SO stunning was Melton South’s comeback from a 47-point deficit against Melton, even the Panthers didn’t see it coming.
South kicked 10 unanswered last-quarter goals to win its Ballarat Football League clash 15.11 (101) to 12.11 (83) at a wildly windy MacPherson Park. Not a single point was scored to the northern end after half-time.
The comeback was as late as it was large, with the Panthers looking like a spent force, down by 47 points at the three-quarter-time huddle.
A goal early in the last term put Melton on notice, and the Bloods responded by locking the game down for the next 10 minutes.
It was a this point, with Melton South needing to double its score, that the game sprang to life.
Panthers coach Matt Sutton, with two, Anthony Cristofaro and Jaiden Spicer piled on four South goals in under five minutes.
Suddenly the gap was just 16 points with 15 minutes down.
Melton was powerless to counter-attack, but South got the jitters, missing set shots and allowing the Bloods to wind the clock into time-on.
Josh Ryan soccered through a South goal to peg the gap to eight, then 26 minutes into the quarter a running goal from Spicer made the difference two.
Any hopes of a siren allowing Melton to escape with victory were dashed, with the shout “still five minutes to go” coming from the Bloods’ bench in the 28th minute.
And South made the most of the time, with a third snap from the right pocket, this time Ben Peters putting the Panthers in front.
There was still time for Spicer to kick his third of the term and Rex Hickman to get celebrations started in the marathon final quarter, at more than 36 minutes.
Earlier, Melton had defied the wind to win the second quarter against the scoring end and lead by 17 points at the long break, before kicking four unanswered goals in the third term.
Paul Davis and Chris Webber had been stand-outs for the Bloods in the first three quarters.
Spicer, Peters, Doug Thomas and Marc Dransman were among a number of Panthers who lifted in the last.
A second-quarter in-play incident that left Melton’s Tate McCutcheon floored and dazed on the bench is sure to attract attention in the Ballarat league’s video review.
A brawl of about 15 players, about half from each team, broke out in the forward pocket after the incident.
SCOREBOARD
Melton 12.11 (83) lt Melton South 15.11 (101)
GOALS — Melton: P. Davis, M. Notman, D. Haby 2, T. McCutcheon, J. Gleeson, J. Aquilina, R. Duffield, J. Miller, C. Webber.
Melton South: J. Spicer 3, A. Cristofaro, M. Sutton 2, M. Dransman, R. Hickman, D. Lawson, J. Callus, B. Peters, M. Reardon, J. Ryan, M. Kellett.
BEST — Melton: J. Miller, P. Davis, J. Gleeson, B. Notman, C. Webber, J. Aquilina. Melton South: D. Thomas, A. Hibbert, C. Lawson, J. Spicer, M. Dransman, D. Vasjuta.
