The battle for Rules supremacy in Melton is on again.
In an opening round blockbuster, Melton and Melton South will square off in what is one of the Ballarat Football League’s most colourful rivalries.
While the two clubs are located just minutes apart, this isn’t a rivalry based on geographic location. The fact is that in the early days, there was genuine dislike between the Bloods and Panthers.
In the early 1980s, the Melton and Melton South rivalry was the talk of the football world and landed both clubs on the back page of the daily metropolitan newspapers.
The teams faced off in the final round of the then Riddell District Football League season with Melton South needing a win to stave off relegation and remain in the competition’s top grade.
In a hotly contested match, the sides were locked in a tight battle heading into the last quarter until a behind-the-play incident changed everything.
A fight broke out which led to the match being called off and the teams getting two points each – enough to save the Panthers from relegation.
Melton South president Peter Earl remembers the fight as being the biggest he had seen in local football.
“The last quarter started and Melton South had to win because if we lost, we were done for,” he said.
“Keith Baker, who is in the Riddell hall of fame team and was as tough as nuts for Melton … he marked the ball and got king hit and a massive fight broke out.
“The umpire got the ball and walked straight off the ground. The police came and it was all off … but we got two points because no one had won yet.”
While that incident landed both clubs in hot water, it wasn’t long until the pair was making headlines for all the right reasons.
Having moved to the Ballarat Football League, Melton South and Melton dominated the competition in the early 2000s and squared off in the 2001 grand final.
Again the match proved to be a memorable one, with Melton, the Bloods, coming out on top by 138 points.
At the time, it was a record margin for a country league grand final.
Melton life member and former club president Gary Paterson said beating the Bloods’ biggest rival to claim their second BFL premiership was a special moment.
“It really was outstanding for the guys and the effort they put in was fantastic,” he recalled.
“We had recruited really well that year and we went back to back.
“We won 2000 by beating Sebastopol and then we won 2001 by beating Melton South. That was very sweet.
“We were very focused. We nursed a couple of players through injuries that year to get them ready for finals.”
In more recent times, both the Bloods and Panthers have been searching for a return to the top end of the BFL ladder.
Melton South hasn’t played finals since 2011, while Melton was last in the top six in 2007. But that doesn’t mean the rivalry has lost any of its feeling.
“Back in the early days it was really physical,” Paterson said.
“We had players who went to South and South had players that went to us and it just built up what was, back in those days, a hatred of each other on the day.
“We’re always really focused on trying to be the dominant team in town. The rivalry these days is purely football.
“Our younger generations coming through now, we instil into them to win and be hard at [it]. We tell them to be even that little bit harder when we play Melton South.”
The rivalry will take on a fresh look this year, with Melton South to be led by new coach Mark Pedersen, who has taken over from Panthers’ club legend Mathew Sutton.
He will go toe to toe with second year Bloods’ coach Brad Murphy.
Murphy has a perfect record in the local derby after leading Melton to two wins last year.
The Bloods are looking even stronger with the addition of former AFL player James Mulligan during the off-season.
At the time of Mulligan’s signing, Murphy believed it would make Melton’s forward line more potent.
“We knew at the end of last season we needed to work on our forward structure,” the Bloods coach said. “We probably weren’t quite tall enough down forward and didn’t have enough marking options.
“We needed more firepower to be able to kick goals so we made it a real focus to go and get some height and some really good-quality players.
“For our guys to now have the confidence to be able to kick it to a former AFL player is great.”
After retaining the majority of its 2014 list, Melton South has looked to improve its fitness through the off-season.
Having previously coached at VFL level, Pedersen is hoping to use his experience to take his playing group to another level.
The match-up: Chris Tarrant to play
Melton South will host Melton at the Melton Recreation Reserve from 2.15pm this Saturday.
Former Collingwood player Chris Tarrant will be lining up for the Panthers.
Tarrant was drafted by Collingwood in 1997 and went on to play 161 games for the club.
He was traded to Fremantle in 2007 before returning to the Magpies in 2011 and going on to play in the club’s grand final side that year.
In his AFL career, Tarrant was named in the All Australian team of 2003 and was the Magpies’ leading goal kicker between 2001 and 2005.
Melton v Melton South – a recent history
Round 13 – 2014
Melton 7.13 (115) defeated Melton South 8.10 (58)
While the end score will show a comfortable 57-point win for the Bloods, it was anything but easy for the first two and half quarters. The two sides were level at half-time, with Melton’s run in the third and fourth terms helping it to come out on top. Liam Carter was a standout for the winners, booting four goals.
Round 4 – 2014
Melton 14.13 (97) defeated Melton South 13.14 (92)
A last-second goal by Melton snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in this classic. After a slow start to the season, the Panthers made all the early running, opening up a 15-point lead at half-time. But in his first Melton derby, Brad Murphy was outstanding in the second half, leading his side back into the match. Still trailing by one point with 10 seconds to go, Melton kicked the winner.
Round 14 – 2013
Melton South 26.11 (167) defeated Melton 14.12 (96)
Mathew Sutton was at his brilliant best to hand the Bloods a smacking in this late-season clash. Sutton booted 10 goals in a clear best-on- ground performance to lead his side to the 71-point win. Douglas Thomas was also outstanding for the Panthers, kicking five goals.
Round 2 – 2013
Melton South 15.11 (101) defeated Melton 12.11 (83)
In what will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the BFL, the Panthers trailed by a whopping 47 points at three-quarter time. After struggling to hit the scoreboard for most of the day, their troubles disappeared during a 10- goal final term. Douglas Thomas was again outstanding, to be named the Panthers’ best player.
Round 16 – 2012
Melton South 16.11 (107) defeated Melton 7.17 (59)
Mathew Sutton was up to his old tricks again, booting nine majors to lead his side to another big win against the Bloods. Sutton was his side’s only multiple goal scorer on the day, with another seven Panthers hitting the scoreboard. Lachlan Hickey was best for the Bloods with three goals.
