LAKE Wendouree remains unbeaten, but only after surviving a major scare from a determined Melton at Melton Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
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The Lakers fell in by four points – 10.19 (79) to 12.3 (75).
Lake Wendouree made most of the early running, but failed to put the Bloods away.
Melton kicked 6.1 to 0.8 from late in the second term until three quarter time to throw the gauntlet down to the Lakers.
Braedan Kight led the charge with a dynamic three goals for the Bloods.
Nick Peters and Ben Taylor starred in the midfield for the Lakers.
For Melton it was the usual suspects in Jack Walker, Jake Gleeson and Ryan Davis who were instrumental in taking the game up to the premiership favourite in arguably the Bloods’ best performance of the season.
It was certainly their most spirited.
DARLEY is in the top six after defeating East Point at the Eastern Oval.
The Devils came from 25 points down at half-time to jump a game clear of the Kangaroos with a 28-point win.
Final scores: Darley 13.19 (97) d East Point 10.9 (69)
Darley almost threw the match away with 1.12 in the first half.
However, it rediscovered some of its 2015 premiership form on the ground where they captured their first flag to blow away East Point with 12 goals after half-time.
Mitch Banner kicked six goals for the Devils in a game which they had had to have given the tough road ahead.
NORTH Ballarat City also came from behind to get over Sunbury by 16 points at Eureka Stadium –17.13 (115) to 15.9 (99).
First-year City coach Jordyn Burke described the win as the best performance of his tenure.
North Ballarat trailed by as much as 35 points in the second quarter before mounting a Burke and Derrick Micallef-led revival despite being two down on interchange for the second half.
Micallef finished with six goals for the day as North kicked eight goals in the last quarter to run over the top of the Lions.
Ruckman David Kovacevic dominated the first half for Sunbury before Burke switched himself on to the ball to turn the tide.
Sunbury has now lost three games in a row and drops to fifth – a game behind Bacchus Marsh, North Ballarat City and Redan.
BALLARAT had its third win of the season to keep Melton South winless.
The Swans quickly dispelled any thought the Panthers might have had of opening their account with a five-goal first quarter at Alfredton.
Hayden Hughes marked his return with six goals for Ballarat.
Final scores: Ballarat 16.14 (110) d Melton South 7.6 (48)
BACCHUS Marsh returned from a bye with a 49-point victory over Sebastopol at Marty Busch Reserve.
The Cobras dominated early when conditions were at their best with five goals in the first quarter and by half-time led by 50 points.
Sebastopol managed to close down the match in the second half to out-score Bacchus Marsh - 2.4 to 1.9.
Final scores: Bacchus Marsh 10.11 (71) d Sebastopol 3.4 (22)
LADDER
LAKE WENDOUREE 10 10 0 0 1 0 1096 644 170.19 44
BACCHUS MARSH 10 7 3 0 1 0 1048 651 160.98 32
NORTH BALLARAT CITY 10 7 3 0 1 0 1104 758 145.65 32
REDAN 10 7 3 0 1 0 912 647 140.96 32
SUNBURY 10 6 4 0 1 0 1068 770 138.70 28
DARLEY 10 5 5 0 1 0 886 814 108.85 24
East Point 10 4 6 0 1 0 884 826 107.02 20
Melton 10 4 6 0 1 0 675 812 83.13 20
Ballarat 10 3 7 0 1 0 692 1077 64.25 16
Sebastopol 10 2 8 0 1 0 525 1067 49.20 12
Melton South 10 0 10 0 1 0 556 1380 40.29 4
