By David Brehaut

LAKE Wendouree denied East Point a return to the Ballarat Football League top six in a seven-point thriller at the Eastern Oval on Saturday.

The Lakers showed just enough poise and resolve to fall over the line in their third tight encounter in as many weeks, having beaten Melton by four points and lost to Darley by three.

East Point did everything but claim the premiership points, which would have lifted it into sixth position on percentage.

Although the Kangaroos showed they have what it takes to play finals again, they frustratingly came up short of what was required – a win.

Each outfit had its chances to open up the opposition, but ultimately the match went down to an East Point turnover across half back 25 minutes into the last quarter.

The football finished in the hands of the BFL‘s leading goalkicker Andrew Pitson, who with a set shot put the Lakers’ six points up.

East Point had time and opportunities to peg this back, but was unable to find a target in attack and Lake Wendouree held on to stay two games clear on top.

Lake Wendouree coach Gavin Webb said having the discipline to stick to its system in the face of extreme pressure had been a key to getting the victory. “We were challenged and we stood firm.”

Webb highlighted the game of Nick Peters, who has had an interrupted season with injury and suspension. 

He said Peters, recruited from North Ballarat Roosters in the VFL this season, had been a great contributor.

Peters was a stand-out player in the second half – especially the third quarter when he took control and was instrumental in getting the match played on Lakers’ term and building a nine-point lead going into the last term.

East Point threw everything at the Lakers from the outset, jumping away to a 14-point lead in the opening quarter and then responded every time Lake Wendouree flexed its muscles. 

The last quarter developed into a war of attrition. East kicked the first two goals to go five points in front on nine minutes and managed to hold Lakers goalless for 14 minutes before the ultimate heart break. 

The steadiness of key defender Mitch Walsh and explosive pace out of Andy Maconachie out of defence served East Point well, while Paul Koderenko dominated the ruck despite being three-teamed by Lakers.

Bacchus Marsh  22.15 (147)  d Darley 6.9  (45)

By Michael Hankin

BACCHUS Marsh produced one of the complete performances of the year when they flattened a disappointing Darley by 102 points in the BFL at Darley on Saturday. 

And with it the Cobras confirmed a shift in the high ground in the tussle for supremacy in the Western Freeway town in rivalry.

Bacchus Marsh had has two mighty victories over the reigning premier this season, with the winning margins totalling 175 points.

The Cobras are now just one game away from the 10-win objective first-year coach Travis Hodgson set at the start of the year – the number he believed they needed to play finals.

They are not only heading for a finals campaign, but solidly entrenched in second position.

Meanwhile, Darley came crashing back to earth after a week earlier inflicting Lake Wendouree’s first defeat of the season.

The Devils remain in sixth position, but are now only percentage ahead of Melton.

Five goals each to Damian Cupido and Jarrah Maksymow helped Bacchus Marsh completely dismantle Darley.

Bacchus Marsh hit the ground running, kicking the first three goals of the contest. 

The Cobras were never really threatened from that point on – leading by 19 points at quarter time and extending the margin to 42 at the main break. 

Any hope of a Darley revival after half-time was quickly extinguished with Cameron Richardson booting three quick goals.

Richardson did not see much more game time though. He went off in the third term which soreness in a hamstring and is described as a 50-50 chance to face East Point next round.

With Tyson Shea and Declan Phyland controlling the midfield, the Cobras looked irresistible at times.

With the margin at 69 points at the last change there was little the Devils could do to quell the onslaught, which continued until the final siren. 

The mood of the Bacchus Marsh camp after the game suggested that it had achieved something significant. And it had.

Bacchus Marsh coach Travis Hodgson said while confident of beating Darley after getting the better of it early in the season, he did not expect the margin to be anywhere near 100 points.

“We played our best footy of the year.

“We used the ball really well, finding our forwards – something we don’t always do.”

Sunbury 11.17 (83) d Redan 7.7 (49) 

By Tyler Maher

THE race for a top three finish in the Ballarat Football League heated up with Sunbury powering home over Redan at Sunbury on Saturday.

Sunbury replaced Redan in third, which in turn dropped to fifth as the Eastern Lions claimed the MH17 Memorial Trophy – struck in honour of  Albert and Maree Rizk, who died when the Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down over the Ukraine two years ago.

Dour defence coupled with dashes of brilliance from key playmakers set up Sunbury’s second win over Redan for the season.

The margin could have been greater, but Sunbury had trouble converting the mountain of opportunities it had up forward.

Instead it took until the late in the third term for the home side to begin to shake Redan. It took a touch of brilliance from the mercurial Alik Magin to ignite Sunbury, With Redan within seven points, Magin broke a tackle on the 50m arc and kicked truly, jump-starting a run of six majors in a row to seal the match.

Magin, along with Jack Landt, provided finesse and spark respectively for Sunbury.

Landt and Jack Sullivan booted three goals each for Sunbury, with Matthew Medcraft also at his bullocking best in the middle.

For Redan, Ben Schiltz and Nathan Horbury provided run and carry, while Dean Matthews was their only multiple goal scorer with two majors.

Sunbury coach Rick Horwood was extremely pleased with the win in the context of his side’s season and on an emotional day for the club.

The Lions travel to Melton for what has the potential to be a blockbuster, with the Bloods just percentage outside the top six.

Melton 20.13 (133) d Melton South 10.10  (70)

MELTON warmed up for a daunting run home by kicking its highest score of the BFL season on Saturday.

The Bloods thrashed Melton South by 63 points at the Melton Recreation Reserve to overtake East Point and move back within percentage of Darley and the top six.

However, Melton still has a mountain to climb to take that next step.

Although it will get four points from a bye, so too will Darley and it also has to play Sunbury, Bacchus Marsh, East Point and North Ballarat City.

Melton kicked five goals on the run in the first term and at no stage was Melton South able to cut into the margin.

Jack Walker (four goals), Matthew Notman (six goals), Lachlan Hickey and Jake Gleeson were playmakers for Melton and will need to continue this in the weeks ahead.

Marc Dransman kicked three goals in his 300th game for the Panthers to be among better players with Anthony Hibbert, Daniel Hillier and Billy Sullivan. 

Ballarat 16.11 (107) d Sebastopol 13.7 (85)

HAYDEN Hughes put the icing on the cake for Ballarat as it notched up its fourth win of the BFL season at Alfredton on Saturday.

Just as it was back in round one against Sebastopol, there was nothing easy about it.

The Burra was never too far away. It took a six-goal bag from Hughes – the second time he has kicked this tally in a game this year – to separate the teams.  He helped trigger the Swans with two in first term and then ensured there would be no Sebastopol comeback with another two in the last.

In a battle of the key forwards, Michael Powell continued his solid form with four goals for Sebastopol.

The first half was an arm-wrestle. Ballarat put the foot down in the third term though with six goals to lead by 41 points.

Tyler O'Sullivan-Kirchner, Brett Goodes, Leeroy Sheridan and consistent Jack McNab ensured Sebastopol had the better of the last stanza, when it comfortably out-scored the Swans. 

Damien Larkin was steady for Ballarat as was the emerging Mitch Bishop.