There was a sense of relief for the much-hyped Melton South team which returned to the winners ‘ list for the first time since July 2015.
However, the Panthers didn’t have it all their own way in the Ballarat Football League opener, with cross-town rival Melton pushing them all the way.
The first quarter was the Brendan Fevola show. The new co-coach didn’t disappoint in his first game, kicking all four of the Panthers goals for the quarter.
Besides a goal to Mitch Banner, the second quarter belonged to the Bloods. Making the most of the wind, the Bloods kicked 5.2 to 1.2 to turn a nine-point deficit into a 15-point lead.
If the second quarter left the Panthers coaches disappointed, at the last change the feeling had turned to frustration.
With the wind picking up and rain falling, the Panthers wasted their third quarter dominance kicking with the wind.
They kicked three goals for the term to take a three-point lead into the final break, but with another seven scoring shots they could have been further ahead.
Melton’s Angus Grigg kicked the first goal of the last quarter, levelling the scores, before Joseph Callus put the Panthers back in front.
Ben Sortino kicked the sealer with the Panthers winning 10.19 (79)-10.5 (65).
With all the pressure and media hyple throughout the off season Fevola was relieved to get the win.
“Heading into the first round we didn’t know how it was all going to work with all the new players in,” he said.
“At half-time I thought we were in a bit of trouble. We gave the boys a bit of a cook at half-time and they really responded.
“I pretty much said to them if we’re first to the ball we’ll get rewarded and in the last quarter the way the players threw their bodies at it was brilliant.”
Fevola said the most disappointing aspect in the first half was the lack of run and spread, with the onballers only running one way.
Co-coach Sean Triplett said the hype and expectation for the game had played a role in what the coaches thought was a disappointing performance.
“Without a doubt the players played the game in their heads all week and they felt it,” he said.
“They haven’t won [the last couple of years] and when they don’t win it’s like a disease going through you.
“The monkey is off the back.”
While happy to get the first-up win, Triplett said there was a lot of room for improvement.
“We had 29 scoring shots at goal. Our process was terrible and I thought our skill was terrible … but we still found a way to win.
“That tells me we’re a pretty good side but it was very frustrating.”
Fevola finished the game with five goals. Triplett said they didn’t make the most of his dominance early in the game.
Sortino was best on ground, while Nick Kommer was busy in the middle. The coaches singled out the courage of Ben Sullivan in the final quarter.
For the Bloods, Ben Archard kicked three goals in his debut for the club, while Jack Walker was their best.
Triplett said they were still another two to three players away from their best side. Matt Notman, who has finally received a clearance for Melton, is one of those. As part of the clearance agreement, Notman wasn’t to play against his old side.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Panthers who face Sunbury Lions on Good Friday.
