals, looking more and more at home at the level after his seventh senior game. His enviable leg speed and composure around goal was significant.

Premier ruckman Luke Goetz was again pivotal for the winners while Alex Porter continues to build on his reputation on the back of his footy smarts and trusty left foot.

Jake Sutton was the only real standout for the hosts, proving a headache for the Cobras before finishing with a game high five goals. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh): 46 hit outs, 17 disposals, 10 contested possessions

Jack Parente (Bacchus Marsh): 29 disposals, 9 contested possessions, 8 rebound 50s

Joshua Guthrie (Sunbury): 37 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 12 score involvements,  

COACHES’ VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Disappointing day, us and the Marsh play pretty different brands and full credit to them. I felt they got the game on their terms for the majority. We did not work hard enough to get it on ours."

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh): "Today's result is a true reflection of the team we are. The most pleasing thing about today was we didn't play well for the first half, but we owned our moments when it counted. While for most today will seem like an upset, internally we know we've been building into this all year."

It was all one-way traffic at City Oval as the Lions dominated the Panthers to register a massive 187-point win.

Rare is the sequel better than the original, but Lions’ mid/forward Isaac Grant rocketed to the top of Tony Locket Medal calculations with an 11-goal haul making it 21 against the Panthers from their two season meetings.

Grant (49 goals) leads Melton key forward Ryan Carter by one major, with the last round of the home and away season still to come.

The Lions led at every change, setting up the win with 10 unanswered goals in the opening term. It was a fair welcoming for the winless Panthers who can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their struggles are now complete with their second bye set for round 18.

The Panthers forgettable season registered a massive 3000 points against for their 16 games, conceding an average of 187.5 points per game.

Redan on the other hand have bigger fish to fry, needing to win and win well to keep their finals hopes alive. They and cross-town rivals East Point have been fighting out the race for the prized sixth spot on the ladder.

This week the Lions are away to Sebastopol while East Point are off to Mars Stadium for a must win meet against North Ballarat who boast a 16-3 win-loss record under Brendan McCartney at the venue.

The Lions had 10 individual goal scorers led by Grant (11) and Marty Boyer who finished with five.

Nathan Dunstan, Riley Collins, Rory Gunsser (three goals), Lachie George (three goals) and Jacob Short were named in the best players behind Grant who made it an 11th appearance in the best from his 15 games.

John Kovarik, Riley Theo, Jarrod Bibby, Cody Chapman and Broden Collins were named best for the visitors.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Izaac Grant (Redan):25 disposals, 20 score involvements, 14 contested possessions

Lachlan George (Redan):31 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 16 score involvements

Cody Chapman (Melton South):38 disposals, 22 contested possessions, 13 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"A much more consistent effort across four quarters this week. Was a good spread of contributors."

Ryan Hoy (Melton South): "Competitive in patches. (Our) season is now done, thank god! Redan were too strong and classy - Isaac Grant dominated once again."

Visitors East Point kept their slim finals chances alive with a demolition job over the one win Lakers at CE Brown Reserve.

Chasing some much-needed percentage the ferocious Kangas put the game to bed early opening up a halftime lead of 52 points (55-3).

Henderson Medal chance Jordy Johnston was given the nod once again as the best player on the ground finishing with seven goals ahead of Bryson McDougall who booted six.

The gulf in class was ever apparent as eight of the Kangaroos waltzed in for majors against a Lakers outfit ready to put the cue in the rack.

Lakers’ coach Tim Shearer hinted in the aftermath the motivation for East Point earning a spot in the finals was always going to ask a lot of his young group to contain.

Kangas quartet Joe Dodd, Harry Ganley, Jordan Taylor and Liam Canny were recognised for their support roles behind sharpshooters JJ and McDougall.

While goals for the hosts were a rarity, Bayley Thompson, Michael Foster and Jamie Norton were recognised for their efforts to deny the avalanche.

The Lakers will find little joy ahead of their seasons end, a date with Melton, who are coming off the back of a loss against Darley.

East Point on the other hand face a must win game against North Ballarat at Mars Stadium.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Joe Dodd (East Point): 35 disposals, 12 score involvements, 12 marks

Liam Canny (East Point): 41 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 11 marks

Bayley Thompson (Lake Wendouree): 17 disposals, 9 pressure acts, 8 marks 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Tim Shearer (Lake Wendouree):"(We) battled away today against a team still motivated by the chance of finals footy. Some small signs of progress there and looking forward to tackling Melton to finish our year."

Jackson Merrett (East Point):“Really strong performance across the board. We had a strong focus on denying Lakers scoring opportunities and to only concede three points in the first half was really pleasing. Some of our younger boys have also started to find their own at senior level.”

Darley confirmed its premiership credentials with a hard fought 21-point win over ladder leaders Melton.

Dan Jordan's men are looking good at the right time of year with a sixth straight win, and their second in as many hitouts against the Bloods this year, extending their season record against fellow Eastern clubs to 7-0.

Those numbers mean very little in the grand scheme of things, more-so a feather in the cap to the Devils.

But there was plenty to like about Darley’s gritty win. Reigning Henderson Medalist Brett Bewley had the ball on a string while Billy Myers looked dangerous forward, finishing with a game high five goals.

There were plenty of contributors for the winners that could lay claim to playing their role and that's exactly the way the Devils would prefer it.

After trailing by one-point at quarter time, the Devils were able to get their noses in front at the half. It was the first time the Bloods had trailed at any break since their previous meeting in Round 8.

Strangely it was only the Bloods sixth game in 77 days and just the second hit-out against a top six opposition for the period.

Given a less than ideal preparation ,there was little surprise finding a few of the Bloods joining the casualty list in this battle of attrition.

Lachie Walker (knee), Lachie Watkins (ill), Ryan Carter (ill) and Brody Sullivan (ankle) will be monitored closely, eyeing a return for week one of the finals.  

The Bloods have one last opportunity for a fine tune ahead of finals when they face the Lakers on Saturday.

Darley meet Sunbury who have lost their last three games on the trot and five of their last eight. Look out for a response from the Lions.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley):33 disposals, 17 tackles, 12 contested possessions

Matt Denham (Darley):22 disposals, 82% disposal efficiency, 8 score involvements

Jordyn Cotter (Melton):33 disposals, 11 marks, 11 intercept possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley):"Thought our boys stuck to the task and executed our plan for 120 minutes. Good win against a quality side but lots to improve on."

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"Difficult day at the office. Effort was ok given we were down on numbers on the bench. but our method lacked polish. Darley better on the day."

The Burra impressed with an all the way, old fashioned thumping of Ballarat at Marty Busch Reserve last Saturday.

Coaching duo Luke Kiel and Michael Columbro acknowledged the four-quarter effort from their chargers, giving them an outside chance finishing as high as second on the BFNL table but no lower than third.

Fourteen Burras players hit the scoreboard in a game that resembled more of a free for all by nature the further the game went.

A staggering 50 shots on goal were recorded by the hosts who led by 44, 70 and 127 at the breaks before 151 points separated the two sides at the final siren.

The game’s end could not have come quicker for the Swans despite the efforts of usual suspects Daniel Kennedy, Will Garner, Will Liston and Paddy Simpson.

For the winners, their even spread of goalkickers were led by Jacob Wilkinson's four goal haul ahead of James Keeble and big man Arnold Kirby who booted three apiece.

While many of the Burras’ 22 could have ended up in the best given the one-sided nature of the affair, Ben Hutt, Bailey Medwell, Keeble, Toby Hutt, Tony Lockyer and Jacob Fletcher were recognised for their accumulation, compliance and work rate.

The Burras record in Ballarat is a stern warning for the broader competition having won all 12 games  and not trailed once at half time.

Finals aspirant Redan will have an opportunity to buck the trend with an all-important meeting with the Burra on Saturday at Marty Busch Reserve. 

Kiel and Columbro still have Riley O'Keefe, Jay Dalhaus and Jed Hill to return while Lachlan Cassidy got though unscathed with managed minutes returning from a hamstring strain.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jesse Clark (Sebastopol):25 disposals, 14 marks, 88% disposal efficiency

Arnold Kirby (Sebastopol):26 hit outs, 24 disposals, 12 score involvements

William Liston (Ballarat):25 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 12 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Luke Kiel/Michael Columbro (Sebastopol):"Good four quarter effort. We controlled the game from the outset. We were able to execute the aspects of the game that we have been focusing on."

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"Credit to Sebastopol, they controlled all phases of the game from the outset. We were disappointed with our execution of the basic fundamentals of the game."

It all came down to a thrilling final round! With finals right on our doorstep, crowds were treated to finals-like intensity over the weekend with a number of massive do-or-die clashes.

Jackson Merrett's East Point did what only reigning premiers Melton have been able to do in 2023 - beat North Ballarat at Mars Stadium.

It was just the fourth loss at the venue under Brendan McCartney since 2021 and with the Kangas’ season on the line - what a response!

Sure, the Kangas had their way with the Roosters at their first meet on Eastern Oval but this was a different assignment altogether. Seeing how the Kangas would dig in without Matty Johnston (concussion) was always going to ask questions of Merrett's young group.

The visitors trailed at every change but kept themselves within reach ahead of a season defining last ditch effort.

The Kangas trailed by 6, 12 and 5 points before kicking two unanswered goals in the last quarter to earn their place in the top six.

In form Kangas trio Joe Dodd (in best 9/11), Jordy Johnston (14/16) and Cam Lovig (7/16 including 3 of last 4) were crucial for the winners behind youngster Tom Conlan who had arguably his best game for the season.

With goals coming at a premium, promoted Under 17 talent Strahan Robinson finished with a game high five goals.

North Ballarat leading forward Jamie Quick booted four of the clubs seven goals for the afternoon.

Reliable defender Isaac Lovisson (in best 6/16) continued his run of form in a losing side ahead of usual suspects Cam McCullum, Stewart Crameri, Jack Riding and Riley Polkinghorne.

While it was a dead rubber essentially for North Ballarat, there's no denying it was the second loss to East Point in as many games this year. Their record against the other top six sides is more favourable with wins over Darley, Sebastopol and the double over Redan.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Joe Dodd (East Point):25 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 10 tackles

Jordan Johnston (East Point):25 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 8 tackles

Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat):31 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 9 intercept possessions

COACHES' VERDICT

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"We didn't quite get it right when the game was there to be decided. Some real positives and things to work on as well. We have earned our finals spot and everyone is looking forward to next week."

Jackson Merrett (East Point):"Another solid performance by our lads today, particularly from a few of our younger lads. We stuck to our guns and backed in our system to hold up over four quarters."

Darley gave the broader competition a timely reminder their best is very good with a nine-goal-to-one first quarter blitz of a Sunbury outfit fighting to keep their season alive.

The burst came on the back of just 15 inside 50s as forward targets Will Johnson, Billy Myers, Brett Bewley and Darren Leonard went to work.

While Sunbury showed plenty of spirit through the middle stages to reduce the margin to near single figures in the last quarter, another seven-goal pile-on from the Devils would see this game put to bed.

To validate Devils’ coach Dan Jordan's "real game of momentum swings" quote in the post-match, the nature of scoring tells the story.

In the first and last quarters the Devils added 16.2 - 4.5 while the Lions had their way through the 2nd and 3^rd quarters scoring 7.8 -4.2.

Rejuvenated small forward Leigh Spiteri (four goals) and versatile improver Will Johnson (four goals) were named best for the winners ahead of Billy Myers (three goals), Joel Cadman (two goals) and Luther Baker.

While Bewley was not named among the best he seemingly had his own footy in the first half with an eye toward Melton this week.

For Sunbury, the loss was compounded by underdog wins on the road to Redan and East Point that would essentially spell a premature end the Lions’ season.

Big man Cody Brand was an aerial threat all day for the Lions and offered genuine presence forward of the ball while Cody Bramble enjoyed a day out on his wing to feature prominently. The Lions’ leading forward, Jake Sutton, missed with a cork.

Darley meets Melton at Maddingley Park in Saturday's Qualifying Final.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley):34 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 11 pressure acts

Luther Baker (Darley):28 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 12 clearances

Harrison Minton-Connell (Sunbury):34 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 marks

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley):"A real game of momentum swings. Great effort from our boys to dig their heels in and get the game back on our terms when Sunbury threw everything at us. Some great learnings to prepare for finals."

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Poor start as we were totally outworked early. Darley's conversion at quarter time meant we paid the maximum price. (We) lifted our work rate and played some really good footy reducing the margin back to single digits during the last quarter. Other results going against us meant that it was a disappointing way to end the season."

Lions’ matchwinner Izaac Grant consolidated his Henderson Medal credentials with a five-goal haul, leading his pride into an Elimination Final against North Ballarat on Sunday.

Stakes were high, especially for the visitors with their season on the line. Credit to Gary Learmonth and his young group bucking the trend that was the Sebastopol force playing in Ballarat.

In their previous 12 games in Brick City, the Burra had led (11) or were level (once) at halftime and were unbeaten at home.

The pattern was flipped on its head as Redan led at every change to run out deserved winners despite five less scoring shots.

Lions’ ruckman Nathan Dunstan was named best alongside Grant and was well supported by experienced trio Liam Hoy, Lachie George and Jacob Werts.

The focus on the Burra's best and handful contributors on the goal front took a back seat quickly as the attention shifted on the season ending injury to Luke Kiel (broken leg) in the third quarter.

The Burra are obviously devastated with the loss of their inspirational leader and will sweat on the availability of top end duo Toby Hutt (knee) and James Keeble who are rated a 50/50 chance.

Sebastopol meets East Point on Saturday, while Redan have North Ballarat, who have won both of their previous meets in 2023.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Lachlan George (Redan):26 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 11 inside 50s

Flynn Atchinson (Redan):22 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 7 intercept possessions

Arnold Kirby (Sebastopol):54 hit outs, 22 disposals, 10 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Luke Kiel/Michael Columbro (Sebastopol):"Redan applied good pressure and controlled the game for longer patches. Our attention turns to the Elimination Final this week."

Gary Learmonth (Redan): "The boys were super across four quarters. Took the game into their own hands and were able to work together and play a consistent brand of footy. Really happy they got reward for effort."

Bacchus Marsh made it four wins on the trot to end their 2023 season under outgoing coach Jason Williams in eighth place with a nail biting two-point win over Ballarat.

The Cobras continued on from their momentous win over Sunbury in Round 17 with a four-goal-to-one opening term to have the visitors on the back foot trailing by 19 points.

But the response from Chris Maple's young group warranted enough to reduce the deficit marginally to 18 at the half and within one point at the final change.

With the unofficial title of the BFNL’s eighth ranked team at stake both sides fought out a tense final term that could have gone either way but it was the much improved Cobras who held their nerve to hang on and win a thriller.

Cobras’ wingman Alex Porter made a fourth appearance in the best players from his last six games ahead of tireless midfielder Tyson Shea, match winner Josh Huxtable (two goals) and Jake Owen who finished with a game high four goals taking his season tally to 34 (comp rank #8).

Despite the fact the Swans managed just one goal in the opening term for an eighth occasion this year their response was emphatic outscoring the Cobras nine goals to six through the middle stages but couldn't land a killer blow in the last to steal the points.

Homegrown quartet Paddy Simpson, Will Liston, Rhys Perry and Tristan Maple led the charge for the visitors with significant impact but unfortunately on this occasion, they fell agonisingly short.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Tyson Shea (Bacchus Marsh):31 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 14 clearances

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh):77 hit outs, 21 disposals, 10 clearances

William Liston (Ballarat):34 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 12 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh): "Really proud of the boys and the way the club has finished off the season (four wins in o row). Credit to Ballarat who never gave up, coming back to give us a scare late. Rapt the boys were able to hang on."

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"After quarter time we played a good brand of football. Centre bounce became the deciding factor. A shame not to get the points after another strong comeback, our lads will be better from the experience.

The Bloods achieved what they wanted from their visit to CE Brown Reserve at the weekend downing a persistent Lakers outfit by 55 points - injury free.

This game was over early as the newly crowned back-to-back minor premiers combined for seven unanswered goals.

Credit to the young Lakers for showing some pride in their performance against the competition's benchmark winning two quarters leaving interim coach Tim Shearer evidently pleased with the effort after quarter time.

Given the young profile of the Lakers’ list it was always going to be a tough ask despite the Bloods missing four or five from their best side.

Expect Blake Souter, Lachie Walker, Brodie Sullivan and Lachie Watkins to return for this week’s qualifying final against Darley.

Both Brentan Payne and Jono O'Brien, who missed Round 17's 21-point loss to Darley, are expected to play.

Bloods’ captain Braedan Kight (four goals) and Payne (three goals) were the major contributors on the scoreboard while best afield honours went to in-form trio Kyle Borg, Jordy Cotter and Adrian Monitto.

For the hosts, bigman Tom Zampatti impressed ahead of the Lakers’ sole interleague representative Flynn Loader with Joel O'Connell, Michael Foster and Nathan Pring also being named. Their five-goal match returns were all singles.

The Bloods will prepare for a back-to-back flag mission this week kicking off against the Devils. Both sides are expected to be just one or two shy off their best 22.

Should be a belter given the Devils are the only side to beat the Bloods this year, achieving the feat on two occasions.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Braedan Kight (Melton):27 disposals, 9 marks, 8 score involvements

Riley Walker (Melton):27 disposals, 12 rebound 50s, 9 marks

Michael Foster (Lake Wendouree):22 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 7 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Tim Shearer (Lake Wendouree):"Pleased with our guys today. Won two quarters, outscored by three points after quarter time. Plenty of boys under 21, had a crack. Expect to see Melton show their class in the next month. For mine, they remain flag favourites.”

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"Got the job done, starting the way we wanted. To the Lakers credit they adjusted and made it a real slog for the rest of the day. Happy to get through unscathed."

Round 2 saw finals aspirants flex their muscles and key contenders set themselves above the rest. Scoop takes us through all the key games from the weekend.

North Ballarat arrested an 11-point half time deficit to overrun a determined Redan at MARS Stadium. Coach Brendan McCartney has been bullish about the running capacity and pressure of his boys and would be a relieved man to survive the scare. In fact, it was just the second win for the club in eight games since last year’s Round 13 upset win over eventual premiers, Melton.   

Cam McCullum won the battle in the ruck to be arguably North Ballarat's best while the return impact of Riley Polkinghorne was immediate. Harry Loader builds from strength-to-strength across halfback while Jamie Quick was lively forward with two goals.

Redan forward Izaac Grant kicked four of the Lions seven goals to keep the visitors in the game up to three-quarter time before they were held scoreless in the final term by a more desperate North Ballarat in the clinches. Marquee Roosters’ recruit Stewart Crameri confirmed his 'more than a handful' status with three valuable goals.

For the Lions, experienced quintet Jacob Werts, Nic Barker, Patty Fitzgibbon, Jacob Short and Lachie George flew the flag with Grant but fell short, made to pay for skill errors, especially goalkicking. Redan's return of 7 goals and 14 behinds highlights their woes.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Cam McCallum (North Ballarat): 80 hit outs, 9 clearances, 7 inside 50s

Riley Polkinghorn (North Ballarat): 21 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 8 clearances

Izaac Grant (Redan): 25 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 8 marks

COACHES’ VERDICT

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"We're really pleased with how we continued to run, pressure and compete. Good experience for our young group to win in a tight game after a number of recent good losses."

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"We had our opportunities across the day to win but made too many fundamental skill errors including missing gettable shots at goal. North (Ballarat) structured better around the ball (but despite more inside 50s) we were unable to capitalise on our weight of forward 50 entries."  

The Swans booted six goals to one in the last quarter to runaway 46-point winners over Lake Wendouree at Alfredton Oval, giving Chris Maple his first win as coach.

It was essentially a 'copy paste' version of the Swans best players as Paddy Simpson, Will Liston, Wyatt Squires, Matt Powling, Noah Drever and Angus Bade made it back-to-back solid performances. The reward this time however all the more sweet, four premiership points and a rendition of the Swans victory theme song.

Sharpshooter Andrew Hooper finished with four goals as the Swans again struggled to get bang for buck from their forward opportunities. The Swans managed to correct their errant ways in front of goal booting 6.1 in the final term to validate the separation on the scoreboard.

The Lakers were within 15 points at the final change but couldn't find a way back despite the efforts of Angus Gove, Jacob Coxall (two goals) and Joel O'Connell. Another 14-day break awaits the Lakers who have the bye this week. While not ideal, this scenario may be a timely one for the Lakers, a chance for the troops to recover fully ahead of a Round 4 return at home against Sunbury. Ballarat will face Redan.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Paddy Simpson (Ballarat): 37 disposals, 12 clearances, 7 inside 50s

Bailey Van De Heuvel (Ballarat): 21 disposals, 12 marks, 7 intercept marks

Angus Grove (Lake Wendouree): 30 disposals, 4 intercept marks, 3 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"While consistent (with our output), unfortunately we didn't capitalise on our opportunities once again, but it was good for our young side to do well and get a win.”

Jack Fitzpatrick (Lake Wendouree):"We were far more competitive which was positive, unfortunately losing a number of soldiers saw the score blow out late and did not reflect the better effort from my boys. Re Ballarat - I can see what "Mapes" is trying to implement with his young group, some exciting times ahead for them."

East Point maintained its dominate recent record over Melton South, trouncing the young Panthers by 148 points at Eastern Oval.

A new look Kangas outfit gave debut coach Jackson Merrett the perfect start with 12 players hitting the scoreboard in an impressive display. The visitors were slow to start for the second week in a row conceding nine first quarter goals to trail by 54 points at the break and 79 points at the half.

Kangas forward Brad Whittaker finished with five goals in his return game after a lengthy lay-off with injury. Johnston pair Matthew and Jordy featured prominently for the Kangas while progressive youngster Isaac Hucker (four goals) was named best afield.

It's been a tough opening fortnight for new Panthers coach combo Jason Hamilton and Ryan Hoy, beaten soundly on the road by the Bloods (161 points) and now East Point (148 points). It won't be any easier next week when they host Sunbury.

There was some merit (no pun intended) in the Panthers season high six-goal final term but greater consistency across four quarters remains an ongoing challenge. Panthers’ captain Cody Chapman and youngster Jarrod Bibby were solid contributors again in a losing side.

Four unbeaten sides in the BFNL will become two next week after the Kangas (1-0) host Darley (2-0) and Sebastopol (1-0) head to Melton (2-0).    

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Matt Johnston (East Point): 37 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 10 clearances

Jordan Johnston (East Point):35 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 9 inside 50s

Cassius White (Melton South): 21 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 5 clearances 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jackson Merrett (East Point):"I was really proud of the boy’s effort for four quarters. The buy-in from all 22 players to implement all the aspects of the game we have worked on over the off-season really came out today."

Jason Hamilton / Ryan Hoy (Melton South):"Very tough day, East Point are a very skillful team and well drilled. We played two quarters (well) and got blown away in the other (two quarters). Full credit to East Point, I think they'll be right up there this year."

A wasteful Darley did enough to make it a 2-0 start to their season downing cross town rival Bacchus Marsh by 50 points.

Despite winning every quarter, Devils fans were left scratching their heads at the final siren wondering how their form stacks up against the more fancied and unbeaten rivals in Melton, Sebastopol and East Point.

A six-goal-to-two opening quarter helped set up the Devils’ win after a moving Anzac ceremony had anticipation levels on high alert. After young Cobra Josh Huxtable snapped truly to kickstart proceedings, the Devils responded in style with six unanswered goals, clearly their best period of the game.

Debutant Devils ruckman Lucas Impey impressed, nullifying Cobras big man Luke Goetz after his 67 hit-out game in Round 1. The 19-year-old capped his dream start in the Black and White in fine style with an unlikely crumbing goal in the first term.

Reigning Henderson Medallist Brett Bewley finished with a game high three goals and was often the 'go to man’, restoring polish for the Devils. While it was a 'choppy' display of the basic fundamentals for the most part, both coaches opted the glass half full approach in the aftermath.

Cobras’ coach Jason Williams, buoyed with the injection of sprightly youth was bullish acknowledging their effort and contribution while Devils coach Dan Jordan was seemingly pleased going 2-0, taking nothing for granted.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley): 34 disposals, 10 marks, 6 tackles

Mace Cousins (Darley):  28 disposals, 11 one-percenters, 9 marks

Jake McCreery (Bacchus Marsh): 24 disposals, 12 clearances, 6 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh):"Super happy with our young players, we must have had 10 players aged under 20 who tried all day and at times played a really exciting brand (of football)."

Dan Jordan (Darley):"Happy with the consistent effort across the board, credit to Bacchus Marsh and the pressure they applied. It’s always good to get a win in the local derby."

Reigning premiers Melton reaffirmed their competition 'benchmark' status with a 20-point win on the road over an honest Sunbury. The Lions were left lamenting a disappointing second quarter, outscored six goals, with five unanswered, to two, surrendering a seven-point advantage in the process.

Bloods elite running duo Jordy Kight and Jack Walker lapped up the wide expanses of the BFNL's biggest ground to feature prominently in vote calculations. Youngsters Harrison Hanley and Adrian Monitto provided the additional run on a day where goals came at a premium.

Key Bloods forward Ryan Carter booted three goals while Ryan Davis (two goals) was busy at ground level. Another eight individual Bloods players hit the scoreboard.

For Sunbury, new addition Bryce Caldone was named best for his all-round performance, capped by his team high three goals. Returning Essendon VFL listed forward Jake Sutton finished with two majors.

Lions’ coach Travis Hodgson has had the early footy audit and will gain some confidence knowing they're not far away from the reigning premiers who are expected to close again in 2023. Away trips to Lake Wendouree and Melton South should equate to wins and a build on what Hodgson thinks can work when it counts most.

For Aaron Tymms, there is no doubt there would be some relief for him getting through and landing the 'W', passing their first real acid test of the season and fragmenting some of the 'spruik' around a determined Lions outfit.

COACHES’ VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Pretty good performance for three and a half quarters of footy. We had a 15 minute period before half-time where we went away from what works for us. Melton stamped us with five unanswered goals and that was the difference. We should be better for it."

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"We got some good footy forward of stoppage at the back end of the second quarter and kicked quick goals which really was the difference in the game."

Statement wins and grand final revenge was all part of the script to come out of Round 2.

Undermanned North Ballarat ended Darley's run of 11 unbeaten BFNL games, winning a thriller by three points under lights at Mars Stadium.

While the spectacle was rendered 'a hard watch' for many onlookers, the endeavour on display from both sides under tough conditions could not be questioned.

To put into perspective the nature of the arm wrestle, there were two goals kicked for the entire second half! 

Furthermore, North Ballarat won the game adding just two goals to their tally after quarter time.

The level of free-flowing football you would like to see from a grand final rematch was denied by the evening dew, minimising any genuine aerial impact or efficiency in transition.

The last quarter especially was dour in its purest form, included 17 boundary throw ins and 14 ball-ups in general play.

Neither camp were prepared to make any excuses in the event of a loss as Devils’ coach Dan Jordan conceded in the aftermath. "Conditions are the same for both sides,” he said. "You have to win a game of footy in a number of different ways, especially with two very organised sides."

Despite the struggles of both teams, another grandstand finish played out as North Ballarat newcomer Malachi White broke free in the dying seconds to kick his second goal of the night and the sealer, sending the Roosters faithful, who braved the cold night air into raptures.

Off season North Ballarat additions Noah Cockerill (best), Liam Deering (two goals) and White played pivotal roles swinging the pendulum in the hosts favour who were brave and resolute without top end talent Sam Glover (Collingwood VFL), Jack Riding (Werribee VFL), big man Cam McCullum (knee), Ryan Hobbs (hamstring) and Stewart Crameri (hamstring).

Billy Myers was clearly best for the Devils, while Jack Bewley finished with a game high three goals. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley) - 51 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 13 clearances

Joshus Sparkman (North Ballarat) - 29 disposals, 12 intercept possessions, 12 contested possessions

Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat) - 26 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 9 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat)
"We want to be a resilient, organised and connected group. We were last night. Very proud of the players’ grit to keep working through a really tough contest. Good day for our club. Looking forward to seeing us growing as a club."

Dan Jordan (Darley)
"The little amount of scoring did not reflect the effort of both sides. The game was a pure physical, arm wrestle (type) affair that went down to the wire. Unfortunately for us it was North Ballarat who had their noses in front at the final siren. I was proud of our effort. We butter up and look ahead to the local derby with Bacchus Marsh."  

Ballarat made it back-to-back wins under coach Chris Maple, now in his second season, with a nail-biting three-point win over Redan.

Both sides split the 'quarter wins' as an exciting mix of experienced and progressive talent dominated the narrative.

For the second time in as many weeks VFL listed affiliated Swan Rhett Montgomerie heightened the degree of difficulty for opposition sides overcoming the red and white.

Experienced duo Andrew Hooper (three goals) and Grant Bell (five goals) looked ominous around goal for their respective teams sounding alarm bells of the 'attention required' variety for future opposition.

Montgomerie, Rhys Perry, Lewis Rinaldi, Tristan Maple and Will Garner were all named in the best providing Maple's group with an encouraging, albeit different look in that space and every indication the rebuild is on track with more and more players by the week capable of having a significant impact on game day.

Twice the Swans were asked to come from behind to earn the win after trailing at quarter time (13 points) and three-quarter time (12 points).

Unfortunately, there was always going to be a team on the wrong end of this entertaining stoush and in this case, it was Gary Learmonth's Redan. 

Lions’ half dozen Kye Jess, Lachie George, Grant Bell, Patrick Fitgibbon, Harry Lawson and Taj Bond were the pick of the visitors, doing plenty right for a group that fell agonisingly short.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Rhett Montgomery (Ballarat) - 24 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 11 intercept possessions

Paddy Simpson (Ballarat) - 27 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 8 score involvements

Harry Lawson (Redan) - 18 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 10 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan)
"(The game) was an even contest for four quarters. Again (we) did a lot right across the game but let ourselves down late which allowed Ballarat to get up. Lots of pleasing signs but (we) need to be better for longer to get some reward for effort."

Chris Maple (Ballarat)
"A really tight contest all day. Credit to Redan, they played a tough contested game. Happy to get the points in the end but we have a lot to improve on in all facets of the game."

Sunbury recorded an efficient dismantling of league strugglers Melton South to the tune of 144 points under lights at the Clarke Oval.

As many as 13 Lions joined the party on the goal front led by dangerous forward Jake Sutton (six goals) and utility Mitch McLean who finished with four.

While the phrase 'a game of two halves' did not apply to this one-sided affair. In fact, it was the similarities that caught the eye.

Twelve goals to two for the opening half, and 14 goals to one in the second highlighted the drive of Matt White's Sunbury ahead of their bye in Round 3.

A 2-0 start and healthy percentage is all Lions fans could have asked for under their new coach.

With Sutton and McLean posting most of the damage on the goal front, Lions quartet Ben Cameron, Jack Newitt, Harry Power and Fraser Ampulski were named in the best players for their mountain of work in general play that was one way traffic for the most part.

The Panthers lost star recruits Patrick Veszpremi (hand) and Anthony Wilson (hamstring) but welcomed the return of captain Cody Chapman and newcomer Stuart Hojein-Allen for their first hit out of the season.

Former Sunbury young gun come Panther Ryder Rousch was named best for his new club for the second week in a row. The Panthers have averaged 187.5 points against in their opening two games, identical to their 2023 season returns.

Melton South are at home to meet Redan in Round 3.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Josh Guthrie (Sunbury) - 38 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 10 clearances

Nathan Doyle (Sunbury) - 37 disposals, 13 score involvements, 11 contested possessions

Daniel Donaldson (Melton South) - 19 disposals, 9 pressure acts, 9 contested possessions 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Matt White (Sunbury)
"Really pleased the way the boys went about it. It was a shortened game due to an unfortunate incident in the reserves game, but the boys settled and started the game strong. We have a week off now, so we'll start focusing on Bacchus Marsh the week after."

Travis Hodgson (Melton South)
"The boys tried hard and competed well in periods. We were better in some areas than we were last week. Poor execution of basic fundamentals hurt us consistently throughout the night."

A seven-goal second term from the Lakers wasn't enough to deny Cobras’ new coach Dennis Armfield his first win in charge.

Despite heading into the game as favorites, the visiting Cobras found themselves behind at the main break on the back of a wasteful opening term kicking 2.8.

With the door of opportunity left seemingly ajar, the hosts pounced and were rewarded for their accuracy as they kicked 7.1, earning Rohan Brown's young group an eight-point lead.

Both sides struggled for any periods of momentum in the second half as the degree of difficulty to get the ball on the outside and into clear air fell into the 'easier said than done' basket.

A spike in ground ball pressure led to more stoppages, raising the value of any goal to premium status. Eventually it would be the Cobras who would correct their errant ways on, and defending goal, outscoring a gallant Lakers outfit six goals to three in the second half to win by seven points.

Cobras veteran Tyson Shea was judged the best player on the ground by many observers while Lakers’ defender Brayden Helyar was recognised for his efforts on key target Jake Owen (three goals).

While Lakers’ pair Timmy Collins and Bailey Thompson finished with a game high four goals, it was the spread of Cobras contributors that would prove the difference in this see-sawing affair.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh) - 70 hit outs, 21 disposals, 13 contested possessions

Jack Parente (Bacchus Marsh) - 25 disposals, 9 marks, 6 score involvements

Will Clark (Lake Wendouree) - 34 disposals, 17 rebound 50s, 6 marks   

COACHES’ VERDICT

Rohan Brown (Lake Wendouree)
"Whilst always disappointing to lose, I’m very proud of the way the boys competed today. (It) was a great game of footy to be a part of. Koliba and Hicks gave us a great view into our future. Bacchus Marsh handled the big moments late just a little better. Can't wait for our club to be a part of Anzac Day footy next week."

Dennis Armfield (Bacchus Marsh)
"We came with a real positive attack on the ball but couldn't finish off our work early. Lakers were very accurate and were able to wrestle back momentum. We were able to fight back, slowing their ball movement and winning more 1v1's. Credit to the Lakers they were very impressive and lively all day. We were very happy to come away with a hard fought four points."

Sebastopol were completely outplayed by competition yardstick Melton, thrashed by 119 points, leaving home fans stunned in the process.

While most pundits outside of Sebastopol gave the Burra little chance of ending a five-year run of outs against the mighty Bloods, the final margin was compelling.

Key Bloods’ trio Ryan Carter (7), Braedyn Kight (7) and Kyle Borg (5) combined for 17 goals in a rampant display, a game that was near over at quarter time.

A 29-point lead extended to 51 at the main break, 87 at the last change before the final siren served as the unofficial white flag for Tony Lockyer's men.

Even the Bloods faithful had every reason to ponder "what just happened there" such was the nature of the one sided affair..

Recently returned Blood Jaykob Hickey was named best for the winners ahead of a handful of top end talent that has inadvertently put the competition on notice.

Jordy Cotter, Jack Walker, Ryan Carter, Braedyn Kight and Ryan Davis were a constant thorn in the Burras’ side, and relentless with their intent. Liam Carter, Blake Souter and Brett McIntyre did not play. 

For the Burra on a forgettable day if not for the learnings, Tony Lockyer, Riley O'Keefe and Ben Hutt led the charge of resistance on home soil but the tsunami that was the visiting Bloods proved all too overwhelming.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jack Walker (Melton) - 33 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 12 score involvements

Lachlan Cassidy (Sebastopol) - 36 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 12 tackles

Ryan Davis (Melton) - 29 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 score involvements

COACHES' VERDICT

Tony Lockyer (Sebastopol)
"Disaster of a day where we simply did not get going at all. We take full responsibility for the performance, learn as much as we can and look forward. Full credit to Melton who were really a class above today and punished us. This won't define our season."

Troy Scoble (Melton)
"Really pleased to travel 'away' and be able to perform against a quality side. We were able to execute our contest method throughout the day which was a major focus leading in. A step in the right direction in how we're trying to play ahead of another test next week against potential top two side North Ballarat."

A grand final rematch highlighted the Round 3 action with a handful of contenders this year also claiming their stake in the premiership race. Scoop takes us through all the key games from the weekend.

Reigning premiers Melton arrested an 18-point deficit at half time to overrun a gallant Sebastopol in Saturday's grand final rematch.

The Bloods were indeed the hunted as Burra coaching duo Luke Kiel and Michael Columbro went about ending a 1313 day winning drought against Aaron Tymms’ boys dating all the way back to their 2019 preliminary final clash.

Tymms conceded they "didn't cope as well as we would have liked", as the hungry Burra unsettled the league's benchmark to lead by 19 points at quarter time. The main break proved a timely reset for the Bloods, enough to restore the confidence and belief required to mount a match winning comeback. Despite winning just the one quarter, the Burra are coming but will have to wait until finals for another crack at their nemesis.

Bloods youngsters Harrison Hanley, Adrian Monitto and Lachlan Phillips were named amongst the bests with Ryan Carter and Brodie Sullivan booting two goals. For the visitors, Bailey Medwell, Riley O'Keefe and newcomer Liam Latch were dangerous, while mobile forward Toby Hutt finished with a game high three goals.   

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jordyn Cotter (Melton): 39 disposals, 13 marks, 11 rebound 50s

Adrian Monitto (Melton): 36 disposals, 11 intercept possessions, 9 marks

Arnold Kirby (Sebastopol):34 hitouts, 27 disposals, 14 clearances, 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"It was a really tough game and we’re proud of the boys’ response to a below par first quarter. Credit to Sebastopol, they brought the heat early and we didn't cope as well as we would have liked. Our second half was back to what we do best, outstanding efforts by individuals to play the team role."

Luke Kiel (Sebastopol):"We were on top in the first half, but they opened us up and kept the ball moving in the second. We still had opportunities but turned the ball over going inside 50. Melton are still the benchmark, and we need to be better for longer to beat them."

Redan recorded an important all-the-way win over a wasteful Ballarat at City Oval at the weekend.

The Swans were made to pay this time for their errant ways in front of goal, after trailing by 25 points at half time despite having the same amount of scoring shots as the Lions (5.7 vs 10.2).

While the Swans won the last quarter, the damage was already done.

Lions’ sharpshooter Izaac Grant starred with a best on ground performance that included six goals. Grant has bags of 4,4 and now 6 goals from his opening three games - a memo indeed for Cobras’ coach Jason Williams, who meets the Lions this week at City Oval.

Despite Redan having some young talent of their own it would pale in comparison to the numbers the Swans are fronting up within the early rounds. The 'average games' stat would tell its own story of experience separation between the sides which can play a role in sealing moments in games.

Unfortunately for the Swans it wasn't their first example of missed opportunity, and it won't be their last, but they're in no better hands to see them through.

New Lions’ coach Gary Learmonth would be rapt taking care of a 'thereabouts' challenger for a prized spot in the top six.

With Sunbury seemingly on the rise eyeing a finals berth, eight does not go into six. Saturday's win adds currency to the Lions credentials at the expense of the Swans who are clearly in a rebuild.    

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Izaac Grant (Redan): 25 disposals, 8 marks, 6 goals

Lachlan George (Redan): 22 disposals, 10 score involvements, 8 inside 50s

William Liston (Ballarat): 29 disposals, 16 tackles, 8 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"Really happy with the effort from the group after being down two (players) at quarter time. We've got lots to work on moving forward with the progressive improvement of our young players."

Chris Maple (Ballarat):"Once again we didn't make the most of our opportunities in the first half. We were happy with our contest in the second half, and were competitive on the scoreboard, with far better ball use and goalkicking."

Darley remains one of two unbeaten BFNL teams following a 39-point win on the road over East Point. The Devils came to play early, delivering the heat to unsettle the young Kangas, opening up a 27-point lead at quarter time.

The 4.9 to 1.0 scoreline suggested the separation could easily have been greater. What transpired thereafter was considerably more even on the scoring front but again the Devils held sway with some late goals to win going their way.

New Kangas coach Jackson Merrett is under no illusions where his team is at, and quite conscious of their age profile.

Merrett conceded the game was put to bed in the first quarter but gave credit to his boys for the remaining three quarters despite being outscored 10.7 to 8.7.

Liam Canny and Matty Johnston were named their best.

For the winners, Devils coach Dan Jordan would just be happy to claim the premiership points to make it a hattrick of road wins to start 2023, ahead of a bye in round 4.

Full-time Devils addition Billy Myers (four goals) is building into some form that resembles what he is capable of at his best. while Shane Page and Brett Bewley (three goals) continued their good form to start the season. 

The Kangas meet the Swans at Alfredton Oval this week in a battle of the young guns while the Devils enjoy the week off ahead of a Match of the Round billing with Sunbury in Round 5.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley): 48 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 8 tackles

Mace Cousins (Darley): 28 disposals, 11 tackles, 10 marks

Matt Johnson (East Point): 35 disposals, 19 clearances, 9 inside 50s

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jackson Merrett (East Point):"The game was won in the first quarter. Our ability to apply pressure across the ground wasn't at the level we expect of ourselves. (However) super proud of the young groups response after quarter time to keep us in the game before we conceded late goals."

Dan Jordan (Darley):"(I) thought we executed our game plan well in the first half all bar some finishing. East Point came at us hard in the second half, but we were able to adjust and get the win."

'Season smokey' Sunbury inflicted Melton South with a third successive loss in excess of 100 points at the Melton Recreation Reserve on the weekend.

Lions’ coach Travis Hodgson was most pleased with the convincing nature of the result given the Panthers had won two of their past three encounters. In fairness, only the brave would have tipped the Panthers to extend on that record.

Lions’ key forward Cody Brand booted a game high six goals and found some nice touch around goal proving he's going to be a handful for all opposition defenders moving forward. Nathan Wood, Harrison Minton-Connell and Tyson Lever were named best amid a 'share fest' of possession despite the efforts of a willing Panthers group clearly shy of depth and top end experience.

Despite another heavy loss for the undermanned Panthers there's no denying the commitment of inspirational captain Cody Chapman who battles the odds every week taking pride in his performance. Riley Theo continued with his run of good form in a losing side.

It doesn't get any easier for the Panthers in Round 4, a road trip meeting with Sebastopol awaits.  Sunbury too are on the road to face Lake Wendouree off the bye. All five games in Round 4 are scheduled in Ballarat. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Cody Brand (Sunbury): 10 marks, 8 score involements, 6 goals

Tyson Lever (Sunbury): 31 disposals, 10 marks, 9 intercept possessions

Cody Chapman (Melton South): 30 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 9 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Hamilton (Melton South):"I don't think the scoreboard told the full story to be honest. (I'll) give Sunbury credit, they stuck to their guns and plans to have a convincing win in the end. (It's) back to the drawing board for us but pleasing to see we are improving every week." 

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Credit to our boys, they stuck to how we want to play all day and it eventually shone on the scoreboard. Melton South were honest and deserve credit for cracking in all day."

North Ballarat made a successful trip to Maddingley Park to defeat Bacchus Marsh by 68 points.

The 'Crameri-less' Roosters were inadvertently compensated with the inclusion of Collingwood VFL listed player Sam Glover - and didn't he look the part, running a merry dance on occasions to finish with a game high five goals.

Glover's laconic nature gives the indication he's rarely out of second gear but his footy smarts, and ability to read the play proved a handful for the Cobras to contain.

North Ballarat midfielder Riley Polkinghorne was clearly the best man on the ground, his two way running and possession accumulation was a feature. Isaac Lovison and Harry Loader look right at home at their key posts in defence confirming a bright future lay ahead for the former powerhouse club.

When North Ballarat gets their running game going, look out! Their will to take the game on by hand especially ran rings around the trying Cobras and led to scores in transition often out of defence.

If there were any reservations on North Ballarat and their dare, it's with their field kicking. Coach Brendan McCartney conceded his boys remain a work in progress, becoming an exciting team to watch.

For the Cobras, Western Jets addition Joel Freeman (four goals) looked dangerous with limited opportunity while ruckman Luke Goetz had the better of North Ballarat giant Cam McCullum.      

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Riley Polkinghorn (North Ballarat): 38 disposals, 11 score involvements, 10 clearances

Simon McCartin (North Ballarat): 30 disposals, 8 score involvements, 4 tackles

Jake McCreery (Bacchus Marsh): 27 disposals, 8 clearances, 6 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh): "Disappointing day at the office, really let down in attitude early and transition all day."

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"A good days work against a really young Bacchus Marsh team. We are a bit clunky at times but also really exciting at times. We are doing our best to develop into a good team and be good to watch."

We saw Round 3 kick off with a big Anzac Day clash on Thursday before the action kept on rolling all the way through Saturday.

The Swans extended their impressive, unbeaten start to the season with a 68-point win over Lake Wendouree at Alfredton Oval.

The frugal nature of the win, restricting the Lakers to just two goals will have pleased Swans’ coach Chris Maple ahead of a timely exam against the reigning premiers this Saturday.

As for the Anzac Day clash, well this game was over at half time as the speedy Swans opened up a 16-point advantage at quarter time with six unanswered goals in the second to lead by 54 points at the main break.

The nature of the scoreline was telling as the Lakers remained goal less at the final change despite periods of an even natured affair through the first and third terms that saw the Swans manage just four goals of their own.

Tristan Maple and Lauchlan Dalgleish starred for the winners as ten Swans hit the scoreboard on the goals front. While scoreboard contributions were scarce for the Lakers, there was no denying duo Kyle Anderson and Brayden Helyar recognition from the coach in the aftermath.

The Lakers challenges do not get any easier with a Round 4 meeting scheduled at Mars Stadium against a stingy North Ballarat outfit who won't give an inch.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Luke Gray (Ballarat) - 34 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 12 marks

Lewis Rinaldi (Ballarat) - 28 disposals, 16 contest possessions, 8 clearances

Michael Foster (Lake Wendouree) - 25 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 8 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat)
The game was certainly closer than the scoreboard indicated. We thought we moved the ball better at times and defended the ground well at times. It was great to be able to play on such an important day and see so many people there."

Rohan Brown (Lake Wendouree)
(We were) beaten comprehensively by a very well drilled side who played very good footy - (Lachie) Dalgliesh outstanding. Whilst happy with the first quarter we can't keep giving the opposition chances through error, falling down structurally and give them momentum. We will regroup and go again after what was a disappointing performance. That's what I like about our group - their willingness to pick themselves up and go again, we have too."

The reigning premiers set up a hard fought 12-point win with a nine-goals-to-three opening half to secure local derby honours in front of a big crowd at Darley Park.

‘A tale of two halves’ fits the narrative as the Cobras came back from 40 points down in the third quarter to finish as close as they did on the final siren.

The Devils had many contributors sharing time in the spotlight without 'getting off the hook' for too long.

Leigh Spiteri (three goals), Will Johnson (three goals) and Harley Inglis (three goals) were clean around goal with their opportunities while key forward Brady Wright (one goal, five behinds) monstered the Cobras in the air but couldn't finish off his aerial dominance.

Midfielders Luther Baker, Matt Denham and Brett Bewley were solider-like with their heavy work inside the contest and distribution on the outer to ensure the Devils did enough to hang on.

For the Cobras, it was not the first time in recent derbies they have been made to do the chasing after half time.

Collingwood VFL listed player Rye Penny and ruckman Luke Goetz were the standout contributors for the Cobras that should take plenty of positives out of the game ahead of an interesting Round 4 clash with Sunbury at Maddingley Park.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh) - 71 hit outs, 19 disposals, 12 clearances

Brett Bewley (Darley) - 33 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 10 clearances

Billy Myers (Darley) - 27 disposals, 19 hit outs, 13 contested possessions

COACHES VERDICT

Dan Jordan (Darley)
"Came away with a win where we saw patches of our best footy. Plenty to work on as we move forward. Full credit to Bacchus Marsh for a great challenge and running out the game."

Dennis Armfield (Bacchus Marsh)
"Solid hit-out against a quality side. We had our chances but missed them and you can't do that against Darley. They were able to react to turnover quicker. To our credit, we fought it out hard and had the run late. A positive finish against last year’s top team. (We) just need to focus on our inside 50 connection."

Travelling North Ballarat gave unofficial flag favorites Melton an almighty scare before falling short by six points.

Despite the close margin, the Bloods led all day but couldn't shrug the resistance of Brendan McCartney's North Ballarat who were up and about having defeated Darley just a week earlier.

The Bloods started well, as they so often do to lead by 14 points at quarter time but were outscored for the remainder on the back some efficiency around goal from the travelling party.

The Roosters booted 10.4 to the Bloods 8.12 after the first break but it wasn't enough to inflict new Bloods’ coach Troy Scoble with his first loss in charge.

The spread of 'player type' major contributors for the winners confirmed the Bloods were stretched finding the line.

Lachie Watkins, Jordy Kight and Luke Heaney took the honours ahead of running machines Jack Walker and Kyle Borg.

In form dangerous forward duo Braedyn Kight (four goals) and Ryan Carter (three goals) did the damage in front of the uprights.

For North Ballarat, it's a no frills, hardworking ethos under Macartney that sees them right in the business end conversation already with a host of impact and experienced players still to return.

Plenty of upside for the Roosters to derive from their opening two games.

Ryan Polkinghorne was named best for the losing side while Brock Leonard and Isaac Carey continued their impressive start to the season. Ned Nash finished with a team high three goals.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Adrian Monitto (Melton) - 39 disposals, 11 marks, 11 rebound 50s

Jordyn Cotter (Melton) - 31 disposals, 12 marks, 12 intercept possessions

Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat) - 31 disposals, 12 inside 50s, 11 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Troy Scoble (Melton)
"(It) was a terrific contest, one we really enjoyed. North's contest method is elite and challenged us in all phases of the game. We led all game, were able to capitilise in offence but the game was an arm wrestle and we stayed in front to the end. Two quality teams challenging each other from start to finish - a really enjoyable day.” 

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat)
"Great game of footy. Melton's energy to move the ball and attack the game provided good learnings for us. Loved our fight and willingness to keep playing. Another really good day for our club. Looking forward already to next week on a big reunion day. Our club has a rich history, and we are hoping to play our part continuing that."

Visiting Redan responded to the midweek hype surrounding the Panthers with a convincing 53-point win.

Experienced quartet Sam Darley (best), Jeff Garlett (two goals), Brendan Kantilla (two goals) and Harley Bernell (two goals) made cameo appearances for Melton South, creating a spike of interest in a game otherwise deemed a foregone conclusion.

The Lions won all four quarters as experienced campaigner Lachie George rose to the challenge to be named best afield ahead of Jacob Short and youngsters Sam Broadbent, Zac Mortlock and Rory Gunsser.

Bustling forwards Grant Bell and Brandon Green proved the focal points inside 50 sharing the honours with a bag of five goals each.

Cameos aside for the Panthers, organic trio Jarrod Bibby, Rhys Lee and Cody Chapman featured prominently, thriving in the surrounds provided with the injection (albeit a one off) of top end talent.

Former Western Bulldog and GWS product Sam Darley was the pick of the crop, still in his prime at 30 years old.

The Panthers venture to Eastern Oval this week, a ground that hasn't been kind to them in recent seasons albeit on the scoreboard.

Redan are at home to Sebastopol, with the Burra keen to bounce back after two big losses.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Sam Darley (Melton South) - 53 disposals, 9 score involvements, 8 clearances

Lachlan George (Redan) - 31 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 14 clearances

Rhys Lee (Melton South) - 23 disposals, 12 intercept possessions, 10 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Travis Hodgson (Melton South)
"Super day for the club with the reserves winning and the Under 19's having their first win in 1785 days. (Our) senior group were very competitive and kicking nine goals was a plus. Again, poor execution and turnover hurt us and eliminated any chance of winning. Loved our effort."

Gary Learmonth (Redan)
"Again some good signs. Our young boys had the opportunity to play against some top end players which was a good experience and showed they can mix it with the best, So much to improve on and a great challenge again coming this week. Enjoying our mix of youth and experience."

The Kangaroos booted six goals to one in the second half to run away 47-point winners over a disappointing Sebastopol under lights at Eastern Oval.

From a speculative standpoint the nature of the result says more about the Burra’s struggles than Joe Carmody's first win in charge. 

For the second week in a row Tony Lockyer's Sebastopol has been opened up in the second half. Sure, they won’t be the first team to be on the wrong end of a Melton audit (14 goals to three second half last week) but the six goals to one second half witnessed against the Kangas in trying conditions does prick at least one ear for concern.

Experienced Kangas Jackson Merrett and Mickitja Rottumah-Onus were named best for the winners while Bryson McDougall, Strahan Robinson and newcomer Luke Tebble finished the only multiple scorers in a match where goals came at a premium.

Ever consistent Lachie Cassidy, ruckman Reece MacNally and Lockyer never gave up the fight for the visitors who will look to review and regroup quickly ahead of an important clash with Redan at City Oval.

The outcome surely confirms any early concerns on the Burra’s form or silence the doubters for another week.

East Pont are at home to Melton South.    

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jackson Merrett (East Point) - 38 disposals, 13 intercept possessions, 11 rebound 50s

Lachlan Cassidy (Sebastopol) - 28 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 9 tackles

Mickitja Rotumah-Onus (East Point) - 29 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 10 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Joe Carmody (East Point)
"Boys responded well (after the Round 1 loss) as we knew they would. We had 22 contributors who all executed their role. (It) was a very contested game against a quality opposition so to come away with the points was pleasing. The test will be for the young players to find consistency and play well again next week."

Tony Lockyer (Sebastopol)
"A solid game, very even throughout the contest in the night conditions. (We) had some great patches where we were on top but just couldn't convert our ball to the scoreboard. East Point were able to convert and kicked away late which didn't reflect the overall game. Much better performance from the boys. Look forward to next week as we continue to build with the young group."

A four-point thriller at City Oval caught the eyes over the weekend, while a couple of contenders found themselves on the end of a percentage boost. Scoop reviews all the action from Round 4.

Competition benchmark Melton came from behind at half-time for the second successive week to remain unbeaten after a hard fought 20-point win over North Ballarat at Mars Stadium.

Talented Bloods’ forward Liam Carter proved the difference with a game high four goals to arrest momentum away from the home side who led by 15 points at the main break.

So often in recent times have the Bloods asserted their authority in the third term of matches. In this instance it was North Ballarat who wore the brunt, conceding four unanswered goals as the Bloods took the lead and never looked back.

Kudos went to consistent Bloods midfielder Jack Walker and utility bigman Brett McIntyre, whose importance to the structural make-up of the side can be undersold.

Familiar North Ballarat ball winners Simon McCartin and Riley Polkinghorne featured prominently while progressive youngster Joshua Sparkman continues to answer the call across half back in his first genuine season at senior level.

With goals at a premium, Jamie Quick was North's only multiple goal scorer.

Coach Brendan McCartney remained upbeat in the aftermath despite the loss while Aaron Tymms was seemingly content to be in the winner’s circle, with an inkling the Bloods are travelling shy of their best despite an enviable 4-0 start to the season.

Marquee North Ballarat signing, Stewart Crameri, left the field with what appears to be an ongoing groin complaint placing him doubt for Saturday's game against East Point.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jordyn Cotter (Melton):33 disposals, 11 rebound 50s, 9 intercept possessions.

Adrian Monitto (Melton):28 disposals, 15 intercept possessions, 10 contested possessions.

Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat): 39 disposals, 12 clearances, 11 inside 50s 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat): "We did a lot right against a really good footy club. Our pressure and work rate put us in the game. Lots of learning from today and plenty to look forward to."

Aaron Tymms (Melton): "Another great response from the lads after half-time. Pleasing to grind out the win while not at our best. Credit to North, they didn't allow us to play our normal brand."

A nine-goal second term by a rampant Kangas outfit put this game to bed early, as Jackson Merrett's boys raced away to a 58-point lead at the main break.

Jordy Johnston (two goals) was named best afield ahead of brother Matthew, Bryce McDougall, Joel Van Meel, Jordy Taylor and young gun Alex Molan.

Ballarat, while disappointed, can draw some positives having outscored the Kangas in the second half as Chris Maple's young group continue with hard learnings on the job. Clearly, as reiterated by Maple post-match, the gap between the Swans’ best and worst is a red flag for concern and remains firmly on the agenda to minimise as the season progresses.

Swans’ sharpshooter Andrew Hooper finished with an equal game high four goals along with Kangas forward Brad Whittaker while experienced duo Marcus Powling and Keegan Mellington never gave up the fight.

It’s set to be a cracking fixture coming up for these two sides, as the Kangas and the Swans host North Ballarat and Sebastopol respectively.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Matt Johnston (East Point): 42 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 13 clearances

Jordan Johnston (East Point): 33 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 13 clearances

Tom Mooney (Ballarat): 29 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 11 tackles  

COACHES’ VERDICT:

Chris Maple (Ballarat);"We outscored East for three quarters of the game. Unfortunately, our second quarter was really poor conceding nine goals. We need to reduce the difference between our best and worst (footy), a common trait of young teams."

Jackson Merrett (East Point);"It was really pleasing to see us take another step forward. Our ability to pressure the opposition provided us with some good opportunities going forward."

Pre-match favorites Redan survived an almighty scare from a spirited Bacchus Marsh to hold on and win by four points at City Oval.

The final siren couldn't come quick enough for Gary Learmonth's Lions as momentum swung entirely with the visitors. The Cobras were left lamenting missed opportunities in front of goal, in what was their best quarter for the season to date.

But the Cobras’ 4.6 return to the Lions' 0.3 wasn't enough to reel in the 31-point deficit at the final change.    

Lions’ youngster Marty Boyer starred with five goals showing off his forward craft and footy smarts in a true breakout game by definition. Encouragingly, Boyer was one of 12 players to feature in the game still eligible for Under 19 selection with Redan fielding four and Bacchus Marsh, eight.

Experienced Lions defensive duo Jacob Short and Nick Barker were a constant thorn in the Cobras’ efforts, and more often the beneficiaries of some poor Cobra entries inside 50.

For three quarters, Redan answered every challenge thrown at them, denying the Cobras back-to-back goals for the most part, maintaining an arm’s length advantage at every change in 'no excuse' conditions for football.

Lions’ quartet Will Madden, Lachie George, Isaac Grant and Pat Fitzgibbon were the best of the rest for the winners. The Cobras witnessed Jake Owen's best game for the new season while co-captain Jack Parente was staunch, playing above his years across half back. Jake McCreery was never far away from the action and kept the Cobras in it around stoppage while Ethan McKercher was lively at ground level.

The Cobras slick moving new recruit, Jake Long, made his highly anticipated debut in red, yellow and black colors and will be better for the run. The Collingwood VFL listed product showed glimpses of class which looms exciting for Cobra fans.   

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Izaac Grant (Redan): 31 disposals, 9 clearances, 6 tackles

Marty Bower (Redan): 17 disposals, 11 marks, 8 score involvements

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh): 67 hitouts, 16 contested possessions, 10 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT:

Gary Learmonth (Redan);"We were lucky to hold on in the end. Credit to the Marsh they fought the game out for four quarters. We showed some good signs in the main for the first three quarters but turnovers under little or no pressure allowed the Marsh to stay close."

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh);"Another step in the right direction today. Unfortunately, we let ourselves down in the first half and Redan put us to the sword. While happy with the improvement, we're disappointed to leave a result out there."

Sunbury kicked its second consecutive score of 170 plus to outclass a young Lakers team on CE Brown Reserve at the weekend. It was essentially a share feast of possession for the Lions who went to work after half time to set up the 124-point win.

The Lions had 11 goalkickers, highlighting the 'share' nature of the performance. Forward pair Cody Brand (five goals) and Jake Sutton (three goals) led the charge while Corey Mobilio (three goals) took advantage of any crumb to hit the deck.

Usual suspects Harrison Minton-Connell, Tyson Lever, Mitch Lewis, Josh Guthrie featured amongst the better players yet again while youngster Jack Newitt and newcomer Josiah Garisto found some nice touch ahead of ‘bigger fish-to-fry’ opposition in the coming weeks.

The Lakers brought some measurable heat early but the longer the game went, the gulf between the two sides became more apparent.

Both sides will look forward to Round 5 for different reasons. A healthy Lions list will relish their opportunity to meet fellow finals aspirant Darley while the Lakers are on the road and would be buoyant about the chance to end an 18-game losing streak against winless Melton South.     

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Harrison Minton-Connell (Sunbury): 38 disposals, 12 tackles, 12 score involvements 

Jack Newitt (Sunbury): 32 disposals, 11 intercept possessions, 7 rebound 50s

Shuan Finlayson (Lake Wendouree): 40 hit outs, 10 contested possessions, 7 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jack Fitzpatrick (Lake Wendouree);"For a half we were quite competitive and it was Sunbury's class that had them ahead. We couldn't sustain the effort and they took full advantage. They're a good side!"

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury);"Lakers pressure was super for a half. We had a class advantage and scored heavily as the game opened up. Pleasing road trip."

Dangerous forward Toby Hutt booted 10 goals in the Burras’ demolition job over the struggling Panthers at Marty Busch Reserve.

While the match result for many was deemed inevitable heading in, the extent of the damage and separation on the scoreboard was unknown. But the Burra allayed any fears of not cashing in on a whopping percentage boost opportunity with a 10-goal opening term.

Accuracy on goal was a major plus for the Burra with 21.9 on the scoreboard at three quarter time.

Toby Hutt took field honours with his double figure haul while Bailey Medwell, Tony Lockyer and Riley O'Keefe continued their recent run of good form.

While there wasn't much to write about for the Panthers, coach Jason Hamilton credited the leadership of Cody Chapman, Jack Morrissey and youngster Jarrod Bibby under trying circumstances.

The Panthers have had a horror draw to start 2023 with Melton, East Point, Sunbury and Sebastopol. A meeting with Lake Wendouree in Round 5 should bring some relief despite the likelihood of facing a fifth straight loss.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Toby Hutt (Sebastopol):10 goals, 13 marks, 28 disposals

Bailey Midwell (Sebastopol):34 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 11 score involvements

Cody Chapman (Melton South): 35 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 12 clearances 

COACHES’ VERDICT:

Luke Kiel (Sebastopol); "Solid hit-out. We had a couple of things we wanted to work on and executed them reasonably well. Pleased getting some continuity into players who have been out for long periods. Melton South had some good patches when they were able to get numbers around the contest." 

Jason Hamilton (Melton South);"Burras just way too good. They're a very organised team and skillful. Again, we played great for about 40 minutes, but the Burra had control over the rest of the game."

Round 4 provided plenty of big results across Saturday as a month of football begins to paint a clearer picture in 2024.

North Ballarat continues to show even further promise in the absence of key personnel with a 96-point win over Lake Wendouree.

Jamie Quick, Jack Riding, Ryan Hobbs, Stewart Crameri and Sam Glover are all missing due to injury or unavailability, asking questions of the depth in the Roosters’ ranks under fourth season coach Brendan McCartney.

It must be pleasing for McCartney to see the goal scorers and best players have a different 'ring' to them as fresh faces make an impact.

Hugh Trigg finished with a game high four goals ahead of a list containing another seven contributors on the goal front including newcomers Dakin Morris (three goals), Lam Deering (three goals) and Mal White (two goals) who combined for eight of their own.

Heart and soul players Brock Leonard, Elliot Lamb, Joshua Sparkman and Fletcher Loader were all prominent.

For the visitors, again reward for effort was scarce as a blend of youth and experience filled the Lakers group of major contributors including Tom Zampatti, Joe O'Connell, Phoenix James and Nathan Pring.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Joshua Sparkman (North Ballarat) - 33 disposals,  10 marks, 10 intercept possessions

Brock Leonard (North Ballarat) - 27 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 tackles

Tom Zampatti (Lake Wendouree) - 48 hit outs, 21 disposals, 14 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat)
"Really strong performance in all phases of the game. The basics of our game were in place. Some of the new players to our club made some great progress today. Nice to play well as a club in front of four decades of Premiership reunions."

Rohan Brown (Lake Wendouree)
"We applied ourselves well to our system and all indicators read reasonably well. We continue to give the opposition a look at goals due to fundamental errors and poor decisions - something we will continue to work on. Once we fix this up we will be in games for longer. Our boys cracked in today."

The reigning premiers, Darley, handed league improvers Ballarat a lesson around the ball with a dominant 64-point win at Alfredton Oval.

Despite kicking the first two goals of the game the Swans proved no match for another Brett Bewley led masterclass as the Devils went to work booting 18 of the remaining 24 goals of the game.

Underrated Devils’ small forward Leigh Spiteri (four goals) backed up his three-goal return against the Cobras a week earlier to share best on ground honours with Bewley (one goal).

Star utility Billy Myers also booted four goals for the winners ahead of a number of contributors hitting the scoreboard.

Experienced midfielders Luther Baker and Matt Denham ensured the Devils held a clear advantage at stoppage, especially at centre bounce.  

For the Swans, Andrew Hopper (two goals) looked dangerous early while Footscray VFL listed pair Rhett Montgomerie and Angus Bade shouldered much of the resistance before the Devils hit top gear.

It won’t get any easier for Chris Maple's young Swans this Saturday when they travel to face unbeaten Melton.

Darley host bogie side Redan who have won four of their last six encounters head to head.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Rhett Montgomerie (Ballarat) - 27 disposals, 13 intercept possessions, 12 marks

Brett Bewley (Darley) - 42 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 12 score involvements

Luther Baker (Darley) - 32 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 11 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat)
"We started the game in a really competitive nature. Unfortunately, we were unable to sustain the pressure. Plenty of learning in this game for us, (especially) in the stoppage and territory game. We will review, learn, modify and move on."

Dan Jordan (Darley)
"Solid effort from our boys where I thought we showed more discipline to execute our plan for four quarters. Full credit to Ballarat who brought great intensity and made us work all day!"

Sebastopol's narrow loss to Redan at City Oval was soured even further following injuries to key playmakers Lachie Cassidy and Riley O'Keefe.

While you can't sense or feel the frustration coming from Burra coach Ton Lockyer, surely it's ever present despite his positive messaging.

Both sides had their opportunities to win this game, but it was Redan who would take their moments to finish with their noses in front, earning a second win of the season.

In form Lions forward Grant Bell booted three goals, joining teammate Marty Boyer as the leading major scorer on the day.

Sebastopol on the other hand struggled for any multiple contributors before Luke Kiel booted his second to become the Burras’ first and only multiple goal scorer.

Seasoned Lion Jacob Short was named best afield in the see-sawing affair ahead of next generation trio Kye Jess, Rory Gunsser and Marty Boyer.

There were some all too familiar names among the Burras’ best as they continue their quest for a broader number of contributors.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Lachlan Cassidy (Sebastopol) - 29 disposals, 12 marks, 11 contested possessions

Rory Gunsser (Redan) - 26 disposals, 9 score involvements, 8 marks

Marty Boyer (Redan) - 19 disposals, 11 marks, 10 score involvements

COACHES' VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan)
"(It was a) really even battle and could have gone either way with Sebastopol missing a few chances. Super proud of the even contribution from the group to win some important moments. Great learning experiences for the group. Massive challenge (next week) against the reigning premiers."

Tony Lockyer (Sebastopol)
"Another step forward for our boys. We had great control of the game in the first half, but we let Redan back into it which we will learn from. (We) nearly snatched it back late but credit to Redan for taking their key moments in the second half and getting the win. Looking forward to continuing the progress against Bacchus Marsh next week."

Former Kangas Premiership player Jacob Brown made his much-welcomed return to the club with a best on ground performance against Melton South at the weekend.

While it was all one-way traffic for Joe Carmody's men there was no stopping some 13 individual Kangas players hitting the scoreboard to set up the percentage boosting win.

Strahan Robinson (eight goals) got a much earned bag of majors, while Bryson McDougall (three goals) had to settle for the support role on this occasion. Matty Johnston and brother Jordy typically starred continuing their excellent run of form in more recent times over the Panthers.

Panthers’ newcomer Darby Schilder was named best for the visitors while a deserving shout out must be reserved for their sole goalkicker for the match Daniel Zajac.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Jacob Brown (East Point) - 34 disposals, 16 marks, 15 score involvements

Matt Johnston (East Point) - 39 disposals, 25 score involvements, 17 contested possessions

Darby Schilder (Melton South) - 30 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 7 intercept possessions

COACHES' VERDICT

Joe Carmody (East Point)
"Good overall performance. The pressure was good and created scoring opportunities off turnover. Pleasing to keep an opposition side to three goals last week and one goal this week. The challenge is for our young team to keep working on our consistency throughout each game."

Travis Hodgson (Melton South)
"Competed hard in the first half but was really disappointed with our lack of effort in the third quarter. (We) responded well in the last only losing it (the quarter) by a few goals. East's A Grade midfield took us to the cleaners and once again turnover was a killer turning it over 78 times from only 273 disposals."

Enigmatic Bacchus Marsh were soundly beaten at home to the tune of 53 points by a well organised Sunbury outfit who look to have something to offer when the whips are cracking around September.

The Lions led from go to woe, won every quarter and looked a class above their one-win opponents who struggled for continuity with their ball movement, partly due to the pressure applied by Matt White's new team.

The Lions look fit and healthy to the eye and all on the same page.

The addition of a handful of players in the off-season has certainly boosted the Lions profile, capable of upsetting the likes of Melton, Darley and North Ballarat.

Usual suspects Tyson Lever (one goal), Jake Sutton (four goals), Josh Guthrie (one goal) and Jake Egan (three goals) led from the front to ensure there would not be no repeat of last year’s shenanigans when the Cobras came from behind to pinch the result. 

Newcomers Ben Cameron, Dean Muir and Jordan Tentonello have all impressed in their opening month in Sunbury colors.

For the Cobras, Jake Owen (four goials) was the pick of the hosting party ahead of Jake McCreery and Ethan McKercher (first half) who enjoyed some quality moments in an otherwise tough day at the office.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Tyson Lever (Sunbury) - 31 disposals, 13 marks, 90% disposal efficiency

Luke Goetz (Bacchus Marsh) - 52 hit outs, 16 disposals, 9 score involvements

Ben Cameron (Sunbury) - 26 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 11 score involvements

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dennis Armfield (Bacchus Marsh)
"(It) was a great lesson for us today on what team football looks like. Sunbury were great on turnover to make the ground long and wide. We were unfortunately a little flat footed and reactive today. (There were) some positive patches that we need to replicate for longer."  

Matt White (Sunbury)
"(We) executed the plan really well knowing we would have a battle on our hands, and thought we broke even. Bacchus Marsh came at us in the last quarter like they did against Darley, and we managed to hold them off which was a great sign moving forward."

Round 5 saw a top tier of teams establish themselves towards the pointy end of the ladder, while one side tasted sweet victory for the first time in 18 outings. Scoop reviews all the action from the weekend.

Darley earned the unofficial third seeding in the premiership race behind Melton and Sebastopol with a convincing 56-point win on the road over Sunbury.

Reigning Henderson Medalist and Devils’ captain Brett Bewley capped his best on ground performance with a career high six goals leaving the Sunbury faithful in awe of the former Fremantle Docker.

The 28-year-old was simply sublime, his efficiency unrivalled. Full time addition Billy Myers (five goals) provided Lions’ coach Travis Hodgson with another untimely headache, bereft of options containing the former Williamstown VFL utility.

The task for Hodgson in the lead up was made more difficult by the injury to Tyson Lever (foot) and the unavailability of inform midfielder Harry Minton-Connell following his selection with Essendon VFL.

Lions’ quartet Nathan Wood, Riley Miller, Jake Egan (two goals) and promoted Under 19 product Lachie Urbon tried their hearts out but to no avail.

Devils’ coach Dan Jordan had arguably his best result in his two year tenure, implementing a masterstroke plan to strangle the Lions with their want to run and carry.

The Devils had winners all over the ground and looked a class above the longer the game went adding six straight last quarter goals.

Sunbury have a timely bye this week, a chance to reset while the Devils have Melton South (11th) and Lake Wendouree (9th) on the road their next fortnight.    

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett Bewley (Darley): 48 disposals, 28 contested possessions, 13 clearances

Billy Myers (Darley): 22 disposals, 7 marks, 4 goals

Jake Egan (Sunbury): 25 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 9 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT:

Travis Hodgson (Sunbury):"Disappointing day, we failed the test. (We) never gave up but were comprehensively outplayed after half time. Our inability to contain genuine superstars in Bewley and Myers added significantly to the pain."

Dan Jordan (Darley): "Good four quarter effort from our boys against a quality side. Starting to see some of the football we can produce but still plenty to work on."

Flag contenders Sebastopol took the best part of a half to shrug off a plucky Ballarat outfit at Alfredton Oval.

The Burra savoured an 11-point lead at the main break before raising the bar adding six goals to one in the second half, shutting out any unlikely thoughts of a major upset.

Tony Lockyer starred again for the Burra alongside returning midfielder Lachie Cassidy, Bailey Medwell, Jack Bambury and dangerous smalls Jai Harvey and Daniel Widgery.

Key forward Toby Hutt (three goals) was matched only by opportunistic teammate Adam Forbes on the goal front to ensure the Burras simply did enough, with a bit in reserve, to get the job done. Twenty-seven shots on goal to nine confirmed the nature of the win.

For Ballarat, Will Liston was again named their best player while the Constable brothers, Riley and Tyler, along with Tristan Maple and Marcus Powling did their utmost to keep the Swans in the game especially to half time.

Ahead, Sebastopol look primed to go 4-1 following a meeting Lake Wendouree on Saturday while the Swans prepare for an outside chance against North Ballarat.   

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Stats unavailable

COACHES’ VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat);"We were very pleased with the determination of our group today. Once again we were very competitive for three quarters, only letting ourselves down for a small period."

Luke Kiel (Sebastopol); "Solid hit out...the Swans came to play early with an eager young group. They had an extra two (players) at the stoppage all day and got numbers back making it hard (for us) to kick a big score."

An Invigorated East Point took care of North Ballarat with an ‘all the way’ 20-point win, confirming their top six credentials under new coach Jackson Merrett.

But for North Ballarat coach Brendan McCartney the fallout from a game they expected to win would have the astute mentor at logger heads finding a solution to their woes and inabilities to find the line against similar opposition.

While North remain in touch of the top six at 2-3, the pattern resembles something of greater concern. The Roosters have won just three of their last 11 games and find themselves no "shoe in" to make the six. You can still hold the faith with North but clearly, they're in need of claiming a scalp.

For the Kangas, the Johnston brothers were good again while youngster Liam Howard was named best afield. Brad Whittaker and Jack Jeffrey finished with a game high three goals.

North Ballarat welcomed the return of Werribee VFL listed player Jack Riding who featured prominently with on-ball duo Callum McCullum and Riley Polkinghorne.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Matt Johnston (East Point): 30 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 10 clearances

Jordan Johnston (East Point): 19 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 9 score involvements

Cam McCullum (North Ballarat): 74 hitouts, 14 contested possessions, 7 score involvements

COACHES’ VERDICT:

Jackson Merrett (East Point);"Really proud of our young group today, we owned the game for three quarters and when challenged in the last. The response the boys gave was really pleasing and something we can build off moving forward."

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat);"Poor day for our club. (We were) outplayed and outworked when we had chances to gain control. Disappointing but learnings always come from every game."       

Lake Wendouree ended an 18-game losing streak with a comprehensive win over an embattled Melton South side on Saturday.

It was the fifth straight 100 plus point loss for the Panthers leaving them at the bottom of the table with a paltry percentage of just 18.56%

But the Lakers had some issues of their own to overcome and they were able to do that in emphatic style. Jacob Coxall finished with a game high five goals to feature among the better players along with tireless duo Joel O'Connell and Timmy Collins.

On-field life doesn't get any easier for the struggling Panthers in Round 6, as they are set for a meeting with an unbeaten Darley outfit. The Lakers can take some confidence into their match with Sebastopol but overcoming the flag contenders will be a herculean task.

Coach Jack Fitzpatrick will ask his players for another special effort against the odds to stay in the game for as long as possible for the result for many is deemed inevitable.

Panthers’ newcomer Cassius White was a shining light in an otherwise disappointing result for the home side.

Coaching duo Jason Hamilton and Ryan Hoy have endured one of the toughest introductions into the BFNL just five rounds in. But they will endeavor to bite the bullet and keep fighting the cause, for in reality, it's all they can ask for at the moment. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Shaun Finlayson (Lake Wendouree): 67 hit outs, 13 score involvements, 11 contested possessions

Joel O'Connell (Lake Wendouree): 33 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 7 inside 50s

Rhys Lee (Melton South): 25 disposals, 12 tackles, 11 1%ers

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Hamilton (Melton South):"Disappointing effort today, we played well below our best. Credit to the Lakers, they had a good game and deserved the win."

Jack Fitzpatrick (Lake Wendouree):"Thank goodness!"

Reigning Premiers Melton were simply a class above putting Redan to the sword at City Oval.

The game was over at quarter time as the merciless Bloods piled on eight goals to two to lead by 38 points at the first change.

Experienced quintet Brett McIntyre, Liam Carter, Jack Walker, Jordy Cotter and Ryan Davis shared the spoils to feature among the best players, along with progressive youngster Luke Heaney.

Redan were without star duo Cooper Craig-Peters (Footscray VFL) and Lachie George (back). Sam Broadbent and new addition Nicholas Kelson were considered best from the losing side while Isaac Grant and Jacob Short continued with their rich vein of form.

Redan face an uphill battle on Saturday against East Point while Melton will be strong favorites make it six wins on the bounce when they take on Bacchus Marsh to remain on top of the BFNL table.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett McIntyre (Melton): 59 hitouts, 12 score involvements, 10 clearances

Jordyn Cotter (Melton): 29 disposals, 8 intercept possessions, 7 marks

Izaac Grant (Redan): 27 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 12 clearances

COACHES VERDICT

Gary Learmonth (Redan):"Melton jumped us and we were never in the game. They showed us we are a long way off."

Aaron Tymms (Melton):"Really happy with the effort today. We addressed our slow starts with probably our best (first) quarter for the year. Some of the things we are working on during the week are starting to click."

Despite some huge results, it was in fact the lowest scoring round on the goal front since the season opener as four of the five losing teams managed just nine goals between them.

Unbeaten Melton (6-0) and Darley (5-0) top the table with Sebastopol (4-1) breathing down their necks in third. Redan (4th) and North Ballarat (7th) consolidated all important wins to remain in touch.

Scoop goes through all the major talking points from last round. 

Flag favorites Melton recorded a major percentage boost with an 82-point win over Bacchus Marsh at Macpherson Park on the weekend.

A clearly undermanned Bacchus Marsh managed to restrict the powerful offence capabilities of the Bloods up until halftime before the floodgates opened in the second. The Bloods kicked away booting 10 goals to one, earning another all too familiar rendition of the victory song, citing an injury free win to be a bonus.

For the record the Bloods points differential for third quarters over their six games is truly frightening. Only once have they conceded more than one goal (five in total) with +159 for the sample size. 76-6 (RD1 v MS), 14-12 (RD2 V SUN), 32-7 (RD3 V SEB), 27-3 (RD4 V NB), 25-5 (RD5 V RED) and 27-9 (RD6 V B/M) - totaling 201-42.

For the winners, Brett McIntyre made it back-to-back best on ground performances and his fourth time to feature in as many games following his return to the side in Round 3. Liam Carter. Jordy Cotter, Luke Heaney, Lachlan Walker and Lachie Watkins did the rest of the damage while for the struggling Cobras, Jake McCreery and Tyson Shea continued their excellent run of form in the opening third of the season. Joshua Onderwater, Callum Smith and Xavier Jenks were amongst the best of the rest.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brett McIntyre (Melton): 36 hit outs, 14 contested possessions, 12 clearances

Jordyn Cotter (Melton): 25 disposals, 13 rebound 50s, 9 1%ers

Tyson Shae (Bacchus Marsh): 29 disposals, 12 clearances, 10 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Aaron Tymms (Melton): "It was pleasing to bank another win injury-free on the back of a solid defensive effort across four quarters."

Jason Williams (Bacchus Marsh): "Really happy with our first half restricting Melton to 36 points. Outside of Jake McCreery and Tyson Shea it was most pleasing to see our young guys carry the team with really good effort."

North Ballarat capped their encouraging four-quarter performance on the road with a runaway six goals to one final term, downing the young Swans by 71 points. 

The winners welcomed the return of VFL affiliates Sam Glover (five goals) and Josh Chatfield (three goals) to post the highest score of the three games held in Ballarat at the weekend.

Livewire forward Jamie Quick (four goals) added to the separation on the scoreboard virtually shutting the gate on the bottom four teams’ finals chances in the process. The race for the six appears down to seven teams just a third of the way into the season.

While North Ballarat look a completely different proposition with their VFL affiliates on board, credit must go to ever consistent "biggie smalls" midfield duo Cam McCullum and Riley Polkinghorne.

While McCullum has had significant impact in three of his games, Polkinghorne hasn't missed a beat, finishing in the best players in all five games after missing their season opening loss to Sunbury.

For the Swans, finding impact players outside of Marcus Powling, Tristan Maple, Will Liston and Angus Bade poses a season long issue for new coach Chris Maple - not to mention goal scoring options away from Andrew Hooper (two goals).

After six rounds, the Swans rank ninth in attack averaging 58 points per game. It was the third time in six games Maple young group were held to less than 40 points.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Brock Leonard (North Ballarat): 33 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 11 clearances

Cam McCullum (North Ballarat): 53 hit outs, 14 disposals, 8 score involvements

Tom Mooney (Ballarat): 13 contested possessions, 11 clearances, 8 tackles

COACHES’ VERDICT

Chris Maple (Ballarat): "A very disappointing day for our club. They outclassed us all day, both inside and outside the contest. We will need to review, learn and move on."

Brendan McCartney (North Ballarat):"The hardest and most disciplined we've been for a while. Everyone contributed and played their roles well.....was good to have some better conversion in front of goal." 

Redan moved into outright fourth on the McDonalds BFNL table after a gutsy 13-point win on the road over pre-game favorites East Point.

The wounded Lions, who were without a bench late in the contest, held off a stirring challenge from the Kangas, holding sway in the clinches as both sides went goal for goal in a very entertaining final quarter that included 11 goals.

Lions’ youngsters Liam Farnsworth and Harry Lawson enjoyed their best days impacting at the level while usual suspects Isaac Grant (four goals) and Daniel Bond helped shoulder the heavy workload next to Cooper Craig-Peters who returned from Footscray VFL.

Dangerous Lions forward Lachie McLean finished with three important goals to aid an underdog road win that saw Redan promoted to fourth place on the BFNL ladder ahead of their bye in round seven.

There could be no excuses for the home side buoyed with the return of playing coach Jackson Merrett (two goals). Young gun Liam Canny landed a career high five goals to finish best for the Kangas ahead of the Johnston brothers and Liam Howard who is building a solid block of form at the level.

Brad Whittaker added another two goals, taking his season tally to 14 from 5 games - a good story for the popular forward having returned this season after a lengthy lay off with injury.

But all honours belong with the visiting Lions - recording an all-important win for debut season coach Gary Learmonth.

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Izaac Grant (Redan): 28 disposals, 11 tackles, 4 goals

Cooper Craig-Peters (Redan): 16 contested posessions, 12 clearances, 7 tackles

Matt Johnston (East Point): 28 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 6 inside 50s

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jackson Merrett (East Point);"Disappointing result for us today. A poor start and our inability to finish off our work with basic fundamental mistakes really hurt us."

Gary Learmonth (Redan);"A really courageous win today from the boys today. We had the game in our control for the most part but were down to no interchange for the majority of the last quarter and held up well. Looking forward to the week off."

Process driven Darley put an undermanned Melton South to the sword for a season high 201-point win, extending their unbeaten run (all on the road) to five in the new season under second year coach Dan Jordan.

Full time addition Billy Myers finished with nine goals for Darley, among 13 individual goalkickers as the visitors monstered the struggling Panthers. While there were brief moments of competitiveness from the home side, the Devils were simply a class above.

Given the offensive nature of the Devils’ win, it's hard to fathom two of their best players would be  defenders Mace Cousins and Matthew Brett.

Cousins made a welcomed returned from Geelong VFL duties, dominating with his rebound that included a Mark of the Year contender. Brett was impenetrable, marking everything, often contested.

His fundamental distribution and organisation of the troops was near faultless and worthy of major vote consideration amid a long list of Darley contributors.         

Embattled Melton South will keep seeking the little wins across the field despite what the scoreboard reads with the efforts of Cassius White, Mitch Fino and Jarrod Bibby all notable against an irresistible Devils' tsunami.

Darley coach Dan Jordan would be soaking up the added bonus of knowing his group made it through unscathed on the injury front. Star mid Brett Bewley (two goals) spent a large portion of the second half rested on the bench. 

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Billy Myers (Darley): 23 disposals, 12 marks, 9 goals

Mace Cousins (Darley): 31 disposals, 14 marks, 11 inside 50s

Cody Chapman (Melton South): 24 disposals, 19 tackles, 15 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Jason Hamilton (Melton South):"Darley is the best team we've played all year. We're very young and inexperienced and will learn a lot from the game. We will keep pushing forward for the rest of the season."

Dan Jordan (Darley):“Pleased with the aptitude to stick to our task all day. (For us it was) a process driven game more so than the result and (we) tried a few things. (We were) happy to come away with the result we did.”

Sebastopol made it a fourth win in five games to kickstart their 2023 campaign following a nine-goal win over Lake Wendouree in slippery conditions at Marty Busch Reserve.

While the Burra won all four quarters it was the first time the Lakers had conceded less than 100 points in any of their four losses to date. However, Burras coaching duo Luke Kiel and Michael Columbro had every reason to be proud of their defensive effort reducing the Lakers to one solitary goal for the game.

The Burra had to find an unlikely source to goal as underrated utility Hugo Papst answered the call to finish with a game high four goals. Only he and Jed Hill (two goals) could manage multiples in a game that could aptly be described as an underwhelming scrap.

Lakers’ coach Jack Fitzpatrick was reasonably happy with his boy’s intent but were too often let down with simple execution of the fundamentals.

Experienced duo Tony Lockyer and Lachie Cassidy featured prominently for the winners alongside in-form youngsters Jack Bambury and Bailey Medwell.

Lakers quartet Cody and Braydn Helyar, Joel O'Connell and Michael Foster provided the greatest resistance in a losing side but clearly the gulf in class between the two sides was validated by the one-sided nature on the scoreboard.  

STATS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE

Tony Lockyer (Sebastopol): 43 disposals, 17 marks, 16 rebound 50s

Jack Bambury (Sebastopol): 23 disposals, 14 marks, 10 intercept possessions

Shaun Finlayson (Lake Wendouree): 52 hitouts, 21 disposals, 11 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Luke Kiel (Sebastopol):"We got the win and will move on pretty quickly as we enter a very important two weeks. We will have a full list to pick from next week."

Jack Fitzpatrick (Lake Wendouree); "We didn't help ourselves with elements of our game but credit to Sebastopol, the better team won on the day."