The Ballarat Football League finals are looming with much at stake in the remaining rounds.
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In this first of a two-part series, Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Darley, East Point,, Lake Wendouree and Melton come under focus.
Have they done enough to date and what is in store for them.
BACCHUS MARSH
5 wins, 5 losses
Seventh - 24 premiership points
Has used 33 players
DEFEATED
Ballarat 10th
Sunbury 6th
Darley 2nd
Melton South 11th
Lake Wendouree 9th
LOST TO
North Ballarat City 8th
Darley 2nd
Melton 5th
Sebastopol 4th
East Point 1st
HIGHEST SCORE: 27.15 (177) v Melton South
LOWEST SCORE: 1.6 (12) v East Point
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Aaron Willitts 23
Jake Owen 21
Billy Griffiths 12
REMAINING FIXTURES
Redan (h) 2nd
Ballarat (a) 10th
bye
Sebastopol (h) 4th
Lake Wendouree (a) 9th
Melton South (h) 11th
Sunbury (a) 6th
SUMMARY
After a shaky start, losing its first three games under new coach Peter Davey, Bacchus Marsh is right in the mix to play finals.
The Cobras have largely had to rely on the same core of players.
Quiet on the recruiting front, little known trio Brodie Eason, Jacob de Winter and Brownbridge were the main arrivals.
Unfortunately, injury has restricted de Winter and Brownbridge.
Aaron Willitts and Jake Owen - in their second years at Maddingley Park - have again been mainstays along with long-time servants Tyson Shea, Liam Mullen, Declan Phyland and Daniel Veldon - all playing all 10 games.
Youngster Nick Stuhldreier has emerged as a key on-ball figure. while the likes Quade Butt amd Tom Wardell have grabbed opportunities given to them.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Although sitting one win outside the top six, Bacchus Marsh has the fixture to force its way into the finals.
Games against the bottom three and a bye give the Cobras a golden chance to get to 40 premiership points, which might be enough for a top six finish this season.
To be sure though they might need to get over at least one of their bigger challenges against Redan, Sebastopol and Sunbury.
One word of caution is the trouble eastern bloc sides have had winning in Ballarat this season.
Bacchus Marsh has had three trips to Ballarat this season and lost all three, and its meetings with Ballarat and Lake Wendouree will also be down the freeway, where each of those have already been a giantkiller.
FINAL SAY
Jacob Chisari, Jake Owen and Daniel Burton are the keys to playing finals.
Keep them in play and Bacchus Marsh have every chance.
It is going to be a close call though
TOP SIX PREDICTION: the Cobras make it - just.
BALLARAT
1 wins, 1 draw, 8 losses
10th - 10 premiership points
Has used 38 players
DEFEATED
Melton 5th
LOST TO
Sebastopol 4th
Redan 3rd
East Point 1st
Bacchus Marsh 7th
Darley 2nd
Sebastopol 4th
Sunbury 6th
North Ballarat City 8th
DREW WITH
Lake Wendouree 9th
HIGHEST SCORE: 13.8 (86) v Redan
LOWEST SCORE: 4.9 (33) v Bacchus Marsh
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Andrew Hooper 26
Jack Blackburn 8
REMAINING FIXTURES
Melton South (a) 11th
Bacchus Marsh (h) 7th
Sunbury (h) 6th
Redan (a) 3rd
bye
North Ballarat City (h) 8th
Darley (a) 2nd
SUMMARY
At no stage has Ballarat been able to build any momentum to fall well short of where a promising recruiting campaign had the potential to lift it to.
Injuries have taken a toll right from the outset, with VFL-experienced Nick Weightman and Keegan Mellington, Sam James missing large chunks of the season.
The departure of a few recruits in the opening rounds also had an unsettling effect.
The big plus has been the arrival of Andrew Hooper, who despite not being completely injury free, has been enormous as a deep forward and motivator in a young group.
Outside Hooper, the Swans have not had the firepower in attack to be a threat, as reflected by their inability to top 100 points in any game.
First-year coach Joe Carmody has had no choice but to rotate players, including a handful of GWV Rebels players, with a view for the future.
He is well aware of the youth and inexperience of his list, and getting games into youngsters will continue to be a primary objective for the rewmainder of the year.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The main objective is avoiding the wooden spoon and that will most likely be decided at Melton Recreation Reserve on Saturday, where Melton South will be aiming to do the same.
THE FINAL SAY
It is already about 2020 for the Swans.
While they hope to get over the Panthers, any other win will be a bonus.
DARLEY
7 wins, 3 losses
Second - 32 premiership points
Has used 35 players
DEFEATED
Sunbury 6th
Bacchus Marsh 7th
Melton South 11th
North Ballarat City 8th
Ballarat 10th
Lake Wendouree 9th
Redan 3rd
LOST TO
Melton 5th
Bacchus Marsh 7th
East Point 1st
HIGHEST SCORE: 22.18 (150) v Melton South
LOWEST SCORE: 8.9 (51) v Bacchus Marsh
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Jake Edwards 23
Mark Hanson 16
REMAINING FIXTURES
bye
Sebastopol (a) 4th
Melton South (h) 11th
Sunbury (a) 6th
North Ballarat City (a) 8th
East Point (h) 1st
Ballarat (h) 10th
SUMMARY
Darley is having another fine season to be right at the forefront of the premiership race again.
Interestingly it has not been a big scoring campaign, with the Devils only once topping 100 points.
What this highlights is the defensive side of its game - led by Darren Leonard, Shane Page and Trent Angwin.
And they have gone about it in a no fuss manner under the tight reins of coach Heath Scotland.
Stability has also been an important aspect of the Devils' season to date, with 12 players yet to miss a game.
Importantly boom recruit Nick Graham, Darren Leonard, Jake Edwards, Luther Baker, Mark Hanson, Shane Page and Trent Angwin are all in this group.
Keeping these players on the park has enabled Scotland to give plenty of others a taste, and with Leigh Spiteri back from a long-term lay-off and Brian Graham, Bailey Waasdorp and Blake Colley firmly entrenched as well, the Devils are getting close to settling on a combination which will take them into the finals.
ROAD AHEAD
The draw suggests the Devils can most likely lock in at least three wins - with a top two finish right on the cards.
As well as they are going Sebastopol, Sunbury and East Point loom as major challenges in which anything could happen.
FINAL SAY
A major premiership threat.
Darley is going to be extremely difficult to tip out of the top two, and then watch out for a team which loves the big stage of finals.
TOP SIX PREDICTION: should be a top two finish.
EAST POINT
8 wins, 2 losses
First - 36 premiership points
Has used 31 players
DEFEATED
Lake Wendouree 9th
Melton 5th
Ballarat 10th
Sebastopol 4th
Melton South 11th
Sunbury 6th
Bacchus Marsh 7th
Darley 2nd
LOST TO
Redan 3rd
North Ballarat City 8th
HIGHEST SCORE: 29.22 (196) v Melton South
LOWEST SCORE: 3.15 (33) v North Ballarat City
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Brad Whittaker 25
Jordan Johnston 25
Jacob Brown 15
Bryson McDougall 14
REMAINING FIXTURES
Sunbury (a) 6th
Lake Wendouree (a) 9th
Melton (h) 5th
North Ballarat City (h) 8th
Sebastopol (a) 4th
Darley (a) 2nd
bye
SUMMARY
When East Point announced the retention of all but one of its 2018 premiership players there was every likelihood that its line-up would be much the same this season.
Nothing stands still though and this certainly has not been the case with the addition of Billy Jones, Jess Baird, Jaykeb Lench and Joel Mahar all ensuring change.
East Point has not escaped the wrath of injuries.
Premiership captain and number one ruckman Paul Koderenko has been the biggest victim, with long-term knee wear and tear limiting him to just four games after virtually no pre-season, and no one yet declaring with any certainty whether he will play again.
Cam Lovig, Mitch Tuddenham and Chris Carson have had shortened seasons, and there is still no sign of Dallas Martin.
Throw in that key forward Joel Ottavi has locked in a place at Williamstown in the VFL, and there has been no shortage of change.
Despite all this, stability remains with 11 players engaged in all 10 games and another eight in at least eight.
There have been a couple of stumbles, but on the whole with this pattern the Kangaroos have developed a method which enables them to find a way to wind - even in a defensive mode out of their natural comfort zone.
ROAD AHEAD
Trips to Sunbury and Darley might well determine where the Kangaroos finish.
There is no shortage of challenges, but East Point can cope with that.
FINAL SAY
Right now the Kangaroos are exactly where they want top be - on top.
There are no gurantees they will stay there with some tough assignments away from home, but they are going to be extremely difficult to displace.
They have not allowed being reigning premier overaw them.
There remains a determination among the core of the premiership side to make the most of what they have built.
TOP SIX PREDICTION: top two finish and then a serious crack at back-to-back flags
LAKE WENDOUREE
3 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses
Ninth - 18 premiership points
Has used 30 players
DEFEATED
North Ballarat City 8th
Sebastopol 8th
Melton 5th
LOST TO
East Point 1st
Redan 3rd
Melton South 11th
Sunbury 6th
Darley 2nd
Bacchus Marsh 7th
DREW WITH
Ballarat 10th
HIGHEST SCORE: 10.16 (76) v Sunbury
LOWEST SCORE: 5.9 (39) v Darley
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Nathan Pring 13
Ash Simpson 10
REMAINING FIXTURES
North Ballarat City (h) 8th
East Point (h) 1st
bye
Melton (a) 5th
Bacchus Marsh (h) 7th
Redan (h) 3rd
Sebastopol (a) 4th
SUMMARY
What a fickle season its has been for Lakers.
A massive loss to East Point first-up and then real resolve to get back-to-back wins.
This gave Lake Wendouree a chance to rebuild, but a draw with Ballarat and loss to Melton South did the damage.
Other than a one-off day out against Melton, there has really been no road back after dropping premiership points against the two cellar dwellers.
Coach Dale Power has rued a lack of firepower in attack all year and Lakers' scorelines underline this.
They remarkably have not reached 80 points in a game.
Power has kept changes to a minimum, with 13 players chalking up an uninterrupted 10 games, while another six have eight games under their belt.
He has stuck with fresh faces such as Scott Carlin, Jacob Coxall and Josh Bibby along with Jacob Lohmann, Kynan Raven, Joel O'Connell and Mitch Phillips.
The experienced Ash Simpson, Shane Hutchinson, Ben Taylor, Nathan Pring and Bailey Edwards have been solid contributors, but Lakers just haven not come up to the mark.
The loss of injured of Arthur Armstrong has hit hard, with big men lacking on the list.
ROAD AHEAD
The best part about what is left is that four of the six remaining games are at home.
That has to count for something, even though they are against some of the big guns.
FINAL SAY
Nothing is going to be easy with four of the top five to play.
Lakers would like at least one more big scalp.
MELTON
6 wins, 4 losses
Fifth - 28 premiership points
Has used 31 players
DEFEATED
Melton South 11th
Bacchus Marsh 7th
Darley 2nd
Redan 3rd
North Ballarat City 8th
Melton South 11th
LOST TO
East Point 1st
Sunbury 6th
Lake Wendouree 9th
Ballarat 10th
HIGHEST SCORE: 15.12 (102) v Redan
LOWEST SCORE: 3.6 (24) v Ballarat
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Braedan Kight 13
Liam Carter 13
Shaun Campbell 11
REMAINING FIXTURES
Sebastopol (a) 4th
bye
East Point (a) 1st
Lake Wendouree (h) 9th
Sunbury (h) 6th
Sebastopol (h) 4th
Redan (a) 3rd
SUMMARY
Melton is yet to reach the heights that last year unexpectedly lifted it into the grand final.
Missing some important players at various stages, including Matt Denham, Ben Archard, Darren Haby and Jordyn Cotter to injury, and having Jaycob Hickey overseas, has not helped it get momentum.
It has to put that all behind it now though.
As with all teams, it is time to stand up.
Defeats at the hands of the lowly Ballarat and Lake Wendouree have really hurt.
Without those, the Bloods would second and only percentage off top spot.
And Melton's only wins over sides in the top six have come against Darley and Redan.
So there is a lot more work do.
ROAD AHEAD
Melton's run home is tough, really tough.
Only one of its remaining six games is against a side out the top six - a side which has already had the better of it.
And it to add to this, three of the toughest games against Sebastopol, East Point and Redan are in Ballarat, where the Bloods have a shocking record this year.
FINAL SAY
The Bloods' spot in the top six is far from safe.
It could easily come down to a battle between Melton and Sebastopol for the last finals berth, depending on what Bacchus Marsh can produce.
The two times that the Bloods and Burra meet will be critical for each.
Melton has the quality.
It just needs to hit its straps and retain it for the run home.
TOP SIX PREDICTION: the Bloods looks in trouble.