His arrival has breathed new life into the Panthers, which hit rock bottom last year when they went without a win.

Melton South knew it had to do something radical to turn around its fortunes and it did.

With Fevola on board as joint coach with mentor Sean Triplett, getting big name recruits has been likened to bees to a honeypot.

Even with Tayte Pears and Nick Kommer among them though, the focus always comes back to Fevola.

The 36-year-old is accustomed to this, having been in the spotlight for most of his 204-game AFL career with Carlton and Brisbane, and rarely out of it since rising to legendary status in country and metropolitan football circles.

While this is not going to change, Fevola is not interested in talking about what he might do in his first full-time stint in the BFL. He made a one-off appearance with Bacchus Marsh under coach Doug Hawkins in 2013.

For Fevola, it is all about the team.

He is desperate to help bring success for Melton South.

“This is not about me. It doesn’t matter how many (goals) I kick,” he told The Courier.

“We’re not going to win if I kick six or seven and not everyone’s contributing.”

And right now as Melton South prepares to open its season against Melton at Melton Recreation Reserve on Saturday, Fevola cannot believe the level of enthusiasm in and around “The Den”.

“There’s a great vibe...a lot of expectations. Everyone wants success – especially for those who have stuck it out through the bad times.”

Fevola knows what it takes to be successful outside the AFL.

He spent four seasons from 2012 with Yarrawonga in the Ovens and Murray league, being part of back-to-back premierships in 2012 and 2013, and then played in a premiership with Deer Park in the Western Region league last year.

What he has become best known for though in latter years has been his one-off appearances with clubs – events which have drawn bumper crowds and proved to be a financial boon for the host teams.

These will be on the backburner now though.

Fevola said he might fit in a few guest appearances when Melton South had a bye, but that would be it.

“I’m all in (at Melton South). “I’m committed to bringing success to Melton South.”

Fevola said he gained a great deal of pleasure getting people back to community football.

“That’s what it’s all about.

“That’s what we’re doing here as well. We want people to get to footy.”

And all indications are that this is exactly what will happen – beginning on Saturday and almost certainly continuing wherever Melton South plays throughout the season as the Fevola-Triplett partnership strives to take the BFL by storm.

Fevola’s association with Sean Triplett goes back to 2001 when each was at Carlton in the Denis Pagan era.

Triplett, who went on from the Blues to work alongside Rodney Eade at Footscray and then in the formative days of the GWS Giants under Kevin Sheedy’s guidance, had also been at North Melbourne with Pagan – including the premiership year of 1999.

Fevola said Triplett complemented each other, having the same football philosophies as a result of their days at Carlton.

He said the combination was working exceptionally well and hopefully the partnership would begin to bear fruit with a win against Melton.

Fevola said being from the same town there was no shortage of rivalry between the clubs, but the Panthers’ focus was totally on developing a winning culture.

“There’s points up for grabs and we can’t wait.”

He said it was in the Panthers’ hands to execute as it needed to ensure they had the start they wanted.

LINE-UPS

MELTON SOUTH

B: D Leggett, T Pears, W Thornton-Gielen

HB: D Hiller, A Storey, S White

C: L Watkins, A Hibbert, N Kommer

HF: M Banner, A El Houli, M Callus

F: M Lynch, B Fevola, B Sortino

R: C Searle, M El Houli, B Peters

Inter: B Hooper, B Sullivan, D Martin-Walker, D Vajusta

Emerg: J Madafferi, J Thornton-Gielen, J Watkins

MELTON

B: C Armstrong, B Archard, M Licciardo

HB: M Beck, M Brockwell, D Falzon

C: C Griffiths, J Gleeson, L Walker

HF: A Grigg, J Hickey, L Hickey

F: B Kight, N Gale, J Walker

R: M Maric, D Sharp, B Souter

Inter: R Davis, M Huckstepp, D Walker, R Walker

Emerg: R Carter, J Grech, L Henderson, J May, B McIntyre