Nothing separated the two teams at halftime — locked at 2.5 (17) apiece — however the Burras were able to score 10 goals to the visitors’ four after the main break to finish 40-point winners and more importantly move a game clear of the Rats.

Coach David Hosking said the loss puts the side in a similar position to 2014.

“With the football that we are currently playing, our ladder position is a fair reflection of where we are at. We are still a bit off challenging the top teams,” he said.

“We were four (wins) and three (losses) this time last year. I think we have improved, but I don’t think there would be any doubt in anyone’s mind that the league has improved across the board, so we are probably in a similar situation at the moment.”

The clash at Minyip Recreation Reserve began in Ararat’s favour, with David Brady combining with Justin Summons, to allow Aaron Searle to convert from point blank range.

Brady played a part in the Rats’ other major for the term — the midfielder roving the ball off the tap work from Xavier Vearing, with Beau Cosson getting on the end of it to score on the run.

With Burras’ ruckman and 2014 Toohey Medallist, Kieran Delahunty proving a handful at the stoppages around the ground, Minyip/Murtoa was able to move the ball forward on a number of occasions, however the Rats’ backline was holding firm.

The shallow entries meant the Burras missed three shots on goal to go into the quarter time break trailing by 12 points.

Hosking said for the amount of play that took place in Ararat’s forward half, his team should have been further ahead.

“The first quarter was another story of Ararat dominating possession and having plenty of the ball, but then not being able to hurt them like we should have on the scoreboard,” he said.

“I was probably more happy with our second quarter and the fact that we were able to restrict them with the amount of football they had, so that we went into halftime equal.”

The second quarter was a grind as Ararat struggled to work the ball against the breeze.

Despite the best efforts of runners including Riley Taylor, who Hosking said broke the lines well, forward line delivery from the Rats was poor and allowed the Burras to rebound quickly and begin to convert.

With things all square at halftime, Ararat was eager to use the breeze to advantage to start the second half of the match, however it was Minyip/Murtoa that dictated terms from the outset.

“The first 10 minutes of the third quarter was a disaster. We just didn’t come out to play,” Hosking said.

“We potentially have some of the best key forwards going around and we constantly keep putting the ball on their heads.”

The Burras’ ability to constantly win possession out of the centre put the Rats’ defenders under enormous pressure and the home side began to open up a gap on the scoreboard.

Goals to Searle and Jack Ganley brought the deficit back to 20 points at three quarter time.

Hosking said Ganley’s presenting across the half-forward line was one of the few highlights of the term.

“He was about our only target going forward during the quarter. I thought his intensity at every contest was the level that each of our players needs to be at and they’re not,” he said.

“We battled back and were probably fortunate to be within 20 points. It was just an arm wrestle in the final quarter, but then there were some ‘junk time’ goals as well that blew the margin out.

“I don’t think they are 40 points better than us. Minyip had a bit to play for on the weekend too and they were just better at it than we were — credit to them.”

Ararat’s day was further soured in the fourth quarter with James Laidlaw stretchered from the field with concussion following a heavy knock.

The Rats will need to re-group this week, with the team to host a winless Warrack Eagles on Saturday.

Hosking said ‘things don’t necessarily need to be done differently, they just need to be done better’.

“Nothing has changed, our blokes know what the answer is,” he said.

“Again I just feel defensively we don’t quite work hard enough and our skill is still a long way off where it needs to be. We know that our game plan stands up, but only when it is executed properly.

“We need a bit of confidence back and more hardness around the football.”