DARLEY paid the price for inaccurate kicking by coming up short against Ballarat by 12 points at Alfredton Oval on Saturday.
The Devils’ Ballarat Football League season was squared at two wins and two losses with the 6.16 (52) to 10.6 (66) defeat.
Ballarat’s third-quarter effort was telling, converting four goals from six scoring shots, while Darley could manage only two goals from 14 shots.
Harley Inglis was gallant for the Devils while star player Jake Edwards was sent forward to generate a bit of momentum.
Saturday was not the first time this season Darley had suffered from profligate kicking, missing no fewer than three shots for what would have been the late go-ahead goal against Sunbury a fortnight earlier.
“Do a lot of these guys even own their own footy?,” Darley coach Rod MacPherson asked.
“At the end of the day it is their tool of trade and they need to be able to use it to get by.
“You need these guys to practise, but it’s a fine line.
“You can’t harp on it too much or it gets in their head if they miss one or two.”
Melton Bloods lost a battle of winless teams to Lake Wendouree at CE Brown Reserve, 13.17 (95) to 6.7 (43).
Melton led two goals to none at quarter-time but fell off the pace after half-time, kicking three goals to Lake Wendouree’s nine. Tate McCutcheon was the Bloods’ best and the team’s only multiple goalkicker.
Bacchus Marsh sunk to one win and three defeats after East Point blew open the game in the third quarter.
The Cobras trailed by 16 at half-time after a low-scoring opening half, but the Kangaroos jumped away with six goals to one, setting up the 16.16 (112) to 7.13 (55) result.
Alec Del Papa was Bacchus Marsh’s only multiple goalkicker while Matt Denham was best in the defeat. “I just think we have too many blokes who, when they are not playing well, play really badly,” Marsh coach Doug Hawkins said.
“It shows we’ve got a long way to go. We’re going to go back to training and work on our kicking skills, especially when we are under pressure.”
LADDER: 1. Sunbury 4-0 159%, 2. North Ballarat City 2-0 375%, 3. Darley 2-2 155%, 4. Redan 2-1 135%, 5. Ballarat 2-1 97%, 6. East Point 2-1 91%, 7. Melton South 2-2 89%, 8. Bacchus Marsh 1-3 73%, 9. Lake Wendouree 1-2 67%, 10. Melton 0-3 58%, 11. Sebastopol 0-3 49%
ROUND 4: Sunbury v Lake Wendouree, Darley v Melton South, East Point v Sebastopol, North Ballarat City v Ballarat (6.15pm), Melton v Bacchus Marsh (7.15pm), Redan bye
— with Ballarat Courier
