BFNL Review - Round 12, 2025

The Cobras gave favourite son Tyson Shea the perfect gift to celebrate his 300th game milestone with a comfortable 35-point win over finals aspirant North Ballarat.

It was arguably the most clinical performance of the year to date from the progressive Cobras against teams around them amassing 30 shots on goal to 15, and consolidating fifth position on the BFNL table, now six points and sizeable percentage ahead of sixth.

Top end duo Jake Owen (six goals) and Jake McCreery (five goals) combined for 11 of the Cobras 14 goals providing an early headache, come migraine for the visiting party.

It was the Cobras’ third win a row.

While the narrative can be misleading it won't be long until we get confirmation whether the Cobras are capable of claiming a top four scalp.

While Redan plays no immediate role in the Cobras fortunes, there's no denying the belief teams will have derived from their upset win over Melton at the weekend.

Cobras coach Dennis Armfield must be rapt with the way his boys are travelling at the moment as they continue to build closer to resembling their best 22.

First and second year recruits Jamie Fulton and Rye Penny have fit perfectly into the red, yellow and black sharing one of their more influential contributions alongside Owen and McReery.

While Jack Parente and Shea filled out the remainder of the best players, there could have been a dozen more.

For North Ballarat, 'the journey' remains on track under Clint Proctor despite another loss.

Credit to Proctor, not dissimilar to Troy Scoble at the Bloods, he has been transparent with his sides struggles with injury and availability.

This season is proving teams need to be healthy as ever to earn a win on any given Saturday.

It's unfortunate the Roosters have lost x-factor forward Jamie Quick (jaw) and under rated midfielder Brock Leonard (concussion) for the season.

The uncertainty of week-to-week selection around VFL pair Riley Polkinghorne and Denver Grainger-Barrass must be frustrating for the group too, knowing their best is good enough.

STATS THAT MATTERED

Jake Owen (Bacchus Marsh) - 20 disposals, 13 score involvements, 12 marks

Isaac Carey (North Ballarat) - 34 disposals, 7 intercept possessions, 7 score invovlements

Jack Parente (Bacchus Marsh) - 21 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 11 clearances

COACHES’ VERDICT

Dennis Armfield (Bacchus Marsh)
"Really proud to get the win for our man (Tyson) Shea who means so much to our football club and the community. It was a big build up and we knew we would be in for a fight and was happy with the way we handled it, backed by pressure. We need to do some work in front of goals but to have 30 scoring shots against a great defensive side is very pleasing. Lots to learn from the last quarter but credit to Clint and North Ballarat for their consistent efforts." 

Clint Proctor (North Ballarat)
"Congratulations to Tyson Shea on his 300th and to Bacchus Marsh for the way they celebrated the day. Although disappointing not to get a result we certainly come away with some learnings into next week. We were a little off with our touch and didn't handle the pressure but adapted our system to find enough chances to be in the match. We just didn't make the most of our contest around the ground - they were too strong."

Finals hope Sebastopol welcomed back key pair Luke Kiel (two goals) and Jed Hill in fine style recording a must win 58-point over Lake Wendouree at CE Brown Reserve.

The visitors put this game to bed early with an eight goal Burra blitz in the first term to set up a 50-point lead at the break.

The quarter time siren could not have come soon enough for the hosts who failed to cope with the intent, pressure and efficiency from a group who believes they're a real chance to feature at the business end.

If that first quarter alone was part of the application phase, surely they're welcome back for a second and possibly third interview for consideration.

If only it were that simple for Tony Lockyer's men.

Credit to the Lakers fighting back and digging their heels in for the remaining three quarters but needless to add this bird had already, well and truly flown.

For the record, the Lakers won the second quarter and were competitive for the remainder as the 50-point early deficit was minimised to 58 at the final siren.

X-factor Burra utility Hugo Papst booted six goals in another standout performance, his third haul of five goals or more this season.

Papst moved into seventh place in Tony Lockett Medal calculations but will have caught the eye deserving of attention moving forward.

Sebastopol interleague representatives Jack Bambury and Cooper Littlehales (two goals) continued their rich vein of warm while big man Jack McNab was named best ahead of a number of significant contributors including Papst, Ben Hutt and Jed Hill who returned for just his third game of the season.

Different story next week for the Burra when they travel down the highway to face reigning premiers Melton (3rd) who have lost their last two games in a row.

The Lakers will look to carry their late form of Saturday's game into their Round 13 meeting with Ballarat.

Coach Rohan Brown will be looking for a greater depth of contributors than the copy/paste version of better players in recent weeks.     

STATS THAT MATTERED

Jack Bambury (Sebastopol) - 42 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 16 tackles 

Joel O'Connell (Lake Wendouree) - 30 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 13 clearances

Riley O'Keefe (Sebastopol) - 23 disposals, 12 intercept possessions, 11 contested possessions

COACHES’ VERDICT

Rohan Brown (Lake Wendouree)
"Huge effort from our boys again today despite another loss. Well done to Tony and his players. (We) got belted early then I thought we played our best game for the year, if not in all the time I’ve been at Lakers. We looked everything of how we want to be known as. To nearly win the last three quarters of footy, I was rapt and proud of our kids. (We) found a little gem in 16-year-old Hamish Birkett who made his debut and looks to have a bright future. (We) go into next week against Ballarat excited to watch these guys crack in again, and I know the group are too."

Tony Lockyer (Sebastopol)
"Happy with the first quarter - not that happy with the rest but good result overall. Credit to Rohan and the Lakers boys who displayed some good passages. (It was) positive to get some minutes into a few boys returning from injury. Looking forward to the Melton test next week."

Redan caused the biggest upset of the season with a barnstorming finish to overrun the reigning premiers by two points at MacPherson Park.

The Lions booted the last five goals of the game in less than ten minutes to keep their slim finals hopes alive.

Just what levels of belief gained amongst the pride will surely tell its own story over the final third of home and away games.

It seems the result stunned all bar Redan coach Gary Learmonth and to a degree Melton coach Troy Scoble who has been transparent with his progress reports, and the struggles with injury and unavailability despite an enviable 9-3 win/loss record.

Key movers Jordy Kight (hamstring), Ryan Carter (illness), Luke Heaney (ribs) Jaycob Hickey (lower leg), Jordy Cotter (ankle plate removal) all missed, not mentioning the late withdrawal of Billy Crofts (managed, Footscray VFL) which didn't aid the Bloods’ cause.

Don't get me wrong, it's just Melton’s turn to endure a tough run with injury, like many sides have over the football journey. Ironically, none less than Redan!

Finally, Learmonth could arrive with the arsenal capable of taking a scalp.

With the Lions in touch at halftime and the plan seemingly on track, it was the Bloods who would raise the bar first in the third term with a six-goal-to-two period.

Braedan Kight was again proving Redan's nemesis adding another bag of seven goals to his haul of five goals at their previous meet in Round 5.

However, while Kight was flying high on a relatively still afternoon, it was Redan who rose to prominence finding a way to win, a feat only East Point (twice) and Darley have been able to achieve since Scoble took over the Bloods at the start of 2024. 

Learmonth said the win came on the back of a very even contribution.

Their compliance and intent to their roles was palpable.

Lachie George was outstanding in his return leading the way, while Brodie Pope, Rory Gunsser and Taj Bond (three goals) all flourished after strong interleague performances on July 5th.

Quality swingman Lachie Bond (three goals) again did his job and stood up when needed most to give Learmonth arguably his biggest win in charge of a pride not shy on cubs.

Ok, great effort Redan (tick), time to back-up the good work at home this week against another top four side in East Point.

For the Bloods, a narrow loss is not the end of the world.

Credit again to Kight for his standout performance, and his experienced cohort in Adrian Monitto, Jack Walker, Kyle Borg (three goals), Harry Handley and Liam Carter who nearly did enough themselves to find the line.

All of a sudden, the Bloods’ Round 13 game with Sebastopol at MacPherson Park carries considerably more weight of interest than earlier predicted.

The BFNL will be watching. 

STATS THAT MATTERED

Adrian Monitto (Melton) - 39 disposals, 10 rebound 50s, 9 score involvements

Taj Bond (Redan) - 22 hitouts. 9 marks, 3 goals

Rory Gunsser (Redan) - 30 disposals, 8 intercept possessions, 8 rebound 50s 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Troy Scoble (Melton)
"Good contest all day. Well done to Gary and Redan who earned their reward for effort. (Our) boys battled all day and cannot question their effort. Whilst we didn't capitalise on the second (quarter) with our kicking accuracy we'd done a fair bit right to be in a winning position with five minutes to go. The dam wall broke today - our third loss by a goal or less which is frustrating on the surface but today all the credit to Redan for their continued belief in themselves. They deserve the win and our blokes will continue to regroup. The challenge is in front of us as a club and we have a hell of a lot of work to do. We will stick together though, stay united and give it a crack."  

Gary Learmonth (Redan)
"So happy for the boys and the club as a whole for their perseverance. We could've quite easily said that's a good effort again when we were four or five goals down, but every individual stood up and took their moment. (It) was a great game of footy - Melton were gracious in defeat - we respect them so much and hope we can get our group to the level they're at. I've been telling our group we are so close to getting some reward - was great to see the smiles on their faces. (We) understand it's only Round 12 and third win of the year but so, so proud of each player and coach that put the work in to get a result we hope can kick our year along. East Point will be another massive challenge."

Darley extended their winning streak to 11 games under fourth year coach Dan Jordan with a 25-point win over Ballarat.

The stretch matches the Devils’ previous best under Jordan, spanning from Round 11 2023 to Round 1 2024.

While the Devils went in warm favorites on the road, they were made to earn the win as Ash Baker's young Swans brought the pressure to lead at the first change and remain within touch (12 points) at the main break.

Not for the first time it was dual Henderson Medal winner and Devils’ captain Brett Bewley that led from the front to dominate the Swans with four match winning goals from the midfield.

It was arguably Bewley, Nick Hind (one goal) then a gap to the next best for the Devils who settled on Darcey Matricardi, Harley Inglis (one goal), Luther Baker and first gamer Jett Darcy to round out 'pick of the bunch' honours.

The Swans fought doggedly to avoid a fourth straight loss but overcoming the class of the Devils proved a bridge too far.

Coach Baker was pleased with their intent and pressure, two non-negotiable’s spoken about in the lead up.

The Rinaldi brothers, Zak and Lewis (two goals), Fraser Perkins (three goals), Tristan Maple and Harry Butler (two goals) earned the recognition in the aftermath as the Swans best, while defender Riley Constable was solid denying the Devils’ forward entries on their terms. 

The win for the Devils sees them remain a game clear of East Point on top of the BFNL table while the Swans once fifth, are now seventh and vulnerable on the back of wins to Bacchus Marsh (5th), Sebastopol (8th) and Redan (9th) at the weekend. 

Next week Darley host cross town rivals Bacchus Marsh on a three-game winning streak of their own while Ballarat are at home for a must win and percentage gain against the winless Lakers.

STATS THAT MATTERED

Brett Bewley (Darley) - 47 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 16 clearances, 4 goals

Fraser Perkins (Ballarat) - 28 disposals, 12 tackles, 9 clearances

Billy Myers (Darley) - 28 disposals, 17 hitouts, 9 marks 

COACHES’ VERDICT

Ash Baker (Ballarat)
"Whilst disappointed today, our boys were brave in the way we attacked the contest. The game threatened to open up a couple of times, but we were able to keep coming at Darley, applying plenty of pressure. In the end, Darley's class stood out - they're an impressive unit who are well drilled."

Dan Jordan (Darley)
"Happy with the win, today proved what we've always known to be an even season. Ballarat were ferocious with their attack on the footy and came to play. Encouraging signs for both sides moving forward. We were made to work hard for the win. Our focus shifts to an in form Bacchus Marsh."

East Point moved into second place on the BFNL table after hard fought 22-point win over Sunbury at Eastern Oval.

It was the 14th successive win at home for the Kangas highlighting the degree of difficulty for the Lions aiming to get it done without Daniel Johnson (Coburg VFL), Josh Guthrie (ankle-season), Dean Muir (overseas) and Brock Landt (overseas).

The Kangas weren't dealt any favours either without Mikitja Rottumah-Onus (wedding) and Alex Molan (ankle) for the day, not to mention Matty Johnston (ankle, cork), Kane Irvin (ankle), Bodie Willems (ankle) and Patrick Hannaford (shoulder) for the second half!

So, the situation leant itself to every bit an even contest and who could make the most of their opportunities in what was predicted to be a see-sawing affair.

Well, that's what transpired for the most part, but it was the Kangas who did enough to lead at every change and secure the premiership points - courageous effort.

Unfortunately for Sunbury on the opportunity front, while their defenders were arguably their best contributors the same could not be said for team entries inside 50.

Outside of Jake Sutton and fleeting moments with Jack Newitt there was no bona fide aerial target.

There is evidence to suggest an extra would have made little difference given the quality of entries.

Eastern Oval is a ripper ground, we know that - but it was difficult for a lot of players to get composure in the form of firm footing in places.

There were a stack of turnovers and slipping over from both sides and mounting stoppage numbers that denied the game reaching its full potential.

But what could not be questioned was the endeavour of both sides.

Combining for 24 goals was a decent effort from the two sides in the varying conditions.

Sunbury will lament their conversion in the second half that cost them momentum.

The Kangas won the half 7.3 to 5.7 to hold off the Lions who had a fair crack.

East Point forward Bryson McDougall finished with five goals and Joe Dodd three, while Sunbury sensation Jake Sutton booted four.

While the Sunbury defenders were super, it was the collective group of Kangas that had the greatest say.

STATS THAT MATTERED

Jordy Johnston (East Point) - 28 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 11 tackles

Tyson Lever (Sunbury) - 33 disposals, 12 Intercept Possessions, 10 1%ers

Bryson McDougall (East Point) - 21 disposals, 10 score involvements, 9 marks

COACHES’ VERDICT

Joe Carmody (East Point)
"Gutsy effort against quality opposition. Our pressure was really good throughout the game. We didn't have any bench for most of the second half so really proud of the boys to keep running and competing."

Matt White (Sunbury)
"Really disappointing day. Couldn't convert in the third quarter and the class of East Point stepped up when it was required. A really good outfit showed us up with no bench to finish the game. Lessons to be learnt."