Redan notches first win of Ballarat Football Netball League season

After gaining the lead then losing it immediately multiple times throughout the game, the Lions were on top when it mattered to prevail against Melton South, 14.12 (96) to 14.11 (95).

The result came as a relief to Redan coach Jarrett Giampaolo who feared the game had slipped away when the Panthers ran out to a three-goal lead during the third quarter.

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"It was a real momentum-based game," he said.

"We started pretty well. We kicked the first three or so goals and missed a couple of others that might have put us five or six in front.

"Then they fought back and kicked the next three in a row, and the scores came back level.

"At one point, they got out to a lead and held on to that for a big portion of the day.

"It was looking a bit ominous, but we were able to just keep fighting, which was pleasing."

The Lions entered the match without key figure Lachie George, a last-minute withdrawal after his wife gave birth.

It fell to a young midfield to combat an opposition line-up littered with former VFL players in his absence.

The cubs stood up to the task and edged the visitors to a two-point lead at the first break.

The second term largely followed the same script.

Melton South impressed in attack, led by Dylan Conway - who kicked forward majors - though couldn't land the fatal blow.

The Lions hung on with gritted teeth and scraped in late scores, but the hosts entered the sheds with a 10.4 (64) to 9.6 (60) lead.

The Panthers came out hot to start the third and built themselves a handy lead. Conway found a good foil up top in Shaun Wyatt (three goals) while recruit Bradley Olsson dominated the midfield battle.

Soon, the rain settled in, and the game twisted on its head.

Jarrett Giampaolo's men thrived in a salvage job, with the decision to move Liam Hoy into the midfield proving fruitful in a contest being decided by inches.

"It just became a real contest battle," Giampaolo said.

"At the start of the third, they just came out and dominated around the clearances.

"The team that seemed to win the stoppages and get the footy forward was able to maintain the momentum.

"We were able to shift that in our favour and threw Liam Hoy in there in the middle when it got a bit wet.

"He was able to win the ball himself around the stoppages and help around the contest. We evened up that up, which helped.

"We had a few sore boys throughout the day, so we were changing a few blokes' positions and mixing it up a bit. We just had to do what we could to get the win."

The scores tied at 83 apiece heading into the final quarter; it was the Panthers' inaccuracy and Lions' brilliance, in equal measure, that decided the game.

Melton South had the opportunities to edge away but was left ruing an output of one goal from seven scoring shots.

Redan, meanwhile, found the bit of magic to steal the lead in the dramatic closing stages.

"They had a few Western Jets boys, and one fella (Paul Curtis) he was very lively. He took a massive hanger from five deep in the last couple of minutes and kicked a goal to put them up," Giampaolo said.

"We just kept fighting, and we got a clearance.

"Liam Hoy had played really well throughout the day, but he'd missed a few easy set shots. He Ronaldo soccered one off the ground really late, which just snuck through.

"Then we had a minute or so left, and we just hung on. There were a lot of stoppages, and it pretty frenetic.

"I ended up getting a free and just tried to ice it. We were lucky (the ball) was in our forward half, and we just hung on."

Redan carries momentum into a home game against Ballarat next weekend, while Melton South hosts Bacchus Marsh.

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