If there was any doubt that the reigning premier is the one to beat, the Cobras crushed that with a 64-point win over a disappointing Darley.

Bacchus Marsh has not lost a game since the opening round when Darley took the honours by 19 points.

The Cobras took this encounter away from the Devils with a five goal surge late in the third term –  turning a handy lead into an margin of 52 points.

Four of the goals were kicked in the last 10 minutes of the 35-minute quarter.

Jarrah Maksymow kicked five goals on his return after a four-week break, while ruckman/forward Dean Heta finished with four in another best-on-ground performance.

Darley coach Heath Scotland was the stand-out player for the Devils.

Each side suffered what appears to be a significant injury to an important onballer in the first half.

Bacchus Marsh’s Scott Sherlock faces an extended time out of the game with a suspected torn hamstring, while Darley’s Dan Roy suffered a facial injury in a collision. 

With Redan defeating Ballarat by 65 points, the Lions climb to third and Darley drops to fourth with three rounds remaining.

Redan made more use of its opportunities against an inaccurate and pressured Ballarat at Alfredton.

The Swans were no match for the Lions on the scoreboard as Mitchell Phelps and Orren Stephenson each bagged five majors.

Sunbury locked in a top six spot with a low-scoring 24-point win over Melton at MacPherson Park and Lake Wendouree did as it liked in defeating a hapless Sebastopol by 140 points.

Fifth-placed Sunbury is now three games inside the top six and with a bye to come cannot be displaced.

Melton’s hopes of playing finals remain, but are now much tougher.

North Ballarat City meets Melton South at Northern Oval No.2 ground on Sunday in a game which still carries big ramifications in the battle for sixth.

LADDER

 Bacchus Marsh 159.43 54

 Lake Wendouree 151.90 52

 Redan 136.03 48

 Darley 139.52 44

 Sunbury 120.05 36

 East Point 91.25 28

 *Melton South 84.47 24

 Melton 78.12 24

 *North Ballarat City 90.18 20

 Ballarat 69.60 14

DETAILS

Bacchus Marsh 5.4, 8.9, 14.13, 17.16 (118)

Darley 1.1, 4.5, 6.9, 7.12 (54)

GOALS - Bacchus Marsh: Jarrah Maksymow 5, Dean Heta 4, Alec Del Papa 2, Declan Phyland 2, Liam Noonan 2, Jadyn Trowsdale 1, Simon Lafranchi 1. Darley: Dane Grenfell 2, Mark Hanson 2, Harley Inglis 1, Brian Graham 1, Daniel Robson 1

BEST - Bacchus Marsh: Dean Heta, Matt Denham, Liam Mullen, Jackson Bolton, Jarrah Maksymow, Daniel Burton. Darley: Kyle Docherty, Jackson Carrick, Tom Evans, Brian Graham, Dane Grenfell, Heath Scotland

Redan 3.1, 9.4, 11.5, 15.8 (98)

Ballarat 1.4, 1.7, 2.15, 3.15 (33)

GOALS - Redan: Mitchell Phelps 5, Orren Stephenson 5, Liam Hoy 3, Nicholas Willox 1, Ryan Waight 1. Ballarat: Jesse Marshall 1, Ged Shearer 1, Jack Sutherland 1

BEST - Redan: Mitchell Phelps, Orren Stephenson, Keenan Waterbury, Kyle Hayes, Jacob Short, Patrick Britt. Ballarat: Bailey Van de Heuvel, Sam James, Shane Hutchinson, Daniel Kennedy, Daniel Hobbs, Tyler Constable

Lake Wendouree 6.3, 12.6, 23.11, 25.17 (167)

Sebastopol 1.0, 2.1, 2.2, 4.3 (27)

GOALS - Lake Wendouree: Ben Taylor 5, Lucas Anderson 4, Nathan Pring 4, Tom Nijam 3, Nicholas Peters 3, Ashley Simpson 2, Jayden Hooper 1, Stephen Clifton 1, Eamonn Mc Cuskey 1, Nathan Monk 1. Sebastopol: Geoffrey Lovett 2, Toby Hutt 1, Simon Butler 1

BEST - Lake Wendouree: Nicholas Peters, Ben Taylor, Jayden Hooper, Luke Bucknall, Tom Nijam, Angus Kirby,  Sebastopol: Jai Harvey, Daniel Widgery, Ben Hutt, Tom Petersen, Simon Butler

Sunbury 2.1, 4.3, 6.6, 8.7 (55)

Melton 2.5, 3.6, 4.7, 4.7 (31)

GOALS - Sunbury: Alik Magin 2, Andrew Duhau 1, Jacob Bygate 1, Jesse Flannery 1, Mitchell Trimboli 1, Trent Stead 1, Alec Goodson 1. Melton: Angus Grigg 1, Jordan Kight 1, Nicholas Gale 1, Kayne Wilson 1

BEST - Sunbury: David Kovacevic, Jack Hannett, James Rizk, Bradley Mundy, Tom Donoghue, Mitchell Trimboli. Melton: Jaycob Hickey, Riley Walker, Jack Walker, Daniel Walker, Connor Griffiths, Kayne Wilson