It wasn’t pretty, but Darley came away with the points after beating arch-rival Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat Football League.
In a performance that left Devils’ coach Heath Scotland frustrated, the side did just enough to get over the line.
Darley led at every change, but wasn’t able to blow the Cobras away, winning 12.15 (87)-10.10 (70).
Scotland said they had a lot to work on in coming weeks.
“We were pleased with the win, but certainly not pleased with how we played,” he said.
“We let ourselves down … some things we talked about, we didn’t execute.”
Scotland said getting wins while not playing well was important, as it could have an impact on ladder positions.
Scotland said the Devils had few standouts on the day, with only three players clearly winning their positions.
“I thought Andrew Azzopardi in the midfield did the job on Nick Stuhldreier, who we rate really highly,” he said.
“Mark Hanson (three goals) and Casey Young (four goals) were good up forward … they were the main players.”
For the Cobras, Daniel Burton kicked three goals and was named their best.
PHOTO GALLERY: Darley vs Bacchus Marsh
The Devils are undefeated after two rounds, while the Cobras have yet to win.
The Devils will face Melton South and Melton in the next two rounds.
Scotland said the Devils were in an ideal position.
“Being 2-0 at the start of the season sets us up and hopefully we can get a couple more on the board,” he said.
In a big plus for the Devils, Brian Graham, who Scotland believes is the best player in the competition, will return from suspension this weekend.
Scotland said a few more players return in the next few weeks.
“We’re still playing five under-18s, which is great, but … getting some experienced heads will strengthen us up.”
In other matches, Melon had a tough day in the grand final rematch against East Point.
While there wasn’t much between the two teams on the last day of last season, the Kangaroos were on fire on Saturday.
A six-goal-to-nil second quarter broke the game open, with the Kangaroos eventually winning 13.8 (86)-6.10 (46).
Dyson Stevens was named the Bloods’ best.
Melton South was again competitive, but fell short against Sunbury Lions.
The Lions led all day, but were never able to break the game open. They won 12.15 (87)-10.6 (66).
Paul Bower was named the Panthers’ best.
MORE BFL NEWS
https://www.starweekly.com.au/sports/bacchus-marsh-building-the-foundation-for-a-win/
https://www.starweekly.com.au/sports/inaccurate-sunbury-lions-get-first-points-on-the-board/
