Melton has jumped into the Ballarat Football League top six, overcoming untimely injuries and running over the top of East Point in the last quarter on Saturday.
Having not beaten East Point in coach Brad Murphy’s four years at the club, the 11.10 (76) – 9.14 (68) win came at the perfect time as they now leapfrog Melton South on percentage to grab a hold of a coveted finals place – for now.
Murphy said it was a hugely important win in the context of their season.
“It’s been a very exciting time the last couple of weeks to beat sides we haven’t beaten for a while,” Murphy said.
“And it also helps that we’re beating the sides around us to give us that shot to make the finals. They’re important points to bank.”
While East Point kicked with a slight breeze in the first quarter it was Melton that grabbed the early ascendency as Braedan Kight continued his strong recent form up forward and the home side led by five points at quarter-time.
East Point hit back in the second quarter, kicking into the wind but kicking truly for a five goal to two term and a 14-point buffer at the long break.
Melton was not helped by a hamstring injury in the first quarter to playmaker Mark Orr, playing his first game back from a stint with Coburg in the VFL. Orr has suffered a previous hamstring injury, and looks set for another stint on the sidelines.
The second half was an arm wrestle, with East Point holding sway in the third quarter by a single point and setting the game up for a classic finish.
To Melton’s credit, its superior fitness came to the fore as it kicked four unanswered goals, including two pearlers from Kight, to seal the game.
Kight finished with six goals for the day to be a clear best on ground.
“It was a mirror image to two weeks ago against North Ballarat, where we were down by 15 at three-quarter time and came back to win so I just kept telling the boys to believe we could do it,” Murphy said.
“We’ve now got that belief that we can run out games, and we did it with one rotation short so we know fitness now isn’t an issue.
“The boys are in a good head space at the moment where we know we’re playing some good footy.”
The win has Melton just inside the top six, but Murphy is hoping to not just cling to a finals place, but continue to climb.
“It’s our spot to lose now,” he said.
“We play East Point again, we play Melton South again and they’re fighting for that sixth spot too so they’re crucial games for us.
“We’re hoping to not just sneak in, but get in there and be a team that can do some damage in September.”
