Melton coach Aaron Tymms says his side isn't placing too much weight on a six-match unbeaten run that has them a favourite to win the Ballarat Football Netball League premiership.
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The Bloods continued their perfect record with a 68-point win against last season's minor premier North Ballarat that moved them eight points clear at the top of the ladder.
"We're just playing good footy at the moment, and all we've talked about is continuing that," Tymms said.
"The kids are just playing well. We've been together a couple of years now, and they all know their roles. It's at a point now where I can almost sit back, and they coach themselves out there.
"We're not really having any down quarters or lapses in concentration. The boys are switched on.
"I'm just hoping we're not peaking too early; that's the only thing. We're bound to lose a game or two sooner or later, but I don't know; it's a hard one."
After a tense first quarter, Melton restricted the visitors to one point in the second term. Seven goals in the third quarter gave the Bloods a lead it never looked like losing.
Captain Braedan Kight was the hosts' best in the win, kicking five goals alongside Tony Lockett Medal leader Ryan Carter.
North Ballarat's second loss in as many weeks sees it become one of five clubs sharing 12 points.
"It was a really good brand of footy with two really good sides just going at it. I think we just a had a bit more polish at the end of the day and our pressure was exceptional," Tymms said.
"Our pressure is what got us over the line to be honest."
WATCH: BRAEDAN KIGHT'S TIDY SHOT FOR HIS FIFTH GOAL
Melton was without star Mark Orr who is still recovering from a calf injury he picked up in the win against Darley a fortnight ago.
The ruck is expected to miss another month with the club taking a cautious approach.
Midfield recruit Daniel O'Leary is in line to make his senior debut against the Lakers next weekend, having played his first game of the season for the reserves against North Ballarat.
The former VFL player was sidelined after undergoing ankle surgery just before Christmas.
MELTON 3.2 7.5 14.6 19.7 (121)
NORTH BALLARAT 2.3 2.4 4.7 7.11 (53)
GOALS - Melton: Ryan Carter 5, Braedan Kight 5, Lachlan Hickey 3, Kyle Borg 2, Liam Carter 2, Josh Cooper, Jordan Kight. North Ballarat: Jamie Quick 2, Sam Glover, Harry Loader, Riley Polkinghorne, Maxwell Tate, Nelson Troon
BEST - Melton: Braedan Kight, Ryan Carter, Lachlan Walker, Brett Mcintyre, Blake Souter, Lachlan Hickey. North Ballarat: Brock Leonard, Tom Bromley-Lynch, Fletcher Loader, Ryan Hobbs, Jamie Quick, Riley Polkinghorne
Lions celebrate first win of season
Though it took six rounds to earn its first points, there was never any panic in Sunbury's camp, coach Travis Hodgson revealed.
With an eight-goal opening quarter, the Lions set the tone early against Lake Wendouree and never once looked like sinking to a fifth defeat.
Only three goals to Box Hill Hawks VFL forward Fergus Greene on his club debut kept the Lakers within a respectable distance in the 41-point loss.
The Lions' first win comes after a tough run of matches that saw them play North Ballarat, Melton and Darley, all away, and an improved Melton South.
Coach Travis Hodgson said his side was "never in a world of hurt".
"It's easy to see after a win, but I think even if we had lost (to Lakers), we'd still be in the competition," he said.
"It was a tough start, and even at the weekend, we had 10 of our best 22 not playing.
"The other thing I referenced to the boys during the week was that if we could win, we would be 1-4. We were 1-4 at this time last year and were in the top six by round 10.
"I'm not saying that will happen this year, but that's why there was no panic for us."
Midfielder Harrison Minton-Connell was named the Lions' best, while Corey Mobilio continued to reap the rewards from a move forward, kicking three goals.
"We've been a bit more aggressive in the past couple of weeks, and the past few games, our ball movement has challenged the opposition defensively," Hodgson said.
"If you don't take risks with the ball, it's easy to get stuck in your back half, so we've been a bit braver the past couple of weeks, and we're starting to get the rewards from it."
SUNBURY 8.2 9.8 12.12 14.16 (100)
LAKE WENDOUREE 2.3 5.7 7.8 8.11 (59)
GOALS - Sunbury: Corey Mobilio 3, Leigh Brennan 2, Jake Egan 2, Cooper Anderson, Jayden Eales, Alec Goodson, Joshua Guthrie, Harrison Minton-Connell, Harry Power, Daniel Toman. Lake Wendouree: Fergus Greene 3, Bayley Thompson 2, Flynn Loader, Callum McKay, Rory O'Keefe
BEST - Sunbury: Harrison Minton-Connell, Corey Mobilio, Thomas Werner, Haydn Ross, Harry Power, Cody Bramble. Lake Wendouree: Bayley Thompson, Thomas Hunt, Rory O'keefe, Angus Gove, Fergus Greene, Cooper James
Roos engine room puts Swans to sword
East Point is returning to its best, with Jordan Johnston a leading figure in a five-goal win against Ballarat.
Johnston kicked six goals against the Swans to take his tally to 14 for the past two weeks and move fourth in the race for the Tony Lockett Medal.
After a see-sawing opening quarter, the Roos' best stood tall, drawing away with their supremacy in midfield.
Matt Johnston dominated for the hosts, finishing with 35 disposals and 12 clearances to be named his side's best.
Mickitja Rotumah-Onus was equally impressive at the coal face, racking up a game-high 16 contested disposals and seven tackles.
WATCH: TOM BROWN TURNS INTO RONALDO FOR VOLLEY GOAL
"We were just outplayed. East Point was the better team," Swans coach Joe Carmody admitted.
"We just weren't allowed to play the way we wanted to. They were harder at the ball, and they moved it better than what we did."
Since losing to North Ballarat in round three, the Roos have responded with two big wins; first against Melton South and now the Swans.
Jake Bridge's side hosts Bacchus Marsh in round seven with a chance to draw away from the five-club jam in the middle of the table.
Ballarat has a tough trip down to Darley.
EAST POINT 4.1 10.5 13.9 17.10 (112)
BALLARAT 2.4 6.7 9.11 11.14 (80)
GOALS - East Point: Jordan Johnston 6, Bryson McDougall 4, Matthew Johnston 2, Tom Brown, Chris Carson, Joe Dodd, Jack Jeffrey, Jake Toulmin. Ballarat: Andrew Hooper 3, Aiden Domic 2, Lachlan Dawson, Jake Drever, Josh Gibson, Sam James, William Liston, Lawson Prendergast
BEST - East Point: Matthew Johnston, Jordan Johnston, Mickitja Rotumah-Onus, Chris Carson, Bryson McDougall, Jack Jeffrey. Ballarat: William Liston, Andrew Hooper, Aiden Domic, Rhys Perry, Lachlan Dawson, Sam James
Depleted Panthers pull off upset on the road
Coach Heath Pritchard believes momentum is builfing for Melton South after a one-point win away to Bacchus Marsh continued an impressive month for his side.
Undermanned after an outbreak of the flu, the Panthers wrestled control early and made it show on the scoreboard, taking a 29-point lead into the final term.
The strong start proved crucial, with Bacchus Marsh kicking five unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes to eat into the deficit.
The win follows a strong Panthers showing against East Point, where Pritchard's side had 29 scoring shots in a losing cause.
A 21-point win against Sunbury preceded the Roos' game, while a 33-point loss to Darley the week before, where only a Nick Rodda eight-goal haul proved the difference, started the run.
"I think in the past four games, we've either won or been right in the game up to our eyeballs," Pritchard said.
"Our form is pretty good. Obviously, Darley had a good win yesterday, and East Point beat Ballarat, so I look at those (results) and think our form hasn't been too bad in the past month or so.
"We haven't had our full-strength side at any stage really (either)."
With Tony Lockett Medallist Dylan Conway one of many struck by illness, Will Thornton-Gielen stepped up, kicking five goals for the Panthers.
Dylan Jones continued his impressive form in the ruck to be named the visitors' best.
"All the guys over the first three-and-a-half quarters were fantastic," Pritchard said.
"There were more positives than negatives, and when you're going in with so many blokes underdone, you're always a chance to run out of legs.
"Full credit to Bacchus Marsh, they came back hard and took it up to us, but I think we probably did more over an extended period of the game to deserve the win."
MELTON SOUTH 4.2 8.4 13.8 15.8 (98)
BACCHUS MARSH 2.1 7.2 9.3 15.7 (97)
GOALS - Melton South: William Thornton-Gielen 5, Mitch Fino 2, Dylan Jones 2, Brody Sullivan 2, Shaun Wyatt 2, Cody Chapman, Ryan Holzer. Bacchus Marsh: Rex Hickman 4, Jake Owen 3, Joel Freeman 2, Jack Parente 2, Daniel Burton, Max Eastmure, Tom German, Harrison King
Devils continue rise with strong turnaround
Make no mistake, Darley is back.
Having been out-played by Redan in the first term, the Devils broke the game open to celebrate a 55-point away win and move second on the ladder.
The Lions were four-point leaders at the first break after their relentless forward pressure forced the visitors into mistakes and ill-disciplined free kicks.
A quarter-time rev-up from coach Dan Jordan proved a perfect tonic, the Devils kicking five unanswered goals to start the second term and earn a lead it would never let slip.
The visitors found an advantage on the outside with half-back flanker Mace Cousins surging forward and junior product Mitchell Gardiner capping his seniors debut with two goals from the wing.
Declan Phillips battled for the Lions and marshalled Brett Bewley well in a heavy tag, though the former Fremantle Docker's running capacity saw him influence the game late and put his case forward for goal of the year with a left-foot snap on the run.
Nick Rodda was an effective target for the Devils finishing with five goals to put pressure on Melton spearhead Ryan Carter in the race for the Tony Lockett Medal.
Darley is two wins behind Melton at the top and four points clear of the five clubs chasing them down.
That buffer could be increase with a win against Ballarat at Darley Park in round seven.
Meanwhile, Redan sunk to second-to-last with its third-straight loss.
The Lions next play Sunbury at Clarke Oval, a ground it hasn't won at in five years.
DARLEY 3.1 10.4 14.10 20.13 (133)
REDAN 3.5 6.9 7.14 10.18 (78)
GOALS - Darley: Nick Rodda 5, Brady Wright 4, Brett Bewley 2, Mitchell Gardiner 2, Will Johnson 2, Luther Baker, Jack Bewley, Duncan Cadman, Mace Cousins, Mitch Ward. Redan: Khy Jess 3, Izaac Grant 2, Cooper Atchison, Grant Bell, Rory Gunsser, Lachlan McLean, Declan Murphy.
BEST - Darley: Andrew Azzopardi, Luther Baker, Ayden Tanner, Brady Wright, Duncan Cadman, Mitchell Gardiner. Redan: Izaac Grant, Jacob Short, Declan Phillips, Cooper Atchison, Lachlan George, Grant Bell
LADDER
MELTON 6 0 6 0 0 0 208.25 24
DARLEY 6 0 4 2 0 0 115.23 16
SEBASTOPOL 5 0 3 2 0 1 119.24 12
EAST POINT 5 0 3 2 0 1 117.9 12
NORTH BALLARAT 6 0 3 3 0 0 99.54 12
BALLARAT 6 0 3 3 0 0 96.09 12
Bacchus Marsh 5 0 3 2 0 1 95.94 12
Melton South 6 0 2 4 0 0 64.92 8
Sunbury 5 0 1 4 0 1 86.93 4
Redan 5 0 1 4 0 1 84.08 4
Lake Wendouree 5 0 1 4 0 1 63.94 4
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