Melton books grand final ticket | Ballarat Football Netball League semi-final wrap

The Bloods were at their bruising best, overturning a four-goal deficit with a 6.3 (39) to 0.1 (1) second quarter before holding Sebastopol to just 11 points for the remainder of the game to prevail by 43 points in the major semi-final.

The final margin doesn't speak to the evenness of the affair, the Burra once coming to within nine points in the final term before four goals in the final 10 minutes sent the Bloods closer to a first premiership in 17 years.

"We've worked bloody hard to be here. We spoke before the game this is three years in the making," Melton coach Aaron Tymms told The Courier

"We had that COVID year, the season where it was cancelled after 10 games and now this. This is a reward for our effort and really hard work over those three years."

"We've been able to blow games out most times but the past few games have been really tight. It's been good to get those games and know that we can still hold on and grind out a win."

With a strong wind at its back, Sebastopol wrestled momentum early, kicking five of its six goals for the game in the opening quarter.

Melton had its chances, winning the inside 50 count for the term 16-11, but could manage a 0.5 return.

"We didn't kick a goal but we knew we had enough of the footy going up to the attacking end that we knew we were going to be alright in the second quarter," Tymms said.

Alright the Bloods were, leaving the Burra shellshocked by kicking six unanswered goals with Jack Walker the chief architect, finishing with 11 disposals, five clearances and three inside 50s for the quarter.

Kicking into the breeze, it was in the third term that the Bloods won the game.

A lone Lachlan Hickey major extended the lead but it was Melton's defence that proved the difference, keeping the Burra to zero marks inside 50 and forcing their opponents into lonely areas for just two behinds.

"They really needed to score that quarter with how the game was going and I just thought we held up really well," Tymms said. "I think we were the only side to kick a goal down that end so it was a tough day out there for the boys."

An early Liam Stow major in the final term brought Sebastopol back to within touching distance but it proved a catalyst for a Bloods resurgence.

Melton responded with five goals of its own, Liam Carter kicking three of them to cap a best-on performance in which he finished with 19 disposals and nine marks (four contested, four inside 50).

Lachie Cassidy was lone warrior for the Burra, racking up 31 disposals, 12 clearances and eight tackles.