The Blues showed unbeaten Hepburn exactly how to play wet-weather football - continually pushing the ball forward by hand and by foot, tackling hard and doing all the disciplined things.

Not even a last-quarter fightback by the Burras could stop Ballan, straight kicking for goal guiding it to a six-point victory, 12.5 (77) to 9.17 (71).

From the opening bounce it was clear the Blues, even with 11 regular seniors missing from the line-up, was up for the challenge - Brad Coffey (two goals) kicking the first goal in the opening minute.

The centre square was not the only part of the ground that resembled a mudbath, but that was of no concern to Ballan, who went into the first break with the narrowest of leads.

Belying the conditions, the second quarter was something of a shoot-out - the Blues kicking five goals to three - as Ballan ruckman Steven "Spud" James started to dominate at stoppages and around the ground.

The Blues extended their lead to nine at the main break, with Rod Watts (three) - who attacked the footy ferociously all day - kicking two for the quarter.

Burras backman Brendan Sheppherd moved into the ruck with some effect, as the two No.23s - Spud and Shep - slugged it out.

But the Hepburn stars struggled to match Ballan's relentless attack on the footy, poor kicking for goal not helping the Burras' cause.

It was goal-for-goal in the third quarter and Ballan still held an eight-point advantage at the final turn.

Finally Hepburn started to show something, with Andy McKay getting some ball out of the middle, and when Lee Cox (four) snapped truly to put the Burras one point up at the 19-minute mark of the final term, it seemed the

football gods were going to play a cruel trick on the valiant Blues.

Darren Searle (two), who spent most of the day fighting for the ball in the mud, ran into an open goal, but the ball slid off the side of his boot to level the scores.

Then the inspirational James kicked a goal to put the underdogs back into the lead.