Melton withstands late Sebastopol charge to end 17-year wait for Ballarat Football Netball League premiership

The Bloods' boys - the benchmark for all 2022 - had broken the 17-year Ballarat Football Netball League premiership drought.

It took just 65 seconds for Melton to set the tone, Kyle Borg lurking into space on the edge of the contest before soccering a loose ball through to celebrate the game's first goal.

His captain, Braedan Kight, added a second minutes later, though it would prove a wake-up call for the Burra, who enjoyed the majority of possession as the rain thundered down.

James Keeble would reward that pressure on the scoreboard, beating the pack to a loose ball in the goal square to draw his side to within six points.

All Burra momentum was sapped minutes before the break as Luke Heaney converted a set shot from a tight angle to give the Bloods a 13-point lead at quarter-time.

Both sides stepped further into the trenches with rain and later hail ever-present in the second quarter.

A healthy crowd had to wait 18 minutes for the first and only goal of the quarter, Lachie Walker breaking the deadlock in some style, clutching a rushed Burra exit with one hand before kicking truly on the run.

The Bloods' pressure was red-hot in the second term, barely giving the Burra a chance to get forward to take a 19-point lead into the sheds.

As the teams returned, the worst was confirmed for Sebastopol with key defender Riley O'Keefe succumbing to an ankle injury he suffered late in the second quarter.

Midway through the term, Toby Hutt would step forward, trimming the margin to just two goals.

Just two minutes later, Keeble kicked a goal for the ages, catching the ball on the volley from the pocket; his effort bouncing and dribbling before taking a right turn at the goal mouth.

Within in a minute, Keeble had levelled the game, reacting first to a loose ball to kick his third for the game.

The scores wouldn't stay even for long, Jaycob Hickey pouncing on a loose ball to restore Melton's lead, but confidence was high for the Burra as they entered the final quarter of the season trailing by six.

In the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, Melton twice had chances to deliver telling blows, only for their shots to stray wide.

Eventually, Sebastopol got forward and in the 18th minute thought it had drawn within a point only for the goal umpire to rule that Chase Dummett's dribbling effort was touched off the boot, a call made while the Burra midfielder was wheeling away in celebration.

The entirety of the final five minutes were played in Sebastopol's forward 50, but the Bloods' defence, as it had done all season, held on.

One last golden chance would come for James Keeble, who took a strong contested mark 35m out, but a ball to find a teammate in a better position was intercepted by the Bloods defender.

After 31 minutes, the final siren sounded, confirming history: Melton, premiers for the first time since 2005.