Redan’s Grant Bell dives on the ball against East Point yesterday.
THERE are three to beat in the Ballarat Football League this season.
Redan yesterday joined North Ballarat City and Sunbury as the Red Onion BFL’s only unbeaten teams at the conclusion of round three.
It took a final quarter burst to silence East Point for the L&H Lions’ to join North City and the eastern Lions on 12 premiership points. That burst effectively put the western Lions ahead due to Sunbury and North each having had the bye.
While the three frontrunners would have been obvious choices to be at the head of the table at the start of the season, Redan co-coach Eammon Gill says there are more than three premiership contenders this year.
“It’s too early to tell,” he said yesterday.
“I was very impressed by Ballarat in round one, and then I saw them on Saturday and they were good against Lake Wendouree. Melton South got within a couple of kicks of Sunbury as well, so I think it is a lot more open than you think.
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‘‘Lakers weren’t bad against Ballarat at times as well.”
Redan is not renowned for starting seasons particularly strongly, even in premiership years.
Despite the club’s best start for several years, Gill said the Lions were far from their best.
“If we’d been told at the start of the year we’d be three from three, obviously we would have taken that,” he said.
“There is room for improvement. We’ve got three wins but it’s consistency from four quarters that we need to work on.” East Point was on the verge of an upset at three quarter time yesterday, leading by two points.
It took a bit of magic from ex-North Ballarat pair Dean Chester and Grant Bell to spark the reigning premiers.
Gill said it was Bell’s best game since arriving at City Oval in the summer.
“We’re really starting to see benefits of a good recruit coming to the club,” he said.
“It might have taken a little time to find his feet at BFL level and get used to a new style of play and new team mates.”
Ballarat had its second victory of the season, downing Lake Wendouree on Saturday. Previously unbeaten Bacchus Marsh was beaten by Darley, and Melton South registered its first victory of the season on Saturday night against Melton.
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