From the outside, two wins for the season may not look like much but for Melton South president Peter Earl it offers plenty of encouraging signs.
The Panthers have almost completed the first year of their rebuilding phase after a number of experienced players departed the Ballarat Football League club at the end of last season.
The initial stages of the rebuild were marred by injuries to key players, with Craig Searle, Angus Storey and Frank Holzer restricted to watching from the sidelines for portions of the year.
But with one of the youngest lists in the competition, the Panthers fought on bravely despite being out of their weight division.
Melton South is ninth on the ladder, one place higher than last year.
“In some of the games we have lost, we’ve been right in it for three quarters,” Earl said.
“I assume that next year we will finish three or four games higher than this year. That will create a bit more of a buzz around the place and we can continue to grow naturally like that.
“It will only take us to get a couple of those big guys back and then the younger guys get a little bit more competitive.”
Earl placed a lot of the credit for Melton South’s fighting qualities on the shoulders of first-year coach Mark Pedersen.
Pedersen joined Melton South from VFL club Coburg and has tried to instill a new level of professionalism at the Panthers.
“Mark is really enjoying his role and the boys really respect him,” Earl said. “He gives them a spray when they need it but he also looks a lot at the positives and what we’re improving on.
“Mark knew where we were financially, where we were with players and that we were basically going through a rebuilding structure.
“Most sides go through it at some stage and he has done a great job guiding it.”
Earl confirmed the Panthers would welcome back injured forward Blake Henderson next season. An off-season recruit, he has missed the entire season with injury.
Following on from a bye last week, the Panthers take on top-of-the-ladder Redan on Saturday and are hosting their past players’ day to coincide with the fixture.
Earl encouraged all the club’s past players to attend the event at the club’s home ground.
