By Tara Murray
Melton president Greg Davis couldn’t be any prouder of the season his side has produced in the Ballarat Football League this year.
This time last year, the Bloods had finished ninth and making finals – let alone a grand final – was a dream.
The Bloods lost to East Point, 15.7 (97)-14.11 (95) at the weekend. But despite grand final disappointment, Davis said they had done the club proud.
“It was a great effort,” Davis said.
“They had more scoring shots and in the end the third quarter cost them.
“I’m very proud of them all.”
It’s been a long time between grand finals for the Bloods.
Before the weekend, the Bloods 2005 premiership was the last time a senior men’s team in the Melton township had played in a grand final.
Davis said the community support they had received showed how much it meant to the town.
“We’ve been going around for 139 years and we are actually really proud of our town,” he said.
“We get a bad rap for our town at times, but you could see by the amount of people here with the maroon on, a lot of people from our town were here.”
The one thing that stands out about the Melton team is the home-grown talent.
Of those in the grand final, 21 of the 22 played junior football and are rated one point players in the player points rankings.
The only player who didn’t play juniors at the club is vice-captain Ben Archard.
Davis said there’s not many clubs in the state that could say they have that sort of home-grown talent in their senior sides.
“I don’t think there is any other club that has done that, usually they have 15-16 and import five or six.
“For us to do that with 21 and just to be beaten by two points is remarkable. It’s not about the money, as we’re not a very rich club. It’s the culture.
“We’ve got four Walkers in the side, three brothers and a cousin, there’s the Hickeys, we’ve got the Carters and the Kights.
“We’ve got father and sons who played in a premiership and now the son is in the grand final.”
With 27 out of their top 30 players having already re-signed for next season, Davis said there’s greater things still to come.
Their under-17 (previously under-16 team) has won three straight premierships, with a group of those players to come through into the senior ranks next year.
For more pictures from the grand final, CLICK HERE
