Roosters rewarded for effort

AFTER a few close calls, North Ballarat is hoping a breakthrough win over Redan can be a bit of a turning point.

The Roosters posted their first win under new coach Clint Proctor with a 12.14 (86) to 6.8 (44) victory at City Oval last Saturday.

It was the first time the Roosters have savoured victory since round 17 last season.

Their 2025 campaign has been punctuated by close calls, most notably a round one draw with Ballarat and a three-point loss to reigning premier Melton in round four.

They only trailed East Point by one point at three-quarter-time in round two, before conceding the last three goals of the match in a 21-point loss.

While there was a certain amount of relief attached to the win, Proctor said he was thrilled to see his players gain some overdue reward for effort.

“We have showed at times this year we’re capable, that’s for sure, but (Saturday) was a step in the right direction,” he said.

“I’m more happy for the players to be honest and the club.

“Unfortunately, we just haven’t been able to win those close games, which has put us where we are, so it was nice to get on the end of one.”

While the 42-point margin was pleasing, Proctor insisted the Roosters had struggled to get the game on their terms for large parts of it.

He lamented his side’s lack of discipline at times in the first half.

“It was a difficult game to manage – Redan brought some good pressure and had some plans in place to target some of our players,” Proctor said.

“We had to work through those plans and we needed to be disciplined, continuing to understand that would be the case.

“There were some good learnings there and that probably just stopped us from getting the game on our terms early.

“We gave a 100m penalty away and a bit of off-the-ball stuff, but we need to be better in that area and make sure we are looking after our teammates first.

“That’s a definite growth area for us. Especially when you have guys like Denver Grainger-Barrass and Josh Morris – they are clearly getting targeted a lot by some clubs.

“We need to support them better.”

Concerned about owning the biggest free kick for and against differential in the league after six rounds, Proctor said the Roosters had issued an invite to the umpires to attend training this week to clarify any matters

He said his players would take full accountability to rectify the discrepancy if something needed to be done.

Inside midfielder Mal White led the way for the Roosters against the Lions, with great support from Taj McMillan, Ned Nash, Brock Leonard and Josh Morris, who finished with three goals.

Proctor singled out Declyn Mcguigan for a solid shutdown role in defence.

The win pushed the Roosters above Redan and Sebastopol into seventh place on the ladder. They will get the chance to add to their momentum against winless Lake Wendouree this Saturday at Mars Stadium, with Proctor eager for his players to back up the positives from last Saturday.

“I want to keep playing our

brand of footy and see where it takes us,” he said.

Round 6 recap: Sebastopol 5.7 (37) lost to Darley 22.6 (138); Bacchus Marsh 9.14 (68) lost to Ballarat 11.8 (74); Redan 6.8 (44) lost to North Ballarat 12.14 (86); Lake Wendouree 5.5 (35) lost to Sunbury 22.16 (148); East Point 11.13 (79) def Melton 10.10 (70).

Round 7: Darley v Redan; Melton v Bacchus Marsh; North Ballarat v Lake Wendouree; Sunbury v Sebastopol; Ballarat v East Point.