By ADEM SARICAOGLU
IT HAS been another lean year for Melton in the Ballarat Football League, and Saturday was no different.
The Bloods, who have only mustered one win from 14 attempts to date, couldn’t keep up with a rampant Melton South outfit, going down by 71 points in a shootout at South’s Melton Recreation Reserve.
However Bloods coach Bob Heaney is aware of the fact his side is in the middle of a development phase, and the more game time he puts into his young charges, regardless of the scoreboard, the better.
“It is what it is – we don’t have the big bodies so personnel-wise there’s not much we can do,” Heaney said.“I don’t see the point in playing 10 blokes behind the ball and trying to restrict sides from scoring.
“Obviously we’re not going to play finals footy this year, so I think development-wise for the kids it’s best for them to go out there and play on good footballers, learn from them and learn to compete.
“If that means we cop a few more heavy losses well then we cop a few more heavy losses, but I think in the long run that pain’s going to be beneficial.”
For one quarter the game looked to be somewhat in the balance, with South going into the first change just 13 points up.
However, Mathew Sutton’s men fired after quarter-time, kicking seven goals in each of the second and third quarters before adding another six in the last to blow the game out of the water.
The Bloods did their best to keep up, kicking five goals of their own in the final term, but in the end it was the experience of the Panthers that shone through on the day.
After being taught a footballing lesson, Heaney, not dwelling on the final deficit, chose to make the most it.
“We obviously struggled to contain Matty (Sutton) and also Doug Thomas, and they kicked 15 between them,” Heaney said.
“Thomas was having a good game for Melton South and at half-time we decided to put some kids on him and let the kids run with him to just learn from a good senior player at that level.
“So it was just about teaching the kids – and that’s pretty much where we’re at.
“In two years’ time the majority of our list will still be around the 23, 24, 25-year-old age bracket, and if we can keep them tight, that’s the key and that’s the goal.”
The Bloods will finish off their 2013 campaign with three home games against Lake Wendouree, North Ballarat City and Darley before travelling to Redan in the final round.
