Darley  9.17  (71)

Lake Wendouree has unveiled a brand of play which has the potential to take it all the way in the Ballarat Football League this season.

The Lakers ran Darley off their legs and then with relentless pressure took the Devils into unchartered territory to take the honours by 13 points at Darley Park on Saturday.

Each went into top-of-the-table unbeaten, with premiership favouritism potentially on the line.

And it was the defensive strike force of Lake Wendouree which swayed the match its way.

With Darley having beaten reigning premier Bacchus Marsh and crushed the life out of the then highly touted Melton South, there was an uncertainty as to where Lake Wendouree stood in the match-up after an easier run.

There is no question now.

Darley threw everything it had at Lakers and it was not a enough in a high tempo, high class encounter with Lake Wendouree producing some flashy passages and when required disciplined play to shutdown the space the Devils are accustomed to having.

Darley had the better Lake Wendouree, which lost tall Jack Elkington from its selected side, early.

Devils coach Heath Scotland controlled the game across the half back line, with the likes of Brian and Chris Graham, and Mark Hanson reaping the benefits.

When they did get control, Lakers were forced in a high possession game to get it on their terms.

A major turning point came five minutes into the second term when Scotland limped from the ground with a hamstring injury – one he said on Sunday that might keep him out for at least six weeks.

Darley lost direction and the contest tightened up significantly.

With Lakers exerting pressure the Devils had seen little of this season, Darley looked out of its comfort zone and the game settled into a goal-for-goal tussle.

With the midfield largely breaking even, it was ultimately the Ben Hayes-led backline of Lake Wendouree which was the difference – denying the usually potent Darley attack.

Hayes was close to impassable from the outset.

He not only did the hard yards, but also the spectacular with dashes to break up play and impressive aerial work as he inspired other defensive acts around the ground.

With the match still on the line, Lake Wendouree finally broke the deadlock with the opening three goals of the last term to lead by 14 points.

Darley had its chances to peg it back in a 36-minute last term, but it was not accurate enough with 2.6 for the quarter.

Scotland said Lakers were too sharp.

He said Devils had more than their share of inside 50s and clearances, but had played at their best, being sloppy around the ground and in their ability to convert up forward.

Scotland said what had been a reliable forward line in the previous rounds had fallen apart under the relentless pressure of Lake Wendouree, and had not had the answers to turn it around.

Scotland said while he would prefer to get straight back on the park and get things right, Darley would use a bye in the next round to take stock after a solid start to the season.

Although named to play, ruckman/forward Rhys Ellis was absent owing to overseas travel.

Sunbury 13.5 (83

Redan 7.12 (54)

Sunbury provided a reminder that it is ready to have a major say in shaping the Ballarat Football League top six with a 29-point victory over Redan at the City Oval on Saturday.  

The Eastern Lions have been showing promise, but this is the first time it has beaten a combination in the higher bracket.

And the signs are there that it will be the last even though there is an element of rebuilding about them.

For Redan, the consequences of the loss could not have been more contrasting.

Back-to-back defeats has it sixth and on form a long way off the competition’s leaders.

Sunbury coach Ben Jordan was incredibly pleased with how his side acquitted itself, with it now growing in confidence.

“We really feel like we’ve got some reward for effort. To be able to beat a side above us...I’m rapt with the effort of the boys. 

“We were able to hold them at bay in the second half. They would have had to do a lot right to be able to get over the top of us,” he said.

Jordan said Sunbury had spoken about how Redan was not going to lie down after the way it lost to Bacchus Marsh.

“The way the guys pressured them around the footy and the effort we brought was fantastic.”

 Redan coach Brendan Peace was critical of the performance of his side over the past two weeks. 

“The lack of intensity in our first halves and the fact we aren’t scoring, that’s really what it comes down to.

“Our first 12 minutes of the second quarter was pretty good. We had all the ball in our forward half of the ground, but just couldn’t score,” he said. 

“Our stats look okay in terms of clearances, tackles, inside 50s and all of those things, and we are working all right.

“We just aren’t getting any efficiency going forward,” Peace said.

After kicking just four goals against Bacchus Marsh, it managed only seven on Saturday.

Sunbury worked harder for longer, leading at every change.

Andrew Duhau was in terrific touch for Sunbury – showing class in the midfield as well as kicking two goals, while David Kovacevic was dominant in the ruck against an undermanned Redan in this department.

He gave his midfielders first use of the ball much of the day. 

While there was a host Sunbury Lions who put their hands up as leading lights, it was difficult to find any consistently strong performers for Redan. 

East Point  21.12 (138)

Melton South 14.14 (98)

East Point fired new life into its season with a 40-point win over a shell-shocked Melton South in the BFL at Melton on Saturday.

Down by 24 points at half-time, the Kangaroos produced an explosive nine-goal third quarter to take the wind out of the Panthers. And they did not stop there, keeping the dominance going for a 15-goal second half.

Jake McQueen had a memorable day in attack, with the youngster getting seven goals in East Point’s second win of the campaign.

He helped polish off the impressive midfield work of Clay Bilney, Mickitja Rotumah-Onus and Cameron Jackson, who were among many strong performers, with coach Jake Bridges impressed by the way the Roos took on the Panthers physically.

South dominated early, but not for the first time this paid the price for inaccuracy with a 4.7 first term.

Panthers joint coach Sean Triplett said East had out-worked them. “We went to sleep.”

Bacchus Marsh 15.15  (105)

North Ballarat City 11.10  (76)

Bacchus Marsh took the points, but there was nothing easy about it against North Ballarat City in the BFL at Eureka Stadium on Saturday.

The Cobras stole a march with a seven-goal first quarter, but was out-scored over the balance of the day in the 29-point win.

North Ballarat is suffering at the hand of injuries to a string of key players, but the young line-up did not allow this to hold it back.

City never let the Cobras completely off the chain, but at the same time could not get quite close enough to threaten the reigning premier.

Each side made key changes to selected line-ups, with City calling in Ryan Hobbs (knee) and the Marsh losing ruckman Daniel Burton (knee). The latter forced Dean Heta take over ruck duties, which he dominated. Bacchus Marsh also lost young forward Blake Graham (four goals) with an ankle injury and Jackson Bolton (knee) on the day.

Elliott Lamb debuted for City.

Melton 15.12 (102) 

Sebastopol 4.16 (40)

Melton had an opportunity for a rare celebration in the BFL at Marty Busch Reserve on Saturday.

The Bloods chalked up their second win of the season – getting home over a winless Sebastopol by 62 points.

Although Melton has been struggling, the nature of the competition means it is still well within touch of the top six and not unlike last year still close enough to push for the top six.

Despite the margin, Burra coach Shane Snibson was encouraged as his charges had more inside 50s and broke even in the contested football battles.

He said while he could not fault the effort, a wasteful Sebastopol was again held back by an inability to provide scoreboard pressure.

Connor Griffiths, Riley Walker, Jaycob Hickey and Ben Archard, who has been the pick of the Bloods’ recruits, were prominent.

Toby Hutt worked hard in the ruck for the Burra and Lochie Huppatz again impressed.