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The Ballarat Football League finals are looming with much at stake in the remaining five rounds.
MELTON SOUTH
1 win, 10 losses
11th - 24 premiership points
Has used 39 players
DEFEATED
Lake Wendouree 9th
LOST TO
Melton 6th
Sunbury 5th
Darley 2nd
East Point 1st
Sebastopol 4th
Bacchus Marsh 7th
Redan 3rd
North Ballarat City 8th
Melton 6th
Ballarat 10th
HIGHEST SCORE: 11.12 (78) v Ballarat
LOWEST SCORE: 0.5 (5) v East Point
LEADING GOALKICKERS
William Thornton-Gielen 10
Aaron Clarke 10
REMAINING FIXTURES
Sunbury (h) 5th
Darley (a) 2nd
Bye
Redan (h) 3rd
Bacchus Marsh (a) 7th
North Ballarat City (h) 8th
SUMMARY
It has been another extremely tough year for the Panthers.
They took a different tact in the lead up to this season, with former Carlton player Paul Bower being their only high profile recruit.
Melton South's other focus was on aligning several Port Melbourne VFL-listed players with it, capitalising on the ties coach Heath Pritchard has at the Borough where he has been a runner.
The hope is that some of these will commit to the Panthers when they call it a day in the VFL.
It meant Pritchard was never going to have it easy in his first full season in charge, with a focus on the development of youngsters for the long-term future.
There have been moments of encouragement, but like any undermanned side - now made worse by a long-term knee injury to ruckman Ben Sortino - maintaining it is tough and the Panthers' record shows that.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Patience. Melton South needs to keep showing plenty of this.
There is no other choice.
The Panthers tried a quick fix and it didn't work.
FINAL SAY
Melton South looks like finishing on the bottom of the ladder after missing out against Ballarat, but it should not and almost certainly will not, dwell on that.
For the rest of this season, it just a matter of persisting in working on the brand of game the Panthers want to play.
NORTH BALLARAT CITY
5 wins, 6 losses
Eighth - 24 premiershiop points
Has used 37 players
DEFEATED
Bacchus Marsh 7th
East Point 1st
Melton South 11th
Ballarat 10th
Lake Wendouree 9th
LOST TO
Lake Wendouree 9th
Sunbury 5th
Darley 2nd
Sebastopol 4th
Redan 3rd
Melton 6th
HIGHEST SCORE: 14.19 (103) v Melton South
LOWEST SCORE: 3.10 (28) v Sebastopol and Melton
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Will Young 17
Izaac Johnson 16
REMAINING FIXTURES
Redan (3rd) h
Bye
East Point (a) 1st
Darley (h) 2nd
Ballarat (a) 10th
Melton South (a) 11th
SUMMARY
A frustrating year for North Ballarat City, which ran a relatively low-key recruiting campaign to top up a list which took it to second position last year.
Although it lost some big key position players, there was nothing wrongwith that approach.
However, injuries have taken a toll and not helped City's cause.
Looking at its record, North sits exactly where it should in mid-table.
It has been too good for the teams at the lower end, but other than a one-off day out against East Point has been unable to deal with sides in the top half of the competition.
Only a matter of weeks ago North was wallowing not that far off the bottom the ladder, but by making the most of a favourable draw it has put together three wins in a row to be just one game outside the top six.
It has certainly given its season much more respectability even though it continues to be without some of its biggest names.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Mathematically, finals are suddenly a possibility.
Can City make it a reality though?
Form suggests it can finish with two wins, but the key will be defeating at least one of the top three teams as well.
FINAL SAY
Even with a big finish North's low percentage shapes as a factor in holding it back.
It would be one of the great comebacks if City made finals, but the odds are stacked against it.
It should know its fate over the next four rounds.
TOP SIX PREDICTION: has left its run too late and coming from too far back.
REDAN
8 wins, 3 losses
Third - 36 premiership points
Has used 36 players
DEFEATED
Ballarat 10th
Sunbury 5th
Lake Wendouree 9th
Sebastopol 4th
East Point 1st
North Ballarat City 8th
Bacchus Marsh 7th
LOST TO
Melton 6th
Darley 2nd
Sebastopol 4th
HIGHEST SCORE: 25.13 (163) v Ballarat
LOWEST SCORE: 4.4 (28) v Darley
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Lachie George 23
Grant Bell 22
REMAINING FIXTURES
North Ballarat City (a) 8th
Bye
Ballarat (h) 10th
Melton South (a) 11th
Lake Wendouree (a) 9th
Melton (h) 8th
SUMMARY
What a start Redan had to the season.
The Lions got away to a flyer, winning their first five games.
New coach Jarrett Giampaolo was confident from the outset that Redan could and would bounce back after missing finals last year.
Having been at the club fror many years he had total faith in the list and culture, and it has lived up to his expectations.
While they have split their past six games with three wins and three defeats, early season wins are invaluable and Redan is reaping the benefits.
They are third - a favourite position for Redan in years gone by for a springboard into finals and set to play finals.
Of course, they now have an x-factor.
Having already secured VFL veteran Lachie George at the start of the season, Redan now has the services of a former junior and Richmond premiership player Shaun Grigg.
Troubled by hip and knee troubles which caused him to end his AFL career mid-season, exactly what impact he has remains to be seen.
He is going to be a handful for rivals though and if allowed will be a match-winner.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Redan has a favourable run home.
Its remaining five fixtures include games against the bottom four teams.
There are no guarantees, but with a bye thrown in Redan looks set for a big finish to the home and away season.
FINAL SAY
The Lions will be disappointed if they cannot stay in top three.
They will need to keep their big guns free on injury.
TOP SIX PREDICTION: top three finish.
SEBASTOPOL
7 wins 4 losses
Fourth - 32 premniership points
Has used 33 players
DEFEATED
Ballarat 10th
North Ballarat City 8th
Melton South 11th
Ballarat 10th
Bacchus Marsh 7th
Redan 3rd
Melton 6th
LOST TO
Lake Wendouree 9th
East Point 1st
Redan 3rd
Sunbury 5th
HIGHEST SCORE: 17.12 (114) v Melton South
LOWEST SCORE: 3.5 (23) v Sunbury
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Michael Powell 21
James Keeble 18
Brett Goodes 11
REMAINING FIXTURES
Darley (h) 2nd
Bye
Bacchus Marsh (a) 7th
East Point (h) 1st
Melton (a) 6th
Lake Wendouree (h) 8th
SUMMARY
Sebastopol took as long to get going as anyone with the likes of Tony Lockyer and James Keeble missing the start of the season and then Brett Goodes and recruit Toby Thoolen also absent on and off early.
Throw in long-term injuries to Matt Austin (played just 1 game), Toby Hutt (3) and Nick Hausler (4) and it was not surprising the Burra was one win after four games.
Sebastopol remained cool and confident in that period and its record since says it all.
The Burra has won six of its past seven starts to climb to fourth.
And in the one it did not win, Sebastopol went down to Sunbury by one point in adverse weather and ground conditions at Sunbury.
Sebastopol has already shown it has taken another step after a marked improved last season when it missed finals by just one game.
Coach Leigh Hutchinson has led an impressive recruiting program over two years, bringing in a wealth of VFL experience.
Lockyer, Keeble, Cassidy, Austin and Hausler arrived last year and this season were topped up by Luke Kiel and Thoolen.
As equally as important has been the development and improvement of long-term Sebastopol players around them - those who did it tough in some hard times at Marty Busch Reserve.
It is within the group that it will most likely be determined how far Sebastopol go.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The big question is, can Sebastopol hold on and play finals for the first time since 2000?
It is in a strong position, being two games and percentage inside the top six, but it has the toughest of run homes.
Wins over Redan and Melton have been impressive, but it is only the start with match-ups against Darley, Bacchus Marsh, East Point and Melton still to come.
FINAL SAY
There is every chance it is going right down to the wire for Sebastopol.
Importantly though, it has its destiny in its own hands and if it makes it, it will have the runs on the board to give a finals series a real shake.
Right now, Sebastopol is surely everyone's second side in the BFL.
TOP SIX PREDICTION: it might be tight, but has desire to hold on.
SUNBURY
7 wins, 4 losses
Fifth - 32 premiership points
Has used 41 players
DEFEATED
Melton South 11th
North Ballarat City 8th
Melton 6th
Lake Wendouree 9th
Ballarat 10th
Sebastopol 4th
East Point 1st
LOST TO
Darley 2nd
Redan 3rd
Bacchus Marsh 7th
East Point 1st
HIGHEST SCORE: 16.17 (113) v North Ballarat City
LOWEST SCORE: 2.12 (24) v Sebastopol
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Jack Landt 16
Lachie Bramble 16
Alec Goodson 14
REMAINING FIXTURES
Melton South (a) 11th
Ballarat (a) 10th
Darley (h) 2nd
Melton (A) 6th
Bye
Bacchus Marsh (h) 7th
SUMMARY
After missing finals for the first since joining the BFL, there was a deep resolved to bounce back hard this year.
Getting former premiership player Travis Hodgson was a linchpin in this objective.
Sunbury went hard recruiting, adding to it stocks.
As it has turned out the most important on-field developments were getting Mitch Conn and Lachie Bramble to walk away from their VFL commitments.
This duo has been enormous, on top of some outstanding form from Alik Magin early on.
Sunbury was early in the year hindered by its form away from home.
For a long time the Lions have made Clarke Oval a fortress
So no surprise there to see them unbeaten in six appearances at home.
At the start of the season though yet again Sunbury's away form a worry, dropping its first three road trips.
It finally ended that trend of the past two years at Lake Wendouree.
Unless it can do this consistently, it is going to be tight in the Lions' bid to play finals.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Sitting two games inside the top six, Sunbury is surely on the way to finals.
Its last three games will provide testing material, but the Lions might just enough have breathing space given the sidesides around them also have the job in front of them.
FINAL SAY
Sunbury has the potential to work its way into premiership contention.
At their best, and with gun forward Jarrah Maksymow set to only get better, the Lions could finish up as good as anyone.
However, it does need to do it away from home.
TOP SIX PREDICTION: will play finals.
