By Tara Murray
The weather gods shone for Darley on Saturday as it cemented its spot at the top of the Ballarat Football League ladder.
The Devils headed to MARS Stadium to face North Ballarat and were greeted by better conditions than they had faced the past few times up there.
It was no surprise there wasn’t much between the two sides with the Devils doing enough to come away with a 12.15 (87)-8.8 (56) win.
Devils coach Dan Jordan said the match was exactly what they had expected
“We’ve been chugging along alright,” he said. “We had another tough game and we were able to work our way through it.
“It was a tough physical contest which you normally get against North Ballarat.”
Jordan said some nicer conditions in Ballarat allowed them to use the big ground well and get their running game going.
He said they could have put the game to bed a bit earlier if they had been able to convert a bit better.
Brett Bewley and Will Johnson kicked four goals each for the Devils.
It was the skipper in Bewley that led from the front.
“Brett’s a great player,” Jordan said. “There were some big moments and he stood right up and led from the front.
“He revels in these challenges and he set himself during the week.”
Billy Myers and Darcy Matricardi were other standouts for the Devils.
The Devils sit atop the table after eight rounds, one of three teams with a 7-1 record.
Jordan said they were content with the season so far, but weren’t getting ahead of themselves.
“There’s still a lot of improvement to go and a lot more growth,” he said.
“We’re on top of the ladder … Just ahead on percentage
“It can change pretty quickly.”
There’s a competition wide bye this weekend due to the long weekend.
Jordan said he thought it was a good time to have a break having played seven weeks straight and said other coaches shared the same sentiment.
The Devils then face East Point after the break. The Kangaroos also have a 7-1 record.
Jordan said they will know where they sit after that match having not played one of the top sides in a number of weeks.
“They are right up there,” he said. “They played off in a grand final that they beat us with a kick on the siren in the preliminary final.
“There’s no lack of motivation there. We really want to drill down against quality opposition.”
Meanwhile, Melton was able to finish strongly against the Sunbury Lions.
Two of the other sides in the top four, the Bloods got the win 13.10 (88)-9.11 (65).
Liam and Ryan Carter were the Bloods best.
They are equal with Darley on 7-1.
Bacchus Marsh lost its match to Sebastopol, 14.15 (99)-10.10 (70).
Luke Goetz and Jude Milburn were the Cobras best.
