Melton continues strong start to Ballarat league season with win over Sunbury
It’s a new-look Melton but the Bloods have picked up where they left off last season and can now look ahead to a grand final rematch.
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Despite big changes over summer, Ballarat league premier Melton has seemingly picked up from where it left off last season.
The Bloods secured a hard-fought 20-point win over Sunbury at Clarke Oval on Saturday, backing up a dominant 161-point thrashing of cross-town rival Melton South in the season-opener.
Eight new players featured in the 13.7 (85) to 10.5 (65) triumph over the Lions.
Melton coach Aaron Tymms said once the team had moved on quickly after returning to pre-season training.
“We thought it might have been an issue but to be honest we haven’t discussed (the premiership),” he said.
“We partied hard and enjoyed the win last year but when we came back to training we haven’t spoken about it, it’s just business as usual.
“We had eight players out from the grand final side so it’s a bit of a new-look team anyway.”
Jaycob and Lachlan Hickey and Mark Orr crossed to Diggers Rest, Kyle Borg and Brenton Payne are at Port Melbourne VFL, Bailey Mawson and Daniel O’Leary retired and Brett McIntyre was in the reserves.
It’s seen the likes of Max Scoble, Ryan Davis, Tom Burton, Lochlan Ericson and James Taylor get their senior opportunity.
Meanwhile, Johnathan O’Brien arrived from North Ballarat, Brody Sullivan from Melton South and former Sydney Swans AFL rookie Brady Rowles made his debut after signing on Eaglehawk.
Rowles’ arrival looms as a massive coup.
“He was on Werribee’s (VFL) list last year, he lives in Melton and just called me the other night,” Tymms said.
“I spoke to him last year when he was aligned to Eaglehawk but he called me and said ‘are you still interested’ and I was like beautiful. That never happens.”
Sunbury jumped out to a 19-point lead early in the second quarter before a decisive burst from Melton put them on top.
Five unanswered goals before half-time gave the Bloods a 19-point advantage at the main break and a strong defensive effort in the final quarter sealed the win.
“Sunbury is always a hard road-trip, even though it’s down the road for us, it’s been a bit of a fortress,” Tymms said.
“It was a good game for footy, I said to the boys after the game ‘if you didn’t barrack for either side it would have been a really good game to watch’.
“It was really only late in the second quarter that we got a couple of exits out the front of the stoppage and kicked goals.
“I think they had 16 or 17 inside 50s in the last quarter and our defence stood up, so full credit to our boys.”
Jordan Kight, Jack Walker and Harrison Hanley were Melton’s best in victory, while Ryan Carter bagged three goals.
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For Sunbury, Harrison Minton-Connell was the Lions’ best, along with Bryce Caldone (three goals) and Harry Power.
A grand final rematch against Sebastopol now awaits the Bloods at MacPherson Oval.
The Burras are coming off a bye after trouncing Bacchus Marsh in Round 1.
Sunbury, meanwhile, travels to Melton South to face the Panthers.
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