MISSING: Lachlan Hickey is out injured as the only change for Melton going into the preliminary final

Melton is determined to avoid again feeling the pain of coming up short in a Ballarat Football League finals series.

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This will be a driving force behind the Bloods as they strive to get over Sebastopol in the preliminary final at the City Oval on Saturday and play in a second consecutive grand final.

Melton coach Aaron Tymms said players still felt the hurt of last year's two-point grand final loss to East Point and were determined to make amends.

"The hurt's still there obviously for a few of them.

"We thought in that game (the grand final) we were the better side for the longer period of time.

"We didn't take our opportunities."

Tymms said the Bloods had talked about this issue before the second semi-final defeat at the hands of East Point - never wanting to feel like that again.

Melton is missing seven players from last season's grand final - Jordyn Cotter, Tom Button, Nick Gale, Brock Kennedy, Darren Haby, Blake Souter and Lachlan Hickey.

Marquee recruits Shaun Campbell and Dyson Stevens join Jack Walker, Mitch Brockwell, Ben McMahon, Jordan Kight and Anthony Hibbert as new faces.

McMahon replaces Hickey in the only change this week for the Bloods.

McMahon returns after a week off with concussion, while Hickey suffered a hamstring strain against East Point.

Melton knows it has to improve on its performance in the second semi-final, with Tymms acknowledging the Bloods had been below par on the ground and in the coaching box.

"The second we got off the ground, I put my hand up as having a bad day in the box and all the players put their hands up for having a bad one on the ground," he said.

Yet again in this finals series, the ruck battle will be pivotal to the outcome.

Tymms was pleased with the efforts of Ben Archard and Mark Orr last time, but as well as they did were unable to have a massive influence on the game.

East Point had the manpower to match-up each individually - an asset Sebastopol does not have.

Toby Thoolen has carried the bulk of the ruck work for the Burra and this was never more on display than in first semi-final against Redan.

He has created a formidable combination with Sebastopol's onballers and will need plenty of attention from the Bloods.