A FASTER and more focused Melton burst Darley’s bubble with a surprise 29-point victory on Saturday.
Despite losing their newly-appointed captain Jake Gleeson to a serious shoulder injury just before quarter-time, the Bloods ran all over the inconsistent and, at times, lacklustre Devils at Darley Park.
In the crowded and jubilant visitors rooms after the game, new coach Bob Heaney praised his team and the club’s fitness staff.
“All 22 players played their roles, competing for each other as a close-knit team,” Heaney said.
“The whole club is a lot fitter than they have been in the past.”
Five goals in the first half from debutant Josh Carmen and a pair of handy first-term majors from returning Blood James Aquilina helped kick-start the youthful Melton outfit towards an imposing six-goal lead at half-time.
Instrumental for the visitors was another recruit, ex-Sunbury midfielder Dillon Sharp.
Melton tightened its grip on the game in the third term, courtesy of a great pack mark in the goal square and subsequent six pointer by Blood centre half-back Darren Haby, who was also impressive.
Facing a 42-point deficit, Darley responded by significantly ramping up its work ethic and commitment around the ground. Goals to Devils midfielders Dane Grenfell and Leigh Sobotnicki resulted in Melton experiencing some genuine scoreboard pressure for the first time in the match.
However, a blend of skills errors at either end of the ground, combined with a poor conversion rate, led to the Devils 26 points in arrears at three-quarter-time.
An early last-quarter goal from Darley’s new power forward Marty Pask gave his team more than a glimmer of hope until a holding-the-man decision against Sobotnicki in the goal square appeared to knock the stuffing out of the new Devils.
After the game, Darley coach Rod McPherson refused to blame the team’s rebuilding process for its inconsistency.
He said he would challenge his players to do the hard yards on the training track during the bye week in readiness for the Devils’ derby against Bacchus Marsh on May 5.
-Graeme Forsyth/Ballarat Courier
