Brenton Riordan (Redan) tries to smother a kick by Liam Youl (Ballarat). Picture: Lachlan Bence.

LAKE WENDOUREE 11.12 (78) d BACCHUS MARSH 11.9 (75)

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by David Brehaut

Lake Wendouree needed almost every minute of the Ballarat Football League home and away season to secure top position.

And in an unlikely scenario it took the competition's premier defender Lane Buckwell to kick the winning goal and snatch the minor premiership from the grasp of Bacchus Marsh at Wendouree on Saturday.

Buckwell had not kicked a goal for the year going into time-on in the last quarter.

He changed that in space of three minutes. With Bacchus Marsh leading by 15 points and appearing to be over the line, Buckwell stepped up at the 23 minutes and then after Steve Clifton converted a set shot, kicked another from inside the centre square on 29 minutes to give Lakers a three-point lead and ultimately victory.

Lakers coach Gavin Webb said they had prepared for a grind and this was exactly what had been required.

He said belief had been a key in getting the desired outcome.

The win delivers Lake Wendouree a "home" qualifying final in a rematch with Bacchus Marsh at the Eastern Oval on Saturday.

Webb highlighted the performances of prize recruit Nick Peters and Buckwell, who not only kicked crucial goals, but significantly was credited with 16 one percenters as he kept potential match-winner Damian Cupido goalless.

While the prize went to Lake Wendouree, Bacchus Marsh did everything but win after a nervous start in which it struggled to find any system in attack.

The opening half was a scrappy affair, but the heat was turned up to fever pitch after the main break - delivering what you would expect with so much at stake.

Bacchus Marsh made the most of having the scoring end with a five-goal third term to take a 12-point lead and the Cobras let Lakers know that they were on top by having to plenty to say at the home team as they went to the three quarter time huddle.

Webb said it was a failure to make the most of opportunities in the Lakers' goalless third term which allowed Bacchus Marsh to get a break. He believed as long as Lake Wendouree kept creating chances it would turn. And it did.

Cobras coach Travis Hodgson said while disappointing to lose after having so much control early in the last term, they had still taken a lot of positives out of a game in which they pushed Lakers all the way.

SUNBURY 20.13 (133) d MELTON 11.10 (76)

by Tyler Maher

It was a case of déjà vu for those at Clarke Oval on Saturday as Sunbury again dispatched a fellow Ballarat Football League top six rival.

This time it was reigning premier Darley and Lions superstar Alik Magin once again dominated the match.

Magin has enjoyed a sensational first season in the BFL this year, but astoundingly he managed to step it up yet another notch against Darley.

Despite the loss, the Devils will play finals, with them holding onto sixth after East Point's defeat to Sebastopol.

And for the second week running Darley will run into Sunbury, this time in an elimination final after the Lions consolidated third position.

After a spirited Darley outfit playing for survival took it up to the Lions in the first half, Magin blew the game away. He had a hand in most Sunbury forward forays - booting four majors to stamp his authority in the 57-point victory.

He certainly did not do it all by himself though, with livewire forward Jack Landt and tall Jesse McInneny each chipping in with five goals.

From late in the third term to midway through the last it seemed like those three Lions were the only players on the field, with the trio combining for seven goals in a row to put the game to bed.

Darley showed great resistance early, but faded before some consolation goals late in the last term brought a little respectability.

Leigh Spiteri and Jake Ancrum were tenacious and Dane Grenfell was dangerous before grabbing his hamstring late in the third term. Mitch Banner snagged three last quarter goals.

By making the finals, Darley also extends the coaching career of Jarrod Edwards, who has announced his intention to stand down at the end of the campaign.

SEBASTOPOL 5.8 (38) d EAST POINT 2.12 (24)

By Michael Hankin

East Point's finals aspirations came to a crushing halt in an upset 14-point upset loss to Sebastopol in the Ballarat Football League at Marty Busch Reserve on Saturday.

The Kangaroos went into the last home and away round in seventh spot, needing to win and needing Darley to lose for them to force their way into sixth.

Darley lost, but East Point failed to deliver.

In a game that produced only seven goals in atrociously heavy conditions, it seemed apparent from the opening bounce that the young Sebastopol side was intent on finishing its season on a high.

With the match delicately poised at the halfway stage - only three points separating the two combatants - the pressure was firmly on East Point coach Glenn Wilkins and his players to ensure that they remained alive in the premiership race.

However, Kangaroos encountered a determined and bullish Kookaburra outfit, which was desperate to notch up just its fourth win of the season and have a say in shaping the finals.

In a match where marking was rare and many opportunities came by chance rather than swift and efficient ball movement, Toby Hutt bobbed up with two crucial goals for Sebastopol as the only multiple goal scorer on the ground.

James Richards was also crucial for the Burra as he engaged in a fascinating ruck battle with Paul Koderenko.

For Wilkins, who ironically launched his BFL coaching career at Sebastopol in the mid-1990s, it was a disappointing end to his three years as head coach of East Point.

"When the game needed to be won we just weren't good enough.

"They just got on top in the contested footy and were harder at the contest so at the end of the day, that's where the game was won and lost."

On the other side of the ledger, Sebastopol coach Shane Snibson, who who has re-signed for next season, believed it was a just reward for his players, given the progressive steps forward his young side had taken over the course of the year.

"The biggest challenge for our group is belief, and we took a lot out of the win against Darley earlier in the year.

"Once we got ahead in the third quarter, the guys genuinely believed that they could go on with it and win the game, and we were able to continue on and get the job done.

"It was really pleasing and a really nice way to finish the year, so we will look forward to next year," Snibson said.

NORTH BALLARAT CITY 12.6 (78) d MELTON 9.8 (62)

North Ballarat City did all it needed to as it overcame Melton by 16 points in the BFL at Melton on Saturday.

As far as City coach Jordyn Burke was concerned, it was job done.

Melton was always thereabouts without ever looking like running down North Ballarat in what was effectively a dead rubber, with Melton unable to make finals and City to play Redan in an elimination final no matter what happened in the round.

Derrick Micallef locked up the BFL goalkicking with six majors, while at the other end of the ground Brad Murphy also booted six in what might be his farewell as a senior player. He is coaching Melton next year, but has indicated it will be in a non-playing capacity.

City's first quarter was the big difference. It kicked five goals when conditions were at their best and even a 10-point advantage at that stage proved decisive.

Despite the win North dropped from fourth to fifth, but this made no difference in the final wash-up.

REDAN 21.10 (136) d BALLARAT 7.4 (46)

Redan will go into another Ballarat Football League finals series just the way it wants - on a high.

Although the Lions came up short of achieving their main objective of a top two finish, or at least third, they will take a winning frame of mind into an elimination final against North Ballarat City at the Eastern Oval on Sunday.

Redan made the most of good conditions at Alfredton to inflict a 90-point defeat on Ballarat and leapfrog North Ballarat finish fourth.

It was not the farewell outgoing Swans coach Ash Baker wanted, but it was a reminder of the work Ballarat has to do to get back to the top end of the competition.

The Swans kept in touch until half-time, but it was all Redan from there with seven goals in the third term and six in the last.

Brenton Riordan found form in attack with four goals, while Nick Sullivan bounced back after being concussed their previous game two weeks early with four goals. Bailey Van de Heuvel and Will Garner were among Ballarat's best.

LADDER

LAKE WENDOUREE 16 14 2 0 2 0 1630 1120 145.54 64

BACCHUS MARSH 16 12 4 0 2 0 1767 1001 176.52 56

SUNBURY 16 12 4 0 2 0 1798 1168 153.94 56

REDAN 16 11 5 0 2 0 1484 1027 144.50 52

NORTH BALLARAT CITY 16 11 5 0 2 0 1695 1220 138.93 52

DARLEY 16 7 9 0 2 0 1336 1540 86.75 36

East Point 16 6 10 0 2 0 1332 1335 99.78 32

Melton 16 6 10 0 2 0 1145 1353 84.63 32

Ballarat 16 5 11 0 2 0 1185 1700 69.71 28

Sebastopol 16 4 12 0 2 0 906 1518 59.68 24

Melton South 16 0 16 0 2 0 950 2246 42.30 8