VAFA Annual Report 2014

for the love of the game

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

Still number 1! The VAFA proved once again to be the number 1 community football competition in Melbourne, winning the AFL Victoria Metro Championships by defeating the Eastern Football League in March. Adam Bentick (pictured) from St Bernard’s captained the Big V in the win.

VAFA ANNUAL REPORT 20141

123rd ANNUAL REPORTSEASON 2014

Victorian Amateur Football Association

Presented to the Members at the Annual General Meeting

Mantra on Russell 1 December 2014

VAFA ANNUAL REPORT 2014 2

The Victorian Amateur Football Association was established in 1892 and incorporated under the Companies Act 1961 on the 26th day of February 1970.

Mission Statement

VAFA 2014 3

President’s Report 4

CEO’s Report 6

Football Operations Report 8

Umpire Operations Report 10

Commercial Operations Report 12

Media Communications Report 13

Premier 14

Premier B 18

Premier C 22

Division One 26

Division Two 30

Division Three 34

Division Four 38

Representative Football 42

The Big V Club 47

Junior 48

Club XVIII 53

Winning Edge Club Championship 56

Rising Star 2014 56

To provide all stakeholders of the VAFA with an aff ordable,

enjoyable and competitive game of

Australian Rules football in a safe environment,

whilst making a meaningful contribution to the community and

the development of the game.

Contents


PatronsMessr. J.F.X. Dillion, M.G. Russel and the Hon. John S. Winneke, AC QC RFD

PresidentMr. M.T. Hazell

Vice-PresidentMr. T.J. Nelson

TreasurerMr. A.L. Kirkwood-Scott

BoardMessrs. A.M. Amad, B. Conti, Mrs. D.M. Connors-Calhaem, Messrs. N.W. Credlin, P.W. De Young, A. Evans (Appointed 3rd March) M.W. Sholly, N.J. Toohey, G.A. Voyage.

Chief Executive Off icerMr. M.W. Sholly

General Manager - Football OperationsMr. T.P. Noonan (until 22 January)

General Manager - Football and Umpire OperationsMr. B.L. Goodman

General Manager - AdministrationMrs. S.J. Anderson

General Manager - Commercial OperationsMr. B.C. O’Hara

General Manager - Media & CommunicationsMr. A.T. Leonard

AdministrationMr. C.S. Burgess (from 28 January)Mr. S.A. Confait (from 31 March)Ms. O.P. CroweMrs. A.J. Handley (from 7 April)

VAFA LawyersJames Paterson of Anzarut & Holm

VAFAUA PresidentMr. D.J. Silfo

Club XVIII Umpire Co-ordinatorMr. P. Lambert

Tribunal and Investigations Co-ordinatorsMrs. S.J. Anderson and Mr. C.C. Bastow

Independent TribunalChairmen: Messrs. D. Dann, D.J. Hughes, T. Issacs, M. O’Brien, J.K. Pilkington, D. Reynolds, S. TheodoreMembers: Messrs. J.H. Boorn, M.B. Brook, A. Cole, D.R. Dodds, R. Dore, S. Grey, R.E. Lippold, A. Marshall, R. McLean, T. Miller, O Oostermeyer, G.S. Ridd, F. Staff ord, G. Thomas, A.H. Walstab, C.F. Wills.

Investigation PanelChairmen: Messrs. R.L. Evans, N.J. Toohey.Members: Messrs. P.J. Grima, H. Harisiou, G.A. Voyage.

Registration SecretaryMr. C.C. Bastow

Saturday Score RecorderMrs. N.M. McTaggart

Elsternwick Park Duty Off icersMr. J. Robinson

Publications EditorMr. A.T. Leonard

Life MembersMessrs. V.J. Deane*, L.A. Adamson*,H.J. Stewart*, J.S. McCann*, E.F. Atkins*,F.H. Coldrey*, O.J. Meehan*,P.A. Matthews*, G.T. Moore*,L.S. Zachariah*, J. Fullerton*,Mrs. N. Fullerton*, Messrs. A.G. Perrin*,I.A. Brown*, G.W. McTaggart*,R.A. Sinclair*, M.G. Russell, T.A. Johnson*,N.C. Rundle*, J.F.X. Dillon, A.J. Keam,J.A, Miles, J.A. Fisher, J.F. Hawkins,P.J. Harris*, Dr B.W. Costello, Messrs.D.H. Scott, A.H. Stephens*, C.C. Bastow,T.M. Lyon, I.H. Munro, A.J. O’Callaghan,D.R. Burnes, N.W. Nugent, A.L. Langford-Jones, Mrs. N.M McTaggart, Messrs.K.W. Sharkie, J.F. Nelson, P.O’Donohue*,D.R. Booth, D.J. Cook, J.A. Wilson*,R.L. Evans, Mrs. M.L. Bastow, Messrs.J.C. Wilson, P.W. Hutchinson,B.R. McTaggart, P.B. Stevens, J.W. Bell,B.J. Ivey, P.G. Rhoden, N.M. Bourke,D.J. Hughes, Dr. G. Janko and Dr. S. Costello.

*deceased

VAFA 2014


President’s ReportThe VAFA had another strong year in 2014, refl ected in strong fi nances, strong player numbers, and no major incidents of controversy.

Whilst the VAFA measures itself against a number of quantitative and qualitative measures, at its core the VAFA’s success is ultimately measured against those three pillars mentioned above, which pillars fi t under the headings of fi nancial performance, participation, and our brand.

Congratulations and thanks to our very hard working staff and board for the time they have put in during 2014. The administration of sport comes under an immense amount of scrutiny in Melbourne and although we are not the elite level at the VAFA, I am oft en amazed at the level of pressure and scrutiny our staff are put under for a community competition. Our staff do an outstanding job running a senior football competition which is more than twice the size of most other senior community football competitions. I can assure everyone that we don’t have twice the resources of the other competitions to service that workload. Perfection is never possible in this environment so as President I am immensely proud of the work that our staff do.

At Board level, I thank and congratulate each of the Board Members on their contributions this year and in particular I extend thanks to the chairs of our sub-committees: George Voyage (Football Growth and Development), Tim Nelson (Commercial), Justin Toohey (Competition

The pathway for players who enter our

competition has also been explored. For example,

how might we create a structure whereby more

players would be able to play two seasons of

Under 19s football before moving into senior

football? Would this model allow for more players

to play football for longer as they move into their

adult years?

Umpiring is a question that is for constant

discussion and the implementation of the

Umpiring sub-committee was a big step forward.

What our umpiring department looks like and the

retention and recruitment of umpires to cover all

our matches is a project that continues to evolve.

The VAFA has a huge quantity of historical records

and data that now has a sub-committee directly

responsible for the preservation and where

Integrity), Adam Kirkwood-Scott (Finance and

Risk) and Phil De Young (Umpiring).

Like every year, 2014 has been busy and full

of energy. A number of key decisions have

been made in 2014. This season in particular

has also been a year of consolidation in many

areas. In addition to some key decisions and

consolidation, 2014 has also been a year where

we have undertaken research into a number of

matters which are important for the ongoing

viability of our competition. This research and

analysis is crucial to ensuring we make the right

decisions on certain key matters down the track.

This included a detailed investigation into the

insurance arrangements for our competition

for the future, with a fi nal decision to continue

our strong relationship with Sportscover only

confi rmed in recent months. We continued

our engagement with all stakeholders about

the prospect of regionalisation of the VAFA

competition. Nothing is set in stone yet, but we

are aware of the changing demands of what

people want from their sport and the changing

environment of Melbourne, with particular regard

to travel times around metropolitan Melbourne

now and in years to come. Another area of the

competition we have spent signifi cant time and

research on is our ambition to take the Under

18 competition to greater levels. Growing this

competition is a key objective of the VAFA and

a separate sub-committee has been formed to

address this more thoroughly.


A.M. Amad

D.M Connors-Calhaem P.W. De Young

M.W. ShollyCEO

G.A. Voyage

A.L. Kirkwood-ScottTreasurer

T.J. NelsonVice-President

N.J. Toohey

possible publishing of these records for public consumption. This is huge task being undertaken and as we move towards our 125th Anniversary, it will assist in planned updates to the book on our history, For the Love of the Game. George Voyage from the Board and Andrew Leonard from the staff are overseeing a group of volunteers including former VAFA Executive and passionate club people through this process.

Financially, we remain strong. Although we made a small loss in 2014, this was a loss that we budgeted for as we pursued additional expenditure activities. As a board and staff we are very keen to continue to put pressure onto ourselves by increasing spending into areas where money needs to be spent. Whilst it is quite a challenge increasing spending into areas where investment is needed whilst not increasing our aff iliation fees, it is a challenge that we take on with enthusiasm and vigour. Whilst the VAFA still retains a signifi cant point of diff erence to other community football competitions, we need to constantly refresh that point of diff erence with targeted investment into key areas.

This year also marks the end of our current strategic plan. A lot of this year at board level has therefore been spent putting together the building blocks and undertaking discussion and research about where we should be taking the VAFA for the next 3 to 5 years. I look forward to the board and staff , spending time over the summer to discuss our medium to long term objectives as an organisation, and reporting back

to clubs early in 2015 about our discussions. Any journey we decide to embark upon is of course done in consultation with our clubs and other stakeholders.

Whatever the outcome of our strategic discussions, one thing I can say with certainty is that we at the VAFA are up for the challenge of doing whatever is needed to keep our competition not just relevant, but the best community sporting competition in Australia.

VAFA Board

For the VAFA to continue to be an attractive place for our thousands of players, umpires and volunteers to spend their time, we cannot sit on our laurels.

I hope you all have an enjoyable and safe Christmas and New Year and come back refreshed in 2015.

Michael Hazell President

M.T. HazellPresident

B. Conti

N.W. Credlin


Chief Executive Officer’s ReportHighlights of the 2014 season include:

· University Blacks winning their 14th Premier Section senior premiership and their fi rst in the top section of the VAFA since 1974.

· Three clubs winning back to back senior premierships - Hampton Rovers (Division 1 & Premier C), Kew (Divisions 3 & 2) and Northern Blues (Divisions 4 & 3).

· Therry Penola gaining promotion from Division 2 to Premier C in consecutive years.

· University Blues rebounding straight back to Premier aft er winning the Premier B title and also claiming the Winning Edge Club Championship.

· Old Carey and Parkdale Vultures gaining promotion aft er being relegated the previous year.

· Canterbury making the Division 4 fi nals in their fi rst year in the VAFA.

Night football came to the clubs with Collegians hosting Old Brighton in their Round 12 clash on Friday July 18. It is a great credit to Wayne Dyer and his committee for sourcing the required funding to get lights to a suitable standard to host a Premier Section match. In their fi nal round match they again played under lights against Old Scotch. We look forward to more clubs having the facilities to host these games.

Football

The 2014 season commenced with AFL Victoria hosting the Metro Championships in March at Visy Park, Carlton. The VAFA were ranked Number 1 and were pitted against the Eastern Football League who were no doubt keen to exact revenge aft er two losses in recent times. The VAFA were outstanding, dismantling the opposition’s best and running away to a convincing 48 point victory. Congratulations to coach Simon Lethlean, captain Adam Bentick (St Bernard’s) and all of the team for their outstanding victory. Our senior team followed this up with another sterling victory against AFL Queensland by 83 points.

Our representative program keeps growing and were delighted that Tom Paule (Old Melburnians) was named best player for the combined metro team that defeated AFL Vic country. Alongside Tom representing the VAFA was Joel Rice (Old Carey), Will Tardif (Collegians) and Jack Bull (Old Scotch).

The season commenced with 247 teams contesting 26 separate competitions. In recent years we have seen the premiership winners being dominated by the old boy clubs, however, this year the seven senior sections were won by university or district club teams. The last time this occurred was in 1950 when the competition only had four senior sections.

Whilst on facilities two of the best community sporting facilities were opened during the season. Melbourne University unveiled their pavilion early in the year whilst St Kevin’s had to wait until the latter rounds. Both of these give spectators, players and off icials superior amenities to enjoy their matches. It was no surprise that both Melbourne University clubs, on the back of this redevelopment were able to capture the Premier and Premier B titles. St Kevin’s will enjoy the use of their facilities for the whole of the 2015 season and it will be interesting to see if there will be on fi eld improvement as a result.

These new facilities along with recent ones at Old Scotch, Old Camberwell, St Mary’s Salesian and Kew along with the approved upgrade to Beaumaris, show that clubs are building stronger


partnerships with their councils and sourcing various funding opportunities. Our thanks should also go to AFL Victoria and the AFL for their support of these projects.

Grand Final week added a new event to the calendar with the VAFA Grand Final Lunch at the Grand Hyatt. Three hundred people attended the inaugural event which was MC’d by ABC journalist Barrie Cassidy with Essendon coach Mark Thompson, the special guest. We were fortunate that the ASADA ruling was being handed down as the lunch was in progress. Mark spoke candidly about the events at Essendon and his future involvement at the club.

At the lunch we were able to congratulate our six senior premiers and focus on the University Blacks v Collegians Premier Grand Final match being played the following day. Also presented was the 2014 Woodrow Medallist, Brendan Iezzi from Old Trinity. Brendan has had a remarkable career in the VAFA which commenced in 2005, as a rep player later touring Ireland with the Australian Under 23 team. Brendan has won the Woodrow twice along with two GT Moore Medals for the fairest and best in Premier B – a four time competition best and fairest winner has him in elite VAFA company.

Commercial and Media

Aft er a signifi cant increase in sponsorship in 2013 we were able to maintain for this year. This was a pleasing result considering we lost one of our main sponsors, Royal Brunei Airlines, aft er some philosophical diff erences in our values. Blair O’Hara continued to build the portfolio and this year we added MEGT, Anytime Fitness, Authentic Autographs and Tahbilk Wines.

Andrew Leonard has continued to drive our media and communications to new levels in 2014. The VAFA purchased all broadcasting and content

rights for INRFM. This allowed us to own all the editorial and advertising content on the two hour Saturday morning show as well as all live weekend matches. The team produced 110 hours of live radio this year; a remarkable achievement from our band of volunteers.

Our match day footage increased its viewership by 40% with 104,000 views. Another 54,000 viewed the popular VAFA TV bringing our video content to 158,000 views for the year. Matt Lodge won VAFA TV’s Search for a Star competition that saw him play live at the VAFA Woodrow Medal at Crown and he was subsequently invited to perform at the off icial VFL Grand Final lunch at Etihad Stadium.

Finals

We were delighted to be able to have our Grand Finals at premium venues. The Premier and Premier B were played at Sportscover Arena in front of a newly constructed grandstand; the Premier C at the refurbished Trevor Barker Oval, Sandringham; and the Division 1 at Visy Park, Carlton. It is our aim to provide players and spectators with the best possible amenities.

Staff

I would like to congratulate Brian Goodman on taking up the expansive role of General Manager of Football and Umpiring and handling it so professionally. Combining these two positions allowed us to employ a further staff member who could focus all their attention on their specifi c area. Olivia Crowe shift ed from the front desk to Umpire Operations Off icer and Sam Confait was employed as the Football Operations Off icer. They were supported by Christian Burgess. They worked as a great team managing all the match day, fi nals and rep footy arrangements. A huge task especially to a group who were new to their positions.

Sue Anderson, was joined by Ally Handley in Finance and Administration and they combined wonderfully in handling club fi nancials. Sue again looked aft er our tribunal and investigations whilst Ally relieved some of the pressures on Sue by becoming more involved in our events. As our off fi eld events such as the Season’s Launch, Big V Club, Woodrow Medal and VAFA Awards Night and the VAFA Grand Final Lunch continue to grow, Ally’s skills will become even more valuable. Sue continues to be an excellent role model for all our staff .

At the conclusion of the season Olivia Crowe took a position at the SMJFL. Olivia worked at the VAFA for over 3 years, initially on the front desk and then this year as the Umpire Operations Co-ordinator. I would like to thank Olivia for all her hard work and hopefully the experiences gained will hold her in good stead in her new position.

The Board have grown signifi cantly under the leadership of Michael Hazell. I would like to thank our sub-committee chairs, Tim Nelson, Justin Toohey, Adam Kirkwood-Scott, George Voyage and Phil De Young for the leadership and encouragement they have provided all the staff . The VAFA is a challenging work environment and the knowledge and support of the Board is critical to our success. Their expertise is greatly appreciated.

I am confi dent that the staff this year provided even greater service to all our clubs and the strength of the VAFA both on and off the fi eld has continued to grow.

Michael Sholly Chief Executive Off icer

Staff (left to right): Sam Confait, Olivia Crowe, Brian Goodman, Sue Anderson, Andrew Leonard, Blair O’Hara, Ally Handley, Michael Sholly, Christian Burgess


A focus point of this season was monitoring the completive balances for each section shown below. This data enables us to compare the strengths and defi ciencies of each competition and assists our future planning to create sections that produce competitive matches.

There are many challenges the VAFA face each season and again this year we endeavored to produce the best competition possible for our stakeholders. We continued to build key partnerships with Interact Sport and FoxSportsPulse to enhance and improve their services to meet our requirements. The introduction of a fi ne system for live scores saw a drastic increase in the use of this service and as a result there was a sharp increase in viewing numbers compared to 2013. We continue to work with Interact Sport to ensure clubs have easier access to the application next year. The table below illustrates the volume of club members and supporters we engage with and highlights the importance for clubs to complete live scores each week.

The 2014 season has continued the growth of our competition accommodating 75 clubs entering 251 teams across 26 sections of the VAFA.

New Arrivals

This season we welcomed new senior club Canterbury along with a revamped Westbourne Grammarians into Division 4 and Wyndham Suns into U19 North. There were also two new employees to our football operations team. Sam Confait joined in April and has worked tirelessly to ensure clubs receive increased communication and eff icient day to day operations of the competition, whilst also organising our representative programs.

Christian Burgess, joined in January and has been the primary point of contact for all player registrations and fi nals eligibility queries, whilst signifi cantly assisting Sam throughout the season. These additions to our staff have provided increased service levels to our clubs and assist the development and innovation for the future of our competition.

Club Football

Hampton Rovers, Kew, Northern Blues and Therry Penola continued their climbs up the sections winning consecutive promotions whilst University Blacks secured their fi rst Premier Section premiership since 1974. We introduced the VAFA Colts section this season to accommodate our U18 teams and U19 teams to provide a pathway for our junior players to transition into senior football and whilst this was a success, we are determined to deliver a standalone U18 competition in 2015.

The continued eff orts from all our clubs to get to a position of zero forfeits again took a step forward with total forfeits down by 8 from the 2013 season.

Football Operations Report

Table 1: Average Winning Margins across the VAFA in 2014 (average margin at Rd 9 and Rd 18)

Table 2: VAFA Live scores sessions over the 2014 seasonBrendan Iezzi (Old Trinity)


Representative Football

Our representative program this season saw our senior team display the strength of our competition by defeating the Eastern Football League in the Victorian Metro Championships to again establish our number one ranking within community football competitions. The senior team also travelled to Brisbane on the Queen’s Birthday weekend and had a dominant win against AFL Queensland. Our U23 team travelled to Hobart on the same weekend, and earned a hard fought 56 point win over the Tasmanian Football Council U23 side. The Premier B - Division 4 and U19 teams, played our traditional fi xtures against AFL Victoria Country, however we were outclassed in both matches receiving two heavy loses. We have a chance for redemption next year on July 11. The representative program concluded with our U18 invitational side touring Auckland for two matches against AFL New Zealand. This trip continues to develop AFL Football in New Zealand and reward quality ambassadors from our underage competitions. Our representative coaches and support staff are to be congratulated in continuing to provide fi rst class coaching that has enabled the VAFA to stay on the winning side of the ledger in 2014 as we will look forward to a successful 2015 representative program.

Finals

We again faced challenges to secure venues for our fi nals series. To ease the burden, the VAFA again scheduled home fi nals in week 1 of the fi nals for all junior competitions except U19 Premier. We received positive feedback as it allowed clubs to operate their own canteen and bar for an extra week, plus gave the higher seeded teams home ground advantage.

We were able to provide fi rst class facilities for our Grand Finals, using Visy Park for Division 1 and Casey Fields for Division 2, Trevor Barker Oval for Premier C and Sportscover Arena for Premier and Premier B. In an attempt to minimise travel for our clubs, we utilised Highgate Reserve in Craigieburn, Bill Lawry Oval in Northcote, Garvey Oval in Bundoora, Meade Reserve in Clayton and St Bernard’s College in West Essendon. We continue to strive for the perfect balance between venue quality and minimising travel for our clubs in all fi nals venues. A huge thank you to our duty off icers and gate keepers for their eff orts during the fi nals.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank our Football Growth and Development sub-committee for all their support and guidance throughout the season. This committee has been ably led by George Voyage as Chairman, fellow Board member Nigel Credlin and CEO Michael Sholly. Together they have continued to assess our competition and look at ways to innovate and advance the VAFA experience.

I also wish to thank those who have assisted the football operations department throughout the season and built friendly working relationships with our team. This includes our representative program; weekly assistance at Sportscover Arena including: Nancy McTaggert, John Robinson, Phil Hope and Grzegorz ‘Greg’ Tereszczyn; and the 2014 fi nals series where our ambassadors, club personnel and board members considerably contribute to the success of the campaign.

Brian GoodmanGeneral Manager, Football Operations


Umpire Operations ReportUmpire Numbers

Umpiring in 2014 again highlighted how diff icult the role can be; with a rare upswing of injuries to some key umpires, we needed younger and less experienced umpires to step up to the plate and we did struggle in some respects.

An infl ux of new umpires did assist in this area, but unfortunately a number of those identifi ed to show improvement didn’t quite meet expectations. If we are to perform up to the KPI’s and the expectations of the VAFA then we must get more numbers to training and coaching sessions to sustain our high level of performances over past seasons.

Recruiting too was not as strong as past seasons; with 37 new fi eld, 27 new boundary and 9 new goal umpires joining the VAFA. This is respectable, but when countered with the loss of 33 fi eld, 37 boundary and 7 goal umpires from 2013, the recruitment still clearly needs to grow.

The month of April saw the umpiring department gain a new staff member in Olivia Crowe who, aft er two and half years, moved from VAFA administration to become the Umpiring Operations Off icer. This provided our umpires and clubs with updated information on a regular basis and Olivia’s role included overseeing the accreditation and Working with Children component of umpire administration.

Coaching

Our Head Coach, Tony Hales, has made a signifi cant diff erence to the standards expected, but the onus falls onto the umpiring group to apply all our coaches’ messages and convert it to high level performances on match days.

Our umpire coaches in Steve McCarthy, Mark Gibson, Darren Dalgleish, Gavin Boyd (Boundary), Bernie Jephson (Goal), Terry Gunn, Patrick Lambert (Club XVIII) and Graeme Collins, under the wing of Tony Hales, turned out an umpiring group that was selected on form and ensured our umpires were on an upward trend at the end of the season. This meant competition for fi nals’ appointments was fi erce. The inclusion of Craig O’Donoghue as a specialist coach was a great initiative that brought rewards in fast tracking the development of fi eld umpires on the cusp of our top sections. We will benefi t even more from Craig’s great work with this program in 2015. A special thank you to Neville Nash, AFL Victoria Umpiring Development Manager for his assistance and guidance to our coaches throughout the season.

I thank our umpire observers for all their support, dedication and much needed feedback to the umpires. Many of our club coaches also provided constructive criticism and also a pat on the back when they felt it was warranted.

AFL umpires Brett Rosebury, Matt Stevic, Matthew Tomlinson, Daniel Wilson and former VAFA umpire Damien Cusack attended training as part of the AFL’s Community round; this was a great initiative that gave our umpires a great insight into umpiring at the highest level.

Former VAFA fi eld umpire Robert O’Gorman also attended training aft er making the AFL list in 2014 and spoke about his career path and what it takes to make it to the AFL.

The fi tness of our umpires was up to our usual standard due to the eff orts of Wayne Hinton who devised and implemented a training program

that would ensure our group was fi t and ready to go from round 1. Neeraj Kochhar (Physio) was again at the forefront of providing the necessary treatment and advice for any injuries that arose throughout the season.

It was extremely pleasing to have so many young and enthusiastic umpires progress from the U19s into senior ranks, this was attributed to Darren Dalgleish and our on-fi eld coaches Geoff Deveson, Tony Gleeson, Brian Bulluss, Terry Gunn, Graeme Collins and a welcome return for the last few games of the season from Leah Gallagher.

Well done to Patrick Lambert, who in his fi rst season as coordinator of the Club XVIII umpires showed tremendous enthusiasm and handled the challenge extremely well.

Awards and Achievements

Congratulations to Russell Davidson for winning the Umpire of the Year award. Russell capped off a great season by umpiring his seventh Premier Grand Final, a record that will without doubt stand for some time.

The talented Sam Levin was awarded Most Promising Umpire, with a special mention to Alexandra Anthony who became the third female fi eld umpire at Premier Section level.

The VAFA’s representative program provides many umpires’ opportunities they would never experience anywhere else. Merv Monty will attest to this as Merv umpired four matches in Ireland in October 2013.

The VAFA was privileged to have our umpires appointed for the pre-season AFL Victoria Metro Championships representative match. This provided a great highlight for the umpires who were selected to off iciate an independent match in this event.

Premier Grand Final Umpires Russell, Davidson, Kit Harvey and Michael Hooper talk to Inner FM pre-game


SFL v WRFL• Field: Kit Harvey, David Lepair, Ben La Vale• Boundary: Hugh Bennett, Remy Cadman,

Jack Cooper, Mitchel Jones• Goal: Clayton Evans & Dominic Napoli

AAFC: VAFA U23 v Tasmania U23 in Tasmania on 7th June 2014• Field: Sam Levin

AFL Queensland v VAFA in Queensland on 8th June 2014• Field: David Lepair

AFL Vic Community Cup: AFL Vic Country v AFL Vic Metro on 12th July at Avalon Airport Oval• Boundary Umpire: Mitchel Jones

AFL Vic Country 2 v VAFA Premier B to Division 4 on 12th July 2014 at St Albans Geelong• Field: Russell Davidson• Boundary: Ben Rickard & Liam Van Essen• Goal: Clayton Evans

AFL Vic Country U19 v VAFA U19 on 12th July at St Albans Geelong• Field: Andrew Bowden• Boundary: Hugh Bennett & Jack Punshon• Goal: Josh Prince

Congratulations to Anthony Edmonds who was selected for his fi rst representative match, off iciating in the two games between the VAFA and the AFL New Zealand Under 18 teams, in October at Parrs Park, Auckland, NZ.

The major milestone of 2014 was the 650th game achievement by Field Umpiring veteran Steve McCarthy, the well know radio star of 88.3 Southern FM.

Other notable milestone achievements were: Jamie Gunn – 400 games; Lionel Katz – 300 games; Russell Davidson – 200 games; Shane McNamara – 200 games; Peter Pullen – 200 games.

The introduction of the AFL’s Player to Umpire program enabled the VAFA to again show its expertise. We embraced Andre Gianfagna into our umpiring ranks to assist him in fast-tracking his career in umpiring. We thank Adam Davis, Wayne Campbell, Hayden Kennedy and Scott McLaren for selecting the VAFA to provide much of the week-to-week coaching of Andre.

Another fi rst was our Media Manager, Andrew Leonard donning the umpiring attire to give him an insight into umpiring. I can say Andrew acquitted himself quite well and were he to give up his media commitments with Inner FM, more umpiring experience could see him become a regular senior umpire!

All fi nals matches were umpired extremely well and we can be proud of their eff orts especially from our fi rst year umpires. The feedback from clubs was very positive.

VAFAUA

The contribution of outgoing VAFAUA president Daniel Silfo has been very good, and we have worked through many issues to a conclusion that was benefi cial to the group. This huge task has given Daniel the insight into how to deal with many diff erent personalities and he has discovered that umpiring means a lot to so many within the VAFA. Daniel and his executive also maintained regular dialogue with the VAFA and it is fair to say that the relationship between the Association and umpires has never been stronger.

I owe a great deal to my VAFA colleagues for their contribution, and the fantastic support from Michael Hazell and the VAFA Board in all matters umpiring has again been fi rst rate.

Umpires in the VAFA are not subjected to the same pressure as within some other leagues. The VAFA’s zero tolerance of bad behaviour toward umpires, its policy of no alcohol during matches and its alertness in arresting any decline in standards ensures that the VAFA is the best place to blow the whistle.

All of our clubs contribute to the excellent standing of the VAFA in our football community and long may it continue.

Brian GoodmanGeneral Manager of Umpiring

Russell Davidson


The commercial development of the VAFA continued to progress well in 2014. There were many areas of focus including acquiring new sponsors & partners, growth of our database, membership off ers, promotion of job opportunities, increasing sales through our online store and improving food & beverage operations at Sportscover Arena.

Sponsors & Partners

In February, the VAFA put the Sponsor Expo back on the calendar. The event was well supported by all sponsors and club off icials with a 90%+ attendance rate. The three minute rotation format worked well as it was a terrifi c opportunity for everyone to connect. Our sponsors donated an amazing array of give-aways ranging from a fridge full of free Gatorade to a commissioned portrait painting worth $5,000. Another highlight was the presentation by Twitter Australia’s Jonno Simpson. Jonno demonstrated how to use Twitter eff ectively and his advice applied as much to the sponsors as it did our clubs.The VAFA added fi ve new sponsorship partners in 2014. We welcomed Anytime Fitness, MEGT, Authentic Autographs, Tahbilk Group, and Four’N’Twenty. Unfortunately, our relationship with Royal Brunei Airlines ended unexpectedly due to external factors and resulted in a signifi cant loss in sponsorship revenue. Despite this, sponsorship income rose slightly but was off set by an increase in sponsorship costs due to an increased event program.

Anytime Fitness is one of the world’s biggest fi tness centre operations and are a perfect fi t for the VAFA. Their gyms are state of the art facilities and most of the locations in Melbourne are in close proximity to VAFA clubs. We thank Simon Olive for his support and involvement throughout the year.

MEGT is one of Australia’s leading organisations in the areas of employment, education, and training, particularly for apprentices and trainees. We intend for the partnership to open up the number and breadth of positions available for more players.

Authentic Autographs are the leading distributor of off icial licensed memorabilia in Melbourne. Managing Director, Dave Sumiga, is a wealth of knowledge in the industry and produces high quality items at the lowest cost in the market. Tahbilk Group has been very well received by the VAFA and many clubs in their fi rst year of involvement. Tahbilk is a historical wine brand from the Nagambie Region, along with brands, Four Sisters and Macphersons. We thank John Irvine and Martin Kelliher for their work to establish and grow the partnership.

Our sole major sponsor, Sportscover, continues to be the cornerstone of the VAFA sponsorship portfolio. Sportscover CEO, David Lamb,

Commercial Operations Reportperformed the toast to the VAFA at our Season Launch in March. We acknowledge and thank Chris Nash and all staff for the very high level of insurance coverage and customer service we receive each year.

Bayford Group has established themselves as the go-to dealership for new or used cars throughout the VAFA. Bayford provide a valuable investment into the VAFA and, through their rebate program, Bayford have put in over $15,000 to VAFA clubs who have supported their dealerships. We acknowledge Wayne Taynton and Robert Sultana for their great support of the partnership.

1116 SEN is becoming an increasingly supportive partner of the VAFA. SEN became naming rights partner of our Big V Lunch in August with extended promotion of the event. Maintaining mainstream awareness is critically linked to increasing the value of sponsorship for the VAFA and clubs. We thank CEO Barrie Quick for his ongoing support.

In 2015, the VAFA will re-design most of the VAFA.com.au website. East Malvern Community Bendigo Bank, led by Peter Norman, has provided the necessary funds to execute the redevelopment of this fundamental digital asset. Branch Manager, Peter Wolff will be leaving this particular bank branch but we thank him for the many years of hands-on support during his time at East Malvern.

Cambridge Clothing Co. expanded on their fi rst year in the VAFA with interactions at various VAFA clubs for ‘fashion shows’ this year as well as a record number of entries in the VAFA ‘worst dressed man’ competition.

Our sports medicine partners, Club Warehouse, Beiersdorf and Lifecare continue to provide the highest level of quality across their range of services. All three companies are heavily involved in the further education of the VAFA trainers and this is refl ected in the great level of care provided to players on match days.

We appreciate the continued and valued involvement of our major suppliers, including KooGa/BLK, Sherrin, Schweppes, Winning Edge Presentations, Cyan Press, 2XU and technology partners ClubData, FoxSportgPulse & Interact Sports. In addition, we thank our game day football sponsors K2 Asset Management & Taco Bill for their ongoing support.

Club operations

From May to June, I invited club presidents or sponsorship managers from Premier B through to Division 4 to three separate workshops to discuss sponsorship acquisition at club level. It was a great forum to analyse club sponsorship proposal documents and workshop how to improve. We also discussed other commercial initiatives such as membership programs,

fundraising nights, and areas the VAFA could assist clubs increase revenue. I am pleased to report several clubs gained sponsors in the $2-3k range aft er attending the workshop.

Catering We learned from our 2013 experience, to enhance the food and beverage operation at Sportscover Arena. Improved service times during the busy periods of fi nals was a focus and we achieved this. Unfortunately, due to lower crowd numbers than previous years, the fi nancial result was less than expected. Having said that, a profi t of $21,400 is a signifi cantly greater return than when operations were outsourced.

Future planning

Currently, the commercial sub-committee is developing a new three year strategic plan. One area of focus is our warehouse and distribution service to your community. Based on learnings from the commercial workshop, assisting clubs resource and deliver an eff ective membership program is also a potential development area. Earlier in the year, new soft ware allowed us to consolidate the database and clean it of incorrect or outdated records. The end result was an accurate list of over 20,000 individuals. We are aware of how big the VAFA community is throughout Melbourne and we aim to ‘join the dots’ and grow our database

Acknowledgements

To the members of the VAFA commercial sub-committee, Chairman Tim Nelson, Anthony Amad, Davina Conners-Calhaem, Michael Sholly, Michael Hazell and Andrew Leonard, thank you for your valued and active participation throughout the year.

Overall, 2014 has been a year of consolidation and refi nement in our understanding of what work is required to increase the revenue potential of the VAFA for short and long term benefi t. We look forward to building upon this in 2015 and beyond.

Blair O’HaraGeneral Manager, Commercial Operations


By the numbers

The 2014 season saw a growth in the media and communications fi gures through all of our operations. Again the VAFA presented content via many platforms to keep up with the demand and trends of an ever-changing media landscape.

Platforms

The VAFA’s most engaging platform continues to be our website, vafa.com.au. The VAFA has a strong presence on social media with regular updates about the Association on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and we also increased our use of LinkedIn as a tool to communicate and interact with our community. Our award winning weekly TV show, VAFA TV, continued to feature a club on a weekly basis. The Amateur Footballer continued production albeit on a smaller scale than in previous years. As the VAFA community turns to online for their information the print run numbers declined year on year by a further 20% from the 2013 season. We again produced a full colour A4 version of the VAFA Grand Final Record. The Amateur Footballer was also available free for download via our iPad App through the iTunes store. Inner FM was again our match of the day broadcast partner for match day radio, whilst North-West FM and Southern FM continued to provide radio shows covering the VAFA on Sunday. The VAFA Finals podcast returned and was well received each week of the fi nals via the website. We expanded our coverage on commercial radio station SEN 1116 to include a weekly wrap of the VAFA that was played on Tuesday drive and Wednesday breakfast every week. Our premier sections were all fi lmed and each match of the season was available to be viewed and downloaded at vafatv.com. The VAFA Premier and Premier B Grand Finals were shown on Channel 31 again as well as a 30 minute highlights show of the fi nals during September. Our weekly newsletter continued to keep both past and present players and VAFA community up to date with what is happening in the VAFA.

Media and Communications Report

Twitter 4,002 followers 29.03% increase

Facebook 3,582 likes 21.61% increase

Instagram 305 followers 73.33% increase

YouTube 51,720 views155,071 minutes watched

0.51% decrease3.07% increase

LinkedIn 211 followers890 group members

55% increase16.9% increase

vafa.com.au 5.61 million hits 2% increase

VAFA Newsletter 19,000 recipients 44.73% increase

VAFA TV Matches 103,177 views 39.18% increase

VAFA Livescores 70,000 views 31.43% increase

Thank you also to the fantastic team at Inner FM for their coverage of our game in 2014. The commentators led by Michael Crooks, Chris Venus, Andrew Holmes, Barnaby Willis, Jo Wotton, David Speedie, Ryan Goodman and Blair Morton; the fantastic service and commitment of Ken Petrucco and John Kanis as both special comments and hosts of the Saturday morning VAFA Football show; and fi nally not forgetting the team behind the scenes in Tim Armstrong, Glenn Dragamire and Adrian Hook. Tom Brain and Steve McCarthy returned and were joined by Stephen Grey to do their ever popular show, VAFA Sunday, on Southern FM.

Thank you also to Glenn Scarborough and Pat for his great coverage on North-West FM each Sunday night in the North-West Amateur Footy Report. I would particularly like to thank Olivia Crowe who did a power of work behind the scenes and also to Ryan Goodman who covered for me on a week of VAFA TV.

Finally thank you to Michael Sholly for again writing his editorial each week and the support and guidance he has given the VAFA Media department throughout the year.

Andrew Leonard, General Manager, Media and Communications

Awards

Aft er last year’s Annual Report went to print, the VAFA were delighted that VAFA TV won the AFL Victoria Community Football Media Award for Best use of Online Media in 2013, our show beat off online TV off erings from all other community football competitions. We have again been nominated in this category as well as other categories for the continued excellence of our media off erings in 2014.

Acknowledgements

The sheer size of the VAFA means that the job of producing quality media content is beyond one person and for this we must thank the team of volunteers that work throughout the VAFA Media team. Thank you to the Amateur Footballer scribes who returned for another season: James Ried, Division 1; Brenton Mann, Division 2; Kris Neil, Division 3; Lewis Emmerson, U19 Section 2; Olivia Crowe, VAFA Colts; Norm Nugent, Club XVIII; Geoff Reilly, Retrospective and Steve McCarthy Umpires Corner. We must also thank our new practitioners Blair Morton who covered Premier B, Ned Hunt wrote on Premier C, Ryan ‘Hammy’ Goodman on Division 4, plus John Donohoe on U19 Premier, Tom Connolly on U19 Section 3, Anna O’Donnell on U19 North and South, and Kit Harvey in Umpires Corner.


In the end, University Blacks ended a 40-year drought when they defeated Collegians in the Grand Final. There had been other exalted times at Blacks since 1974, but none of these premierships came with the status as the best team in amateur football. That is what Blacks were in 2014. It has been a meteoric climb from the doldrums; from fl oating in F Section and a sensational news story that mooted Blacks were seeking a potential merger with adversaries Uni Blues in the late 1990s, to the past decade that has been a steady climb back to the top.

The season may have commenced a week later than the rest of the competition but whilst some things change, some stay the same. Beaumaris again handed St Bedes/Mentone Tigers a hiding in round 1. It would prove a sign of things to come as St Bedes/Mentone struggled through the season to eventually be relegated aft er seven years, three grand fi nals and one famous premiership in the VAFA’s top section. Club and VAFA egend, Luke Wintle, played only three games to get to 300 with the Tigers before hanging up the boots. The Tigers were smashed by injury and lacked depth at key points of the year.

Premier

Old Brighton in the opening six games looked bereft of enough talent to win a game, let alone go the distance, but Simon Williams marshaled his troops well and their fi nal day relegation was unlucky considering their form line read better than that of De La Salle in the run home. Nevertheless, the Tonners return to Premier B only twelve months on from lift ing that trophy. They can say they were part of history though when they featured in the fi rst Premier Section game to be played under Friday night lights when they lost to Collegians at Harry Trott.

De La Salle was under new leadership. Paul Satterley took charge of an almost entire new list at the Dairy Bell. A one point win over St Bernard’s at home and a tense victory over Old Brighton – also at home – late in the season were key victories that ultimately enabled the La Sallians to stay up. First class performance aft er fi rst class performance, plus a couple of mark of the year contenders from Tom Humphrey, was another highlight in a season where De La were lucky to hang on in eighth.

Beaumaris’ bright start fell away badly. Aft er spending the fi rst 7 weeks in the four, an eight game losing streak saw the Sharks plummet towards the bottom rungs. Percentage saved them from any real concerns, but the reality of their situation and the diff erent direction that club and coach wanted to go saw Steve Lawrence depart his post aft er Round 16. It was the second mid-season coach departure in as many years in the top section for Beaumaris. Former Saint and midfi eld recruit Raphael Clarke took control for the fi nal two matches that saw the Sharks sign off the year in seventh.

A round 7 loss to Old Brighton saw Old Xaverians complete their worst start to a season since 1996. The loss signaled the end of Dom Berry’s solo tenure, just seven games aft er being co-coach of the premiership Xaverians in 2013 with Nick Bourke. The Black and Red said thank you and farewell to Berry and returned to a co-coaching model. Favourite son Simon Lethlean returned to club football from State duty with former Collegians B Section premiership coach Pat

It was another eventful season in Premier Section,

two coaching changes, an unregistered player, the very fi rst

Friday night football, an on fi eld player count and for a few

rounds it looked as though both of the 2013 grand fi nalists

could be relegated.

Hawkins by his side. Xavs made a charge towards an unlikely fi nals berth, but in the end there was too much to do. A lackluster performance at Old Trinity sparing other fi nalists any nervous tension about what Xavs might do had they made it. Old Xaverians ended up sixth with their poor percentage (courtesy of playing an unregistered player) and early losses ensuring they missed the fi nals for the fi rst time in a decade.

Without doubt the surprise packet of the year was Old Trinity. The T’s fell short of a Premier B premiership in 2013, but the year spent in Premier B had taught them how to win again. Old Trinity were winning games they previously could not in the top section. Defeating the Tigers at Brindisi St for the fi rst time, a rare victory at Old Brighton’s Beach Oval and they also got the points twice against Old Xaverians. All of this without A. Ramsden on the team sheet for the fi rst time in two decades. Despite their blistering start Old Trinity fell in a mid-year hole. Players ventured overseas and whilst the soccer World Cup drew on playing stocks from all clubs, it was the T’s who suff ered most. The younger side struggled with slender bodies on heavier tracks and subsequently lost six on end. They won their last two matches but Old Scotch rested half their side in the fi nal round meaning that whilst Old Trinity were barracking for the Cardinals in that Friday night clash, in the end it was Collegians who booked a spot in September.

Old Trinity though will look back on 2014 fondly, they had the Woodrow Medalist in Brendan Iezzi, the new award of the Premier Coaches MVP in Harry Tinney and the Club Warehouse Rising Star in Anthony Scott all in their team. A fi nish of fi ft h, with many U19 eligible players in the side and their 19s claiming a premiership too, Adam Andrews has a side that is on the up.

Old Scotch again fi nished third and again lost the fi rst semi fi nal. The third year in a row they had done so. A diff erent approach saw Old Scotch make 11 changes from their Round 18 clash with Collegians to the fi rst semi fi nal. Whilst most will remember the fi rst semi at Trevor Barker Oval as one of the games of the decade, those wearing cardinal red will lament another season falling short of potential. It was a solid year but as the three year reign of Messrs. Anderson and Powell ended, Old Scotch change direction looking to build on what they had accomplished.

St Bernard’s had the makings of a serious challenger in 2014 and just a few weeks out from the end of the home and away season the crystal ball was predicting the Snowdogs to be there on

Black on top

Brendan Iezzi (Old Trinity) - Woodrow Medallist

VAFA ANNUAL REPORT 201415 VAFA ANNUAL REPORT 2012

Premier Section Premiership Team: University BlacksB: Huw Lacey, Peter O’Rourke, Simon Thomas

HB: Adam Pitt, Jason Blake, Jesse Laurie

C: Brent Sheehan, Bede Mahon (C), Scott Weekley (VC)

HF: Harrie Lahy, Jandre Slabbert, Joel Ernest

F: Angus Locke, Adam Pattison, Alastair Robbins

R: Andrew Willingham (VC), Tyson Kruse, Simon Hogan

Int: Isaac Anderson, Nick Batten, Angus Drysdale, Tom Napier

Coach: Cameron Roberts

Leading Goalkickers

Name Club Goals

Shura Taft Collegians 53* (65)

Matthew Handley Old Xaverians 49

Chad Jones St Bernard’s 45 (48)

Mark Passador Old Scotch 41

Adam Pattison University Blacks 35 (37)

*Sharpshooter (Including Finals)

JN Woodrow Medal

Player Club Votes

Brendan Iezzi Old Trinity 28

Adam Bentick St Bernard’s 17

Bede Mahon University Blacks 17

Tom Sullivan St Bernard’s 17

Wil Tardif Collegians 15

Scribe Team of the yearB: Harry Tinney (OT), Tom Humphrey (DLS), Adam Pitt (UB)

HB: Will Tardiff (Coll), Tom Caven (StB), Richard Eva (OS)

C: Tyson Kruse (UB), Brendan Iezzi (OT), Esmonde Prowse (OX)

HF: Tim Doherty (SBMT), Chad Jones (StB), Adam Bentick (StB)

FF: Shura Taft (Coll), Mark Passador (OS), Ed Weatherson (OT)

R: Shane Neaves (OS), Chris Waller (OX), Bede Mahon (UB)

Int: Robert Cathcart (Beau), Marcel Bruin (OB), Tom Sullivan (StB), Matt Handley (OX)

Grand Final day. A drop off in form cost new coach Anthony Rock dearly as St Bernard’s fl irted with their form resting half their side against Blacks in Round 18 and subsequently lost their next two fi nals to exit September in straight sets. The club is on the right track though, they had all six of their teams play fi nals.

A six year project, the pipe dream of Collegians President Wayne Dyer fi nally came to fruition when Old Brighton put their hand up on a soggy July Friday night to face Collegians at Harry Trott. The game was a huge success. Despite the sideways rain, a larger than normal crowd witnessed the event. It was around this time that Collegians were starting to show some form as they made their bid for a spot in September. Aft er securing a fi nals spot in Round 18, Collegians won through to a fi ft h Grand Final in seven seasons. Collegians were a mix of old stars and fresh new faces that took this group to beyond expectations. Mark Hibbins continued to lead the way and was joined by Darren Baxter this year. Shura Taft continued to be a diff icult match up for defenders and he fi nally won a section goal-kicking award in his 12th season. On grand fi nal day Collegians fell short of an inspired Blacks side, but there was enough promise for the next season.

University Blacks under the tutelage of Cameron Roberts took all before them in 2014. From an opening round win over reigning premiers Xavs, to their crushing wins that took place throughout their campaign, Blacks were the standout team of

the year. A raft of former AFL listed talent, including the acquisition of St Kilda 200 game veteran Jason Blake saw that Blacks were bigger, stronger and more devastating than their opposition. They were more than 200 points better in attack and more than 300 points better in defence than their nearest rivals. It was a stunning year crowned when inspirational captain and Jock Nelson Medalist Bede Mahon joined Roberts on the dais to hold up the LA Adamson Cup.

It was a double for Blacks who also claimed the reserves fl ag in thrilling fashion. Coming from behind in the fi nal quarter to level the scores with Old Xaverians before the fi nal siren sounded for a draw. Ten minutes of extra time ensued and Blacks full of running and momentum managed to kick clear to claim a ten point win.

Andrew Leonard


Premier ResultsPREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTS

University Blacks 18 15 3 0 0 0 1842 1032 178.49 60

St Bernards 18 13 5 0 0 0 1603 1321 121.35 52

Old Scotch 18 11 7 0 0 0 1625 1452 111.91 44

Collegians 18 11 7 0 0 0 1535 1429 107.42 44

Old Trinity 18 10 8 0 0 0 1408 1321 106.59 40

Old Xaverians 18 10 8 0 0 0 1291 1347 95.84 40

Beaumaris AFC. 18 7 11 0 0 0 1510 1625 92.92 28

De La Salle 18 5 13 0 0 0 1150 1526 75.36 20

Old Brighton 18 5 13 0 0 0 1158 1687 68.64 20

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 18 3 15 0 0 0 1322 1785 74.06 12

Premier Grand Final at Sportscover Arena

University Blacks 2.3 2.4 12.9 13.12 (90)

Collegians 0.1 3.1 4.2 7.4 (46)

University BlacksGoals: A. Robbins 2, J. Blake 2, H. Lahy 2, T. Napier 1, A. Locke 1, S. Weekley 1, A. Pattison 1, T. Kruse 1, J. Laurie 1, H. Lacey 1Best: B. Mahon, H. Lahy, A. Pitt, S. Weekley, A. Pattison, S. Thomas

CollegiansGoals: S. Taft 3, N. Corp 2, H. Croft 1, J. Kamener 1Best: C. Hylton, J. Eimutis, S. Hibbins, N. Ries, T. Penberthy, C. Holst

Jock Nelson Medal: Bede Mahon (University Blacks)

Preliminary Final

Collegians 1.4 7.6 10.7 14.8 (92)

St Bernards 1.7 2.12 4.18 5.22 (52)

CollegiansGoals: H. Croft 3, C. Hylton 3, S. Taft 2, C. Jesaveluk 2, G. Jones 2, A. Croft 1, N. Corp 1Best: C. Hylton, T. Zimbachs, T. Phillips, C. Jesaveluk, H. Croft , J. Eimutis

St BernardsGoals: B. Considine 1, A. Merrington 1, A. Bentick 1, T. Overman 1, S. Clarke 1Best: A. McLeod, N. Kazuro, S. Caven, T. Sullivan, M. Angel, A. Singleton

Semi Final 1

Collegians 3.6 6.9 10.16 17.21 (123)

Old Scotch 5.2 7.5 11.7 16.13 (109)

CollegiansGoals: S. Taft 7, C. Jesaveluk 2, G. Jones 2, A. Croft 2, A. Howison 1, N. Corp 1, N. Ries 1, C. Hylton 1Best: J. Kamener, N. Giles, C. Simmons, S. Taft , C. Hylton, L. Apted

Old ScotchBest: M. Passador 3, E. Barlow 3, C. O’Beirne 2, L. Hill 2, W. Strange 1, N. Jamieson 1, E. Routman 1, J. Bull 1, R. Wills 1, J. Long 1Best: N. Jamieson, A. Houlihan, J. Hurley, J. Bull, S. Thompson, M. Passador

Semi Final 2

University Blacks 2.3 7.6 12.10 15.17 (107)

St Bernards 2.1 4.4 6.7 9.10 (64)

University BlacksGoals: A. Robbins 4, N. Batten 2, T. Napier 1, H. Lacey 1, J. Ernest 1, A. Pattison 1, B. Mahon 1, C. Turner 1, I. Anderson 1, A. Locke 1, J. Slabbert 1Best: J. Laurie, S. Hogan, P. O’Rourke, A. Pitt, B. Mahon, S. Weekley

St BernardsGoals: C. Jones 3, N. Cooke 2, A. Bentick 1, T. Sullivan 1, M. Hannan 1, S. Caven 1Best: M. Hannan, S. Caven, T. Sullivan, T. Overman, N. Kazuro, A. Singleton

Bede Mahon (University Blacks) - Jock Nelson Medallist


Premier ReservesPREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSSt Bernards 18 15 3 0 0 0 1529 853 179.25 60Old Xaverians 17 12 5 0 0 1 1400 899 155.73 52University Blacks 18 10 7 1 0 0 1169 966 121.01 42Collegians 18 10 7 1 0 0 1179 1117 105.55 42Old Scotch 18 9 8 1 0 0 1276 1103 115.68 38Beaumaris AFC 18 9 8 1 0 0 1291 1146 112.65 38Old Brighton 18 9 9 0 0 0 1198 1146 104.54 36St Bedes / Mentone Tigers 17 6 11 0 0 0 992 1384 71.68 24Old Trinity 18 4 14 0 0 0 960 1753 54.76 16De La Salle 18 3 15 0 0 0 917 1601 57.28 12

Premier Reserves Premiership Team: Old XaveriansB: Alex Williamson, Ben Clark, David Cooper

HB: Sean Butler, Rob Humann, Steven FlightC: Jordan Quaile, Lachlan Devine, Lachlan Huntington

HF: Bart Mill, Cameron Turner, Scott Myers (C)F: Trent Storer, Jordan Foster, Justin CrameriR: Tim Howie, Ben Kealy, Harry King

Int: Jackson Roder, Ben Vile, Scott Dadswell, James BismireCoach: Xavier Moloney

Premier Reserves Grand FinalUniversity Blacks 1.1 3.4 4.4 9.9 (63)Old Xaverians 3.8 4.9 7.10 7.11 (53)

University BlacksGoals: J. Foster 4, S. Butler 2, S. Flight 1, J. Crameri 1, S. Myers 1Best: J. Quaile, J. Foster, S. Flight, T. Storer, L. Devine, T. Howie

Old XaveriansBest: M. Cain 2, J. Anderson 1, L. Keith 1, M. Douglas 1, M. Margin 1, C. Beetham 1Best: J. Douglas, M. Cain, M. Douglas, D. Prowse, D. Harangozo, C. Margin

Best on ground medal: Jordan Quaile (University Blacks)

PREMIERSHIP LADDERP W L D B FF For Agst % PTS

Old Xaverians 14 12 2 0 1 3 1423 739 192.56 64University Blacks 15 13 2 0 2 1 1309 807 162.21 64St Bernards 17 11 6 0 1 0 1248 1024 121.88 48University Blues 17 7 9 1 0 1 1201 1040 115.48 34Collegians 16 6 9 1 2 0 908 1049 86.56 34Old Melburnians 14 4 10 0 2 0 686 1272 53.93 24Old Scotch 16 3 13 0 2 0 732 1205 60.75 20

Premier Thirds Premiership Team: Old XaveriansB: Matthew Adams, Tom Grigg, Matthew Dimattina

HB: Liam Rogan, Tim Trahair, James WoodsC: Joshua Hanger, Stuart Ross, Hamish Buckley

HF: Andrew Mathis, James Morton, Daniel MolanF: Anthony Torre (C), Todd Daniher, Callum DiPierdomenicoR: James McElhinney, James Smith, Patrick Armstrong

Int: Benjamin Corcoran, Joshua Evans, Patrick Dillon, Jackson Sleeman, Nick Ielasi, Tom McCluskyCoach: Liam Grigg

Premier Thirds Grand FinalOld Xaverians 2.5 6.11 11.13 17.16 (118)University Blacks 0.2 2.2 5.5 5.5 (35)

Old XaveriansGoals: T. Daniher 5, H. Buckley 3, C. Dipierdomenico 3, B. Corcoran 2, S. Ross 1, A. Mathis 1, J. Evans 1, N. Ielasi 1Best: H. Buckley, J. Smith, T. Daniher, P. Armstrong, J. Woods, J . Hanger

University BlacksBest: J. Heeley 1, A. Mackay 1, H. Robinson 1, J. Wilson 1, A. Torney 1Best: A. Torney, L. Crameri, J. Cordner, J. Champion De Crespign, S. Lewis, A. Mackay

Best on ground medal: Hamish Buckley (Old Xaverians)

Premier Thirds

Cameron Turner (University Blacks)

Hamish Buckley (Old Xaverians)


Blues commenced their fi rst season in Premier B for a couple of decades with vigour and aside from three sporadic slip ups against sides that failed to make the fi nals it was the students then daylight in 2014. Premier B is usually one of the most competitive sections, and if you took Blues out of it, then arguments could be made that this held true. Old Carey were the next best for most of the year but a fi nal round thrashing suff ered at St Kevin’s saw SKOB pinch the double chance from Old Carey by half a percent, who dropped to third only a further half percent ahead of Old Melburnians in fourth.

Old Carey rallied in the fi nals to win their way back to Premier at their fi rst attempt. Uni Blues and Old Carey became the fi rst set of relegated clubs from the top fl ight to bounce straight back since Old Xaverians and Alphington in 1962. It

Premier B

is only the second time in VAFA history that this has happened, making the eff orts of both clubs commendable. Former Marcellin premiership player and Woodrow Medalist Glenn Cox had crossed Bulleen Road to coach Old Carey and he can be proud of what he extracted out of this group aft er such a disappointing previous campaign. Anyone who heard his three quarter time address in the preliminary fi nal will remember it fondly as one of the great ones; extracting one last eff ort from his players, “like squeezing one last bit from a sponge.”

Whilst the Grand Final was tense for the fi rst half, aft er half time, there was a feeling that Blues were about to be let off the leash at any point. As is so oft en the case in Premier B, the Panthers had played their grand fi nal a week prior in the preliminary fi nal against St Kevin’s. Blues waltzed

The noise in pre-season was that University Blues

would be the ones to beat in 2014, and so it proved.

With 2004 A Section Premiership captain Quinton Gleeson

taking over as senior coach, Blues were the best side across

the home and away rounds and they didn’t let up until

the fi nal siren on Premier B Grand Final Day had them

holding up the J.V. Deane Cup to celebrate their return

to Premier Section with a comprehensive premiership win.

away in style in the fi nal 30 minutes of the year and the fi nal score line whilst not refl ective of the closeness of the game itself, is testament to the dominance that Blues demonstrated in 2014. Tom MacKenzie booted six goals to win the Cordner Medal, but the truth is any number of Blues players could have won it such was their spread of performers on the day.

St Kevin’s again made fi nals and again lost both that they competed in. The weight of expectation on the club’s anticipated return to Premier Section building as each year passes. There were positives though, certainly the Daniel Harford system of coaching looked purposeful and their juniors coming through are an exciting prospect. Not least of all, SKOB now have a permanent home. For so long the itinerant club, the new pavilion at TH King is fi rst class and is a credit to all at the club for their work and collaboration with local council.

Old Melburnians commenced the year poorly, but once back on track, they were almost unstoppable defeating all fi nals contenders bar Blues through a mid season purple patch. Their skipper Tom Paule was the catalyst throughout and he subsequently polled competition best and fairest votes in 14 games during the season to claim the GT Moore Medal. Paule’s year also saw him play for the senior Big V twice (against the EFL and AFL Queensland) earning him selection in AFL Victoria’s Metro team that played AFL Vic Country where he won the best on ground in the Metro’s

big win.

For those that missed the four, AJAX was next best. The Jackers again started the campaign well and whilst they held their list together for most of the year, they still lost some games they shouldn’t have. Josh Ludski was a standout fi nishing runner up in the Moore as well as playing in the VAFA U23s win over Tasmania. David Faymen incredibly won his fi ft h consecutive VAFA leading goal kicker award and his third in a row in Premier B.

Mazenod, the promoted runners up of Premier C were devastated by injury and, a worrying lack of form early, but they found their mojo to rebound with searching run of form that had them in line for fi nals. In the end the turnaround proved too much, but they could take some satisfaction from a one point win over the eventual premiers and a fantastic away win at St Kevin’s during that charge to the line.

Going into Round 18, Caulfi eld Grammarians were inside the bottom two. The Fields managed to dot enough wins through the season – including a

Blues call the tune

Tom Paule (Old Melburnians) - Moore Medallist


triumph in Round 18 against Uni Blues who rested seven – to avoid the drop. The year would also prove to be legendary coach Tim O’Shaughnessy’s valedictory year too. He can be satisfi ed he got an incredibly young team, to hang on for another tilt in such a competitive section.

Old Haileyburians were mired in the bottom two for much of the latter half of the year and that is where they ended up. Relegated to Premier C for the fi rst time since 1989 when they won they were last in that section as premiers. Michael Meehan was their standout player, but Stewart Lowe’s step up to senior coaching ultimately lasted just one season.

From zero to hero and then back again. That is what life has been like for Old Ivanhoe Grammarians over the past three seasons. The Hoes may have bounced back to Premier B with a Premier C fl ag this year, but an inability to string wins together sends them back a section. A late escape bid was thwarted by a fi nal round loss at Old Haileybury, and the Fields beating Blues. The high point was their round 4 win over Uni Blues.

Blues collected the reserve section premiership to mark a fantastic year for the club. The new pavvy at the Melbourne University Oval is the envy of all amateur clubs, next year they will share match days with their equally successful neighbours Blacks, both strong and both in the top section of the VAFA.

Andrew Leonard

Premier B Premiership Team: University BluesB: Jack Townley (VC), Hugh Vickers-Willis, Angus Nice

HB: Llewyn Butler, Jack Watts (C), Matthew Hart

C: Sean Carr, Ryan Eade, Matthew Torney

HF: Will Cunningam, Paddy Hayes, Marc James

F: Paddy Gardiner, Tom MacKenzie, Dirk Heinz

R: Cam Williams, Pete Summers, Jeremy Mugavin

Int: Josh Caldow, Marshall Rippon, Riley McMahon, James Van de Pol

Coach: Quinton Gleeson

Leading Goalkickers

Name Club Goals

David Fayman AJAX 67*

Michael Meehan Old Haileyburians 46

Jake Lew AJAX 41

Cameron Beck Old Melburnians 40 (41)*Sharpshooter (Including Finals)

GT Moore Medal

Player Club Votes

Thomas Paule Old Melburnians 25

Joshua Ludski AJAX 24

Marshall Rippon University Blues 21

Rory Angiolla Fitzroy 16

Cameron Howat Old Carey 16

Scribe Team of the yearB: Jack Townley (UB), Andrew Sloane (OC), Dean Heta (OI)

HB: Cam Howat (OC) - VC, Jack Watts (UB) - C, Tom Roach (OC)

C: Ben Phibbs (Maz), Jeremy Mugavin (UB) , Rory Angiolella (Fitz)

HF: Dean Kelly (Maz), Mick Meehan (OH), Pana Karageorgiou (SKOB)

FF: Cam Beck (OM), David Fayman (AJAX), Warren Steinberg (AJAX)

R: Cam Williams (UB), Tom Paule (OM), Marshall Rippon (UB)

Int: Joel Rice (OC), Tom Silvestro (CG), Nick Wood (SKOB), Peter Summers (UB)

Marc James (University Blues)


Premier B ResultsPREMIERSHIP LADDER


University Blues 18 15 3 0 0 0 2031 924 219.81 60

St Kevins 18 11 7 0 0 0 1842 1561 118.00 44

Old Carey 18 11 7 0 0 0 1757 1496 117.45 44

Old Melburnians 18 11 7 0 0 0 1524 1302 117.05 44

AJAX 18 10 8 0 0 0 1419 1449 97.93 40

Mazenod 18 8 10 0 0 0 1474 1541 95.65 32

Caulfi eld Grammarians 18 7 11 0 0 0 1160 1700 68.24 28

Fitzroy 18 6 11 1 0 0 1239 1600 77.44 26

Old Haileybury 18 5 12 1 0 0 1402 1788 78.41 22

Old Ivanhoe 18 5 13 0 0 0 1231 1718 71.65 20

Premier B Grand Final at Sportscover Arena

University Blues 5.7 7.7 12.14 20.22 (142)

Old Carey 3.1 5.5 8.6 10.7 (67)

University BluesGoals: T. MacKenzie 6, P. Summers 2, P. Gardiner 2, R. Eade 2, J. Caldow 1, R. McMahon 1, D. Heinz 1, S. Carr 1, M. Rippon 1, J. Mugavin 1, M. James 1, W. Cuningham 1Best: J. Mugavin, T. MacKenzie, J. Townley, P. Summers, A. Nice, C. Williams

Old CareyGoals: B. Smithwick 3, C. Howat 2, M. Laidlaw 2, J. Reid 1, N. Richardson 1, L. Macleod 1Best: L. McQueen-Miscamble, A. Stewart-Holmes, J. Rice, B. Smithwick, T. Roach, C. Howat

Ian Cordner Medal: Tom MacKenzie (University Blues)

Premier B Preliminary Final

St Kevins 0.2 2.11 4.13 7.15 (57)

Old Carey 5.5 5.6 10.9 12.15 (87)

Old CareyGoals: J. Reid 2, T. Roach 2, S. Freemantle 2, B. Smithwick 1, N. Richardson 1, C. Howat 1, C. Jones 1, M. Laidlaw 1, G. Parker 1Best: R. Bongetti, T. Roach, C. Howat, J. Rice, N. Richardson, J. Joslin

St KevinsGoals: C. Gleeson 2, Z. Ginies 2, N. Wood 1, P. Edgar 1, T. Cunningham 1Best: T. Cunningham, S. Salopek, C. Ring, J. Weber, Z. Ginies, J. Salopek

Premier B Semi Final 1

Old Carey 6.4 7.6 13.9 16.9 (105)

Old Melburnians 3.3 8.7 9.10 11.16 (82)

Old CareyGoals: T. Roach 3, C. Howat 2, J. Reid 2, B. Smithwick 2, N. Richardson 2, L. Macleod 1, H. Moore 1, S. Freemantle 1, R. Bongetti 1, C. Jones 1Best: L. McQueen-Miscamble, J. Rice, R. Bongetti, C. Crowther, S. Freemantle, J. Murrie

Old Melburnians: Goals: T. Hywood 3, A. Armstrong 2, T. Bachet 2, L. Bennett 1, C. Beck 1, T. Marshall 1, J. Beaumont 1Best: W. Thompson, T. Paule, E. De Fegely, C. Cumbrae-Stewart, T. Hywood, A. Karatzas

Premier B Semi Final 2

University Blues 6.4 7.6 9.11 14.14 (98)

St Kevins 1.3 5.5 7.7 8.11 (59)

University BluesGoals: P. Hayes 3, T. MacKenzie 2, R. Eade 2, R. McMahon 1, P. Gardiner 1, M. Rippon 1, M. James 1, C. Williams 1, P. Summers 1, D. Heinz 1Best: P. Summers, J. Watts, J. Mugavin, P. Hayes, A. Nice, M. Hart

St KevinsGoals: H. Parkes 2, Z. Ginies 2, T. McPherson 1, S. Salopek 1, T. Cunningham 1, B. Kanakis 1Best: S. Salopek, T. Cunningham, C. Ring, P. Dowd, J. Nash, J. Salopek

Pat Cremean (Old Carey)

Marshall Rippon (University Blues)


Premier B ReservesPREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSUniversity Blues 18 17 1 0 0 0 1980 585 338.46 68St Kevins 18 15 3 0 0 0 2016 755 267.02 60Caulfi eld Grammarians 18 12 6 0 0 0 1328 932 142.49 48Old Melburnians 18 10 8 0 0 0 1518 1180 128.64 40Old Ivanhoe 18 9 9 0 0 0 1134 1368 82.89 36Old Carey 18 8 10 0 0 0 1275 1305 97.70 32Fitzroy 18 6 12 0 0 0 1056 1388 76.08 24AJAX 18 6 12 0 0 0 839 1387 60.49 24Old Haileybury 18 4 14 0 0 0 834 1935 43.10 16Mazenod 18 3 15 0 0 0 720 1865 38.61 12

Premier B Reserve Premiership Team: University BluesB: Daniel Zambon, Hugo Steinfort, Jack Heinz

HB: Ed Long, Angus Ford, Richard LanghamC: Jack Wood, Tom Girdwood (C), Bennett Merriman (VC)

HF: Andy Wettenhall, Damien Barton, Will HartnellF: Ed Ratcliff e, Jamie Mugavin, George ChisholmR: Tom Foott, Bernie Chomley, Michael Steinbach

Int: Jordan Brown, Henry Weddell, Hugh Evans, Alex SchippCoach: Bob Girdwood

Premier B Reserves Grand FinalUniversity Blues 5.3 8.3 12.6 13.7 (85)St Kevins 1.0 3.2 5.8 7.8 (50)

University BluesGoals: G. Chisholm 4, J. Mugavin 3, H. Evans 2, H. Weddell 1, A. Wettenhall 1, J. Wood 1, M. Steinbach 1Best: T. Foott, D. Barton, J. Brown, A. Wettenhall, E. Long, B. Merriman

St KevinsGoals: E. Waldron 3, P. Aughton 2, T. McPherson 1, J. Gambaro 1Best: A. Keely, J. Staff ieri, E. Waldron, P. Aughton, T. Hickey, N. McArdle

Best on ground medal: Julian Staff ieri (St Kevin’s OB)


Old Xaverians 15 13 1 1 0 3 1913 730 262.05 66St Kevins 15 11 3 1 0 3 1687 901 187.24 58Fitzroy 17 11 6 0 0 1 1372 913 150.27 48Beaumaris 16 10 6 0 0 0 1416 1413 100.21 40Old Brighton 16 8 8 0 0 1 1289 1314 98.10 36Caulfi eld Grammarians 15 7 8 0 0 1 1156 1339 86.33 32AJAX 18 7 11 0 0 0 1159 1296 89.43 28Old Carey 18 7 11 0 0 0 1252 1524 82.15 28Old Trinity 15 4 11 0 0 1 949 1443 65.77 20Mazenod 15 1 14 0 0 0 493 2193 22.48 4

Premier B Thirds Premiership Team: Old XaveriansB: Ben Steedman, Harrison Truelove, Nick Sitch (VC)

HB: Nick Gazdowicz, Sam Franklyn, Nathan DrummondC: Will Ralph, Nick Nunan (C), Darcy Cotchett

HF: Ben Lyon, Matt Sitch, Charlie DentonF: Elliott Pittito, Matt Owen, Nick SharkeyR: Tim Dillon, James Samartsis, Zebe Haupt

Int: Ben Dalbosco, Tim Fenton, Sam Grigg, Sam Maclure, Pat Monti, Anthony DickinsonCoaches: Shane Healy & Tony Franklyn

Premier B Thirds Grand FinalOld Xaverians 2.1 4.3 5.6 7.7 (49)St Kevins 1.2 2.2 4.3 6.11 (47)

Old XaveriansGoals: N. Sharkey 1, J. Samartzis 1, W. Ralph 1, D. Cotchett 1, M. Owen 1, B. Lyon 1, M. Sitch 1Best: D. Cotchett, S. Franklyn, B. Steedman, M. Sitch, M. Owen, P. Monti

St KevinsGoals: T. Soultanakis 2, J. Liston 2, N. Marchesani 1, J. Anthony 1Best: T. Johnston, L. McDonell, J. Anthony, S. Constantinou, T. Soultanakis, A. Fenech

Best on Ground Medal: Darcy Cotchett (Old Xaverians)

Premier B Thirds


The Rovers made it back-to-back premiership wins, defeating Parkdale by 27 points in the Grand Final at Trevor Barker Oval. The Rovers overcame a sluggish start to power home in the second half of the year, sealing a top two fi nish. The cornerstone to the Rovers resurgence was the strength of their backline led by Adam McNeil off half-back and Jesse Lovig. Meanwhile Leigh Fletcher was joint runner-up in the Zachariah, Jay Ting was superb all year in the support cast, claiming his second successive grand fi nal best on ground medal. Up forward Ed Turner had a profound impact kicking 59 goals for the year. The Rovers were able to peak at the right time of year. The story of the Grand Final was the performance of playing Coach Guy Martyn, whose six goals helped propel his side to victory, and ultimately secure a spot in Premier B for season 2015. The Rovers will be determined

Premier C

to make a positive impression in Premier B aft er they last departed these heights in 2011, they are better placed next. .

The Vultures were one of the surprise packets of the season and had garnered a signifi cant following by seasons end with their daring style of football. Five rounds into the year, the Vultures were staring down the barrel of consecutive relegations. However they rallied, and inspired by their round 12 win over Rovers, the Vultures fi nished the season with renewed confi dence. The Vultures fast brand of football exposed a number of their opponents unable to cope with their sheer speed and spread from the contest. They also unearthed two young livewire forwards in Lopo and Papatsanis who both made a valuable contribution and were prominent in the fi nals

series. Aft er failing at the fi nal hurdle against the Hampton Rovers in the Grand Final, the Vultures could be proud of their eff orts knowing that they’ll return the Premier B in season 2015 in better shape they when they made the jump to this level two years ago.

Marcellin were the most consistent team all year but failed to capitalise on their commanding position when it mattered most. Sitting on top aft er 18 rounds, the Eagles were left to lick their wounds aft er a third consecutive fi nals appearance that failed to yield any results. In a year where few positives could be extracted aft er such a promising start, Jarrod Carlson provided a highlight fi nishing 2nd in the Premier C Zachariah medal count, while Dominic Bolger enjoyed a standout year booting 51 goals. The thought of another year in Premier C will be playing on the minds of the Marcellin players as they front up to pre-season, still trying to comprehend how they’d let such an opportunity slip.

Season 2014 had a number of talking points;

the unfortunate departure of Banyule aft er 34 years in the VAFA,

the fascinating Vulture resurgence and the Rovers

back to back fl ag heroics. Let’s refl ect back on the year

to see how the Premier C competition unfolded…

With the best defensive unit in Premier C, led by Under 23 rep Ben Amberg, the Blues only conceded 1065 points for the season. However to win games of football you need to be able to apply scoreboard pressure at the other end, and this lack of fi repower was evident in their fi rst semi fi nal loss. The Blues lost no admirers in their 2014 quest, producing a number of ominous performances that had the rest of Premier C on high alert. None more so than their 133 point demolition of PEGS in round eight. Three losses inside the fi rst fi ve rounds would prove their downfall. Aft er a disappointing end to the year, Timothy McKenzie gave the Blues faithful something to smile about winning the Zachariah Medal. The Blues showed a lot of promise throughout the year but ultimately lost crucial games at the wrong time.

The tale of PEGS’ year is one of two halves. Four losses from their last fi ve games ultimately sealed their fate, yet they began the year in emphatic fashion with four wins from their fi rst fi ve games. Perhaps they didn’t have the staying power. They had all the right artillery but they couldn’t perfect their craft on a weekly basis, crippled by inconsistency. Aft er making such a positive start, to miss the fi nals by one game would have been a bitter pill to swallow. Josh Pound was a driving force in the PEGS midfi eld brigade, while Livori provided his trademark dash from defence and Forrest was the major focal point up forward.

The Krushers will be investing a lot of time in goal kicking practice throughout the pre-season, aft er they were plagued by inaccuracy all year. The Krushers booted 209 goals and 259 behinds for the year, and consequently lost critical games when they were there for the taking. Capable of dispatching the lower ranked sides, the Krushers struggled to outmuscle those entrenched in the four. Not once did they defeat Marcellin, Hampton or Monash. When their forward line was functioning with Tolongs, Cloke and Paola presenting strongly, they were very diff icult to beat. A round 18 score line of 9.27 virtually summed up their year.

Despite a rampant start to the year the Pirates’ season never really reached any great heights. Peninsula couldn’t sustain their relentless pressure and pursuit of the opposition jumper as the grounds got heavier. Notching only four wins in the back half of the year cost them greatly. A round 5 win over eventual premiers, Hampton Rovers should’ve been the catalyst to kick start their season, however it only triggered a form slump. Three consecutive losses heading into the half-way point of the year quashed their chances.

Back to back for Rovers

Jay Ting (Hampton Rovers)


A number of players enjoyed breakout years including Tom Feldgen who was impressive from a back pocket while the eff orts of Brisbane and Grigg in the midfi eld proved pivotal.

The Wellers will look back on two narrow losses and a draw early in the season as missed chances. A two point loss to PEGS and a fi ve point loss to Parkdale curtailed the Wellers’ initial momentum, and ruined their chance of securing a top four berth. Competitive all year, Old Camberwell struggled to overcome the leading sides, a 90 point round 18 loss to Rovers symbolic of this battle. The Bennett brothers and Rohan Kapoor had stellar seasons, forming the backbone to the OC defence. While big man Robbie Campbell excelled in the ruck and up forward fi nishing with 23 goals for the year. Their fi nest performance of the year came in round 8 when they produced stunning football to dismantle Peninsula by 42 points.

Undoubtedly the saddest story to come out of Premier C in 2014 was the departure of the Banyule Football Club aft er 34 years in the VAFA since its inception in 1980. With only three wins and raft of player exits to other paid competitions the club sought options elsewhere; citing survival of the football club as the main reason. It took until round 10 for Banyule to open their 2014 account. And they did so in style beating Peninsula at home by the barest of margins. The Bears’ perseverance couldn’t be questioned, and they were resolute in their fi ght until the end, almost conquering Rovers. In a fi tting farewell the Bears defeated Parkdale in their fi nal home and away match in the VAFA by 23 points.

The Monders endured a diff icult year, unable to make any real imprint on the competition. Four rounds into the year the Monders would’ve remained optimistic about their prospects with a 2-2 record. Fast-forward to round 18 and the situation was dire. They failed to win another game aft er round 4, losing 13 of their next 14, only a draw with Old Camberwell to savour. A rare highlight was their win over Monash in round four by 10 points, a result that fails to add up considering Monash featured in fi nals action. Thomas Buckley was a shining light early in the season, while Jordan Tabakman took over the mantle as the year progressed, fi nishing with 22 goals.

Parkdale Vultures won the reserves premiership defeating PEGS in the curtain raiser to the senior match at Trevor Barker Oval.

Ned Hunt

Premier C Premiership Team: Hampton RoversB: Christian Carnovale, Rory Lynch, Josh Schmitz

HB: Richard Atkins, Jesse Lovig (VC), Adam McNeil

C: Nathan Smith, Leigh Fletcher (C), Joshua McPherson

HF: Matthew Care, Josh Verlin, Jay Ting

F: Guy Martyn (Coach), Ed Turner, Stuart Burggraaff

R: Charlie Kelso, Mark Devereaux, Daniel Corp

Int: JackToouli, Samuel Clements, Cameron Sharp, Ben Traeger-Haig

Coach: Guy Martyn

Leading Goalkickers

Name Club Goals

Ed Turner Hampton Rovers 52* (57)

Dominic Bolger Marcellin OC 50 (51)

David Forrest PEGS 46

Joseph Cosgriff Monash Blues 45 (48)


L Zachariah Medal

Player Club Votes

Timothy McKenzie Monash Blues 25

Jarrod Carlson Marcellin OC 23

Leigh Fletcher Hampton Rovers 23

Dermot Cleary Oakleigh 18

Robert Campbell Old Camberwell 15

Scribe Team of the yearB: Tom Feldgen (POB), Ben Amberg (MB), Rohan Kapoor (OC)

HB: Adam McNeil (HR), Jesse Lovig (HR), Jonathon Blanch (MOC)

C: Tim McKenzie (MB), Jarrod Carlson (MOC) - C, Charlie Dillon (PV)

HF: Adam Barclay (Ban), Trent Skurrie (PEGS), Dominic Bolger (MOC)

FF: Aaron Cloke (Oak), Ed Turner (HR), Joseph Cosgriff (MB)

R: Robbie Campbell (OC) - VC, Josh Pound (PEGS), Mark Devereaux (HR)

Int: Dermot Cleary (Oak) Cam Livori (PEGS) Alistair Mccooke (Orm) Stu Grigg (POB)


Premier C ResultsPREMIERSHIP LADDER


Marcellin 18 15 3 0 0 0 1705 1216 140.21 60

Hampton Rovers 18 14 4 0 0 0 1764 1318 133.84 56

Monash Blues 18 13 5 0 0 0 1580 1065 148.36 52

Parkdale Vultures 18 10 8 0 0 0 1601 1384 115.68 40

P E G S 18 9 9 0 0 0 1475 1538 95.90 36

Oakleigh 18 8 10 0 0 0 1513 1413 107.08 32

Peninsula 18 8 10 0 0 0 1425 1638 87.00 32

Old Camberwell 18 7 10 1 0 0 1527 1643 92.94 30

Banyule 18 3 15 0 0 0 1383 2147 64.42 12

Ormond 18 2 15 1 0 0 1256 1867 67.27 10

Premier C Grand Final at Trevor Barker Oval, Sandringham

Hampton Rovers 5.4 10.6 11.7 14.7 (91)

Parkdale Vultures 2.3 4.4 8.8 9.10 (64)

Hampton RoversGoals: G. Martyn 6, J. Ting 2, E. Turner 2, J. Toouli 1, C. Sharp 1, J. Verlin 1, M. Care 1Best: J. Lovig, G. Martyn, J. Ting, R. Atkins, D. Corp, L. Fletcher

Parkdale VulturesGoals: C. Dillon 5, K. Lopo 3, N. Ng 1Best: M. Kidner, K. Lopo, C. Dillon, R. Swayn, N. Ng, S. Chapman

M. Ritterman Medal: Jay Ting (Hampton Rovers)

Premier C Preliminary Final


Marcellin 0.3 5.4 5.7 7.10 (52)

Parkdale VulturesGoals: T. Boland 3, N. Papatsanis 2, P. Sullivan 2, K. Lopo 2Best: T. Boland, S. Chapman, L. Platt, S. Chitty, D. Price, K. Lopo

MarcellinGoals: A. Viney 2, S. McPherson 2, T. Carlson 1, D. Bolger 1, M. Gasparini 1Best: S. Gill, A. Viney, P. Hamblin, D. Mc Mahon, J. Antypas, A. Bonato

Premier C Semi Final 1


Monash Blues 6.2 8.3 9.7 11.8 (74)

Parkdale VulturesGoals: N. Papatsanis 3, L. Platt 2, N. Ng 2, C. Dillon 2, P. Sullivan 1, M. Graham 1, D. Glascott 1, M. Ryan 1Best: L. Platt, C. Dillon, K. Lopo, N. Papatsanis, S. Chapman, P. Sullivan

Monash BluesGoals: J. Cosgriff 3, G. Taylor 2, N. Petering 1, B. Amberg 1, D. Hatch 1, G. Smyth 1, T. McKenzie 1, A. Carr 1Best: D. Hatch, B. Amberg, A. Hickey, N. Petering, G. Smyth, E. Flanagan

Premier C Semi Final 2

Hampton Rovers 6.0 9.3 11.3 16.10 (106)

Marcellin 1.3 4.5 9.12 10.12 (72)

Hampton RoversGoals: E. Turner 5, M. Care 3, D. Corp 3, S. Burggraaff 1, J. McPherson 1, S. Clements 1, A. McNeil 1, B. Traeger-Haig 1Best: C. Carnovale, A. McNeil, J. Lovig, E. Turner, M. Care, L. Fletcher

MarcellinGoals: J. Bortolotto 3, S. McPherson 3, J. Carlson 1, P. Millsom 1, J. Antypas 1, M. Gasparini 1Best: J. Carlson, T. Carlson, A. Beaini, J. Bortolotto, J. Blanch, J. Gasparini

Nathan Smith (Hampton Rovers)

Nathan Smith (Hampton Rovers)

Tom Lancaster (Monash Blues)



P E G S 18 17 1 0 0 0 1589 637 249.45 68Parkdale Vultures 17 15 2 0 0 1 1615 871 185.42 64Monash Blues 18 12 6 0 0 0 1168 1046 111.66 48Old Camberwell 18 10 8 0 0 0 1504 1006 149.50 40Peninsula 18 9 9 0 0 0 1363 1127 120.94 36Oakleigh 17 7 10 0 0 1 1088 1288 84.47 32Ormond 18 6 11 1 0 0 1245 1524 81.69 26Marcellin 18 6 12 0 0 0 1123 1256 89.41 24Hampton Rovers 18 5 12 1 0 0 1106 1167 94.77 22Banyule 16 0 16 0 0 0 537 2494 21.53 0

Premier C Reserves Premiership Team: Parkdale VulturesB: Max Nixon, Dan Graham, Chris Giosis

HB: Tim Kight (C), Robert Meade, James LayC: Dan McCarthy, James Le Breten, Dan Atkins

HF: Andrew Thompson, Reid Irvine, Tom MclennanF: Pat Lee, Claye Tobin, Mark FergusonR: Jesse Balic, Sam L’Hullier, Dean Kelly

Int: Mitch Tod, Jesse Waters, Stephen Rzek, Chris WelshCoach: Tony White

Premier C Reserves Grand FinalParkdale Vultures 3.3 5.4 7.6 10.12 (72)PEGS 2.3 6.4 7.6 9.8 (62)

Parkdale VulturesGoals: R. Irvine 3, S. L’Huillier 2, P. Lee 1, D. Atkins 1, T. McLennan 1, M. Todd 1, C. Tobin 1Best: T. Kight, R. Irvine, R. Meade, J. Waters, C. Tobin, J. Le Breton

PEGSGoals: J. Barrett 2, D. Podger 2, D. Phelan 1, M. Fahey 1, J. Rogers 1, C. Tzambazis 1, J. Clarke 1Best: M. Miller, J. Rogers, B. Briggs, A. Baddeley, D. Bianchi, R. Richardson

Best on Ground Medal: Ried Irvine


St Kevins 15 15 0 0 1 2 2175 344 632.27 72St Mary’s Salesian 16 14 2 0 2 0 1720 589 292.02 64P E G S 14 8 6 0 1 3 1298 844 153.79 48Old Ivanhoe 15 9 6 0 1 0 919 843 109.02 40Parkdale Vultures 15 7 8 0 2 0 785 1162 67.56 36Marcellin 11 5 6 0 1 2 996 1189 83.77 32Monash Blues 16 5 11 0 1 1 808 1255 64.38 28Ormond 13 2 11 0 3 1 613 1393 44.01 24Hampton Rovers 17 2 15 0 1 0 475 1819 26.11 12

Premier C Reserves Premiership Team: St Kevin’s Old BoysB: Dominic Losciavo, Jack Ryan, Darragh Kelly

HB: Will Doble, James Betlehem, Nick CiurleoC: Jackson Ritchie, Matt Nolan, Daniel Lattanzio

HF: Tom Lewin, Dan Kerr, Liam ClanceyF: Dolan Bourke, James Montgomerie, Scott KaiserR: Joe Frazer, Troy McMaster (C), Nelson Pryor

Int: Jack Murphy-Cruise (VC), Patrick Rhodes, Nick Wald, Mac Edwards, Michael Moore, Jack HowellCoach: Jarrod McMaster

Premier C Thirds Grand FinalSt Kevins 1.3 3.9 7.13 10.17 (77)St Mary’s Salesian 1.1 1.2 2.3 4.5 (29)

St KevinsGoals: D. Kerr 3, L. Clancey 2, N. Pryor 1, T. McMaster 1, M. Nolan 1, J. Howell 1, J. Montgomerie 1Best: N. Ciurleo, L. Clancey, D. Kelly, M. Nolan, J. Frazer, J. Betlehem

St Mary’s SalesianGoals: A. Baird 3, L. Power 1Best: N. Alexopoulos, A. Castle, A. Bussell, J. Sutherland, F. Ravida, S. Crilly

Best on Ground Medal: Nick Ciurleo (St Kevin’s OB)

Premier C Reserves

Premier C Thirds


Division 1’s unscripted elation each week surpassed the wildest of expectations. Two combatants rise to the Premier sections two more fall from the section. While four newcomers replace them sparking old rivalries, or creating new ones, as they join those in-between to start it all over again.

Melbourne High School Old Boys (10th) had a forgettable year, their reprieve to play in Division 1 masking two tough years for the Unicorns. The Unicorn’s highlights package may be bare with only the solitary win over Bulleen Templestowe this season, but this competition is about fi nding your level and we know that relegation presents an opportunity to re-learn how to win.

Division 1

Bulleen Templestowe (9th) will do in 2015 as MHSOB did this year, the Bullants will get a second chance in the section to maintain competition balance thanks to the departure of Banyule. Although during the season they were not to know this and the Bullants did have a late fl ourish in a bid to extricate themselves from the drop zone. Despite this charge to the line, the injuries at the club had well and truly taken their toll.

Whitefriars (8th) narrowly avoided relegation with a sporadic win-loss record. The Friars tallied fi ve wins throughout the season with their best outing coming at home to Prahran Assumption. The pre-season addition of players from the Donvale Football Club who folded in the Eastern Football League, presented the Friars as formidable chance. However perhaps the ongoing administration burden of merger discussions and attempts to integrate with Donvale led to their poor onfi eld form. With the merger now off the table, Whitefriars can look to get back to the upper reaches of the Division 1 ladder in 2015.

Yarra Valley (7th) made a steady rise through the back half of the year. The Bushrangers made a slow start in Division 1 aft er promotion from Division 2, but did enough as they also struggled through their own home ground re-location. Chris Beal was a stand out for the Bushrangers at full back, averaging less than two goals against in a losing side.

Last season Prahran Assumption (6th) secured fourth spot in the fi nal game of home-and-away but struggled this year to maintain ground. The Two Blues were oft en vulnerable against lower ranked sides, and this cost them the chance to consolidate a top four berth. Prahran Assumption proved it remains a quality team with victories over NOBS/St Pats and eventual premiers Williamstown CYMS. Adam Sleight fi nished with 38 goals this season while Dan Anglin, Liam Hunt

For much of 2014, the result of the Division 1 season looked

like a foregone conclusion. Therry Penola either steamrolled

most of their opposition or when it got tough, they found a way

to win. The Lions ended the home and away season undefeated,

but fi nals football is where stories of yesteryear are re-told and

the winning performances celebrated. Williamstown CYMS

seized the moment, delivering two knock out blows to Therry

Penola in the semi-fi nal then the grand fi nal to steal

the premiership, creating their own history.

and Matt Wall were amongst the Two Blues’ best.

Old Mentonians (5th) were by far the youngest and one of the most exciting teams to watch this season. The Panthers didn’t possess the four-quarter performance needed to secure fourth spot but it sure was a wild ride. The hard running OMFC trumped those below and pushed those above to earn victory, scaring the likes of Therry Penola and Williamstown CYMS. Unfortunately, two losses in the fi nal fortnight of the season ended their hopes of a top four fi nish. Brad Norton had another blinding season while Darcy Brown and Kyle Conlon stepped up as leaders for Old Mentonians.

Old Geelong (4th) made the jump from unpredictable to reliable in 2014. With fi ve consecutive victories on two or more occasions, the OG’s earned the reward of fourth place. Old Geelong proved its worth with a victory over NOBS/St Pats in the 1st Semi-Final before losing to Therry Penola in the Preliminary Final. Captain Callum Wood led the goal tally with 48 for the year while Aaron Bird contributed 28 of his own. Old Geelong could be the team to beat from the remaining Division 1 class of 2014.

NOBS/St Pats (3rd) dropped down to Division 1 this year and for the most part it seemed as if they would bounce straight back. Midway through the season they held second spot but NOBs faded in the latter stage. The loss to Old Geelong in the semi-fi nal ended NOBSPC’s season but they should return a stronger side next year.

Therry Penola fi nished minor premiers with an unbeaten record of 18-0. However, its reign over the division didn’t continue into the fi nals campaign. Therry fi nished 19-2 as Williamstown CYMS beat them twice during the post-season. Although the Lions couldn’t capture the premiership, it was still a triumphant season in some respects. To go the year undefeated and earn back to back promotions is no easy feat and shouldn’t be underestimated. With Corey and Jarrod Bannister in its side, who tallied almost 200 goals between them, Therry Penola will be more than a handful in Premier C.

Williamstown CYMS’ performance at Visy Park in the Grand Final proved to all what a powerful club they are and could be higher up in the VAFA sections. Having been without success since 2008, the CY’s wanted it more than anyone else at the pointy end. The Division 1 best and fairest Jack Gray proved his worth throughout the season and on the big day, while Luke Molan and Captain Ben Gray also played their best footy in big games.

CY’s reach new heights

Jack Gray (Williamstown CYMS) - Pepper Medallist


Their fi nals form was irrepressible; defeating the undefeated Lions twice in three weeks should be a warning for all in Premier C that the CY’s arrive at this level for the fi rst time in their history with conviction. The last team who held the Division 1 cup aloft (Hampton Rovers) went on to hold Premier C’s up the following year. This feat is not beyond Williamstown CYMS and is one to remember for September next year.

Prahran Assumption claimed the reserves fl ag handing Therry Penola a second loss on Grand Final day, the Two Blues winning their fi rst reserves fl ag since E South Section in 1997 when the club was Southbank.

James Ried

Division 1 Premiership Team: Williamstown CYMSB: Sean McVernon, Ryan Danaher, Philip Johnson

HB: Tim Murphy, Ben Gray (Capt.), Fin Adamson

C: Ashley Heaver, Nic Holdsworth, Robert Chan

HF: Cameron Oates, Kurt Scown, Jack Gray (VC)

F: Chris Cini, Luke Molan, Matthew John

R: Steve Puhar, Daniel Calman-Orr, Tom Johnstone

Int: Ryan Joy, Joel Hogarth, Callum Richards, Jason Bencich

Coach: Mathew Montebello

Leading GoalkickersName Club Goals

Jarrod Bannister Therry Penola OB 100* (109)

Corey Bannister Therry Penola OB 80 (85)

Matthew Keown North Old Boys/St Patricks College 50 (51)

Callum Wood Old Geelong 45 (48)


LS Pepper Medal Player Club Votes

Jack Gray Williamstown CYMS 22

Jarrod Egglestone Therry Penola OB 21

James Musster Prahran Assumption 19

Peter Shepherd North Old Boys/St Pats 17

Hugh McKay Old Geelong 15

Adam Oakley North Old Boys/St Pats 15

Scribe Team of the yearB: Brad Norton (OM), Hayden Cotsford (WOC), Liam Hunt (PA)

HB: Adam Oakley (NOBSPC), Brenton Egglestone (TP), Ben Trend (YV)

C: Matt Lyons (TP), Jarrod Egglestone (TP) - C, Darcy Brown (OM)

HF: Nic Holdsworth (WCYMS), Matt Keown (NOBSPC) - VC, Luke Molan (WCYMS)

FF: Corey Bannister (TP), Jarrod Bannister (TP), Callum Wood (OG)

R: Peter Shepherd (NOBSPC), Jack Gray (WCYMS), Dan Anglin (PA)

Int: Kyle Conlon (OM), Harry Voglar (BT), Aaron Bird (OG), Anthony Svirskis (MHSOB)Jarrod Bannister


Division 1 ResultsPREMIERSHIP LADDER


Therry Penola 18 18 0 0 0 0 2180 1027 212.27 72

Williamstown CYMS 18 14 4 0 0 0 1676 1240 135.16 56

NOBS/St Pats 18 12 6 0 0 0 1767 1491 118.51 48

Old Geelong 18 11 7 0 0 0 1659 1468 113.01 44

Old Mentonians 18 9 9 0 0 0 1619 1695 95.52 36

Prahran Assumption 18 8 10 0 0 0 1698 1522 111.56 32

Yarra Valley 18 7 10 1 0 0 1432 1768 81.00 30

Whitefriars 18 5 13 0 0 0 1277 1664 76.74 20

Bulleen Templestowe 18 4 13 1 0 0 1266 1665 76.04 18

MHSOB 18 1 17 0 0 0 1137 2171 52.37 4

Division 1 Grand Final at Visy Park (Princes Park), Carlton

Williamstown CYMS 6.1 7.7 13.13 16.14 (110)

Therry Penola 1.1 2.4 4.5 8.6 (54)

Williamstown CYMSGoals: M. John 5, S. Puhar 2, J. Gray 2, C. Richards 2, A. Heaver 1, R. Joy 1, L. Molan 1, R. Chan 1Best: M. John, B. Gray, R. Danaher, T. Johnstone, T. Murphy, D. Calman-Orr

Therry PenolaGoals: J. Bannister 3, C. Bannister 3, M. Costello 1, M. Pell 1Best: J. Egglestone, P. Edwards, M. Marangon, B. Egglestone, B. Harding, M. Lyons

J.W. Manton Medal: Matthew John (Williamstown CYMS)

Division 1 Preliminary Final

Therry Penola 4.4 9.10 10.13 13.15 (93)

Old Geelong 2.2 6.4 8.8 11.9 (75)

Therry PenolaGoals: J. Bannister 5, M. Costello 2, C. Bannister 2, M. Pell 2, J. Egglestone 1, D. Ryan 1Best: M. Lyons, M. Marangon, P. Edwards, M. Pell, B. Harding, M. Sullivan

Old GeelongGoals: C. Wood 2, J. Hoevenaars 2, C. O’Brien 2, R. Kemp 1, A. Bird 1, S. Howard 1, N. Hardie-Grant 1, W. Sharp 1Best: A. Leahy, C. O’Brien, H. McKay, A. Stewart, J. Hoevenaars, W. Sharp

Division 1 Semi Final 1

Old Geelong 4.2 6.8 8.13 12.19 (91)

NOBS/St Pats 2.4 4.6 5.11 9.13 (67)

Old GeelongGoals: T. Wigan 3, C. O’Brien 2, A. Bird 2, C. Wood 1, D. Andrew 1, A. Leahy 1, J. Hoevenaars 1, P. Tucker 1Best: J. Forster, J. Hoevenaars, H. McKay, D. Andrew, S. Hughes, R. Kemp

NOBS/St PatsGoals: M. Chapman 5, B. Hunt 1, B. Holland 1, M. Keown 1, C. Ryan 1Best: N. Holt, M. Chapman, P. Shepherd, A. Oakley, J. Nettlefold, D. Tonkin


Williamstown CYMS 5.1 8.4 12.6 16.10 (106)

Therry Penola 2.5 4.6 7.8 10.10 (70)

Williamstown CYMSGoals: M. John 4, J. Gray 4, R. Chan 2, C. Richards 1, J. Bencich 1, C. Oates 1, L. Molan 1, D. Calman-Orr 1, T. Murphy 1Best: R. Danaher, T. Johnstone, R. Chan, N. Holdsworth, S. McVernon, T. Murphy

Therry PenolaGoals: J. Bannister 4, C. Bannister 3, H. Rowe 1, N. Milevski 1, B. Egglestone 1Best: B. Harding, P. Edwards, M. Lyons, J. White, J. Egglestone, M. Valenti



Williamstown CYMS 18 14 4 0 0 0 1697 880 192.84 56Therry Penola 18 13 5 0 0 0 1637 716 228.63 52Old Geelong 18 13 5 0 0 0 1703 1019 167.12 52Prahran Assumption 18 13 5 0 0 0 1381 860 160.58 52Yarra Valley 18 12 6 0 0 0 1390 1072 129.66 48Whitefriars 18 9 9 0 0 0 1195 1270 94.09 36NOBS/St Pats 18 7 11 0 0 0 1305 1248 104.57 28Bulleen Templestowe 18 7 11 0 0 0 1058 1326 79.79 28MHSOB 18 2 16 0 0 0 808 1867 43.28 8Old Mentonians 18 0 18 0 0 0 489 2444 20.01 0

Division 1 Reserves Premiership Team: Prahran AssumptionB: Ed Delahenty, Brett Kenny, Tom Matherson

HB: Adam Hall, Sammy Durnan, Matt Laverty (C)

C: Brent Field (VC) Joshua Ancrum, Hunter Watkin

HF: Michael Bremner, Michael Radywonik, Ash Forbes

F: Rick Ellis, David Cupples, John Rice

R: Aran O’Hare, Josh Hogarth, Tim Webb

Int: Jayden Williams, Tom Candy, David Quirk, Nicholas Giofre

Coach: Joshua Ancrum

Division 1 Reserves Grand Final

Therry Penola 1.1 1.1 2.3 4.5 (29)

Prahran Assumption 1.1 4.5 7.7 9.10 (64)

Prahran AssumptionGoals: J. Williams 2, R. Ellis 2, D. Cupples 1, B. Kenny 1, J. Rice 1, T. Candy 1, J. Hogarth 1Best: B. Field, A. O’Hare, T. Webb, B. Kenny, J. Hogarth, J. Williams

Therry PenolaGoals: D. Ractliff e 1, E. Benson 1, J. Coutts 1, J. Gough 1Best: B. Budiono, J. Mennuni, E. Benson, A. Ractliff e, L. Reynolds, L. Ryan

Best on ground medal: Brent Field (Prahran Assumption)

Division 1 Reserves


Aft er winning the 2013 Division 3 premiership in

such a commanding manner, it was clear from

early on, Kew weren’t going to buckle under the

weight of expectation. The Bears weren’t content

with simply being promoted, they had the

determination and belief that they could go back-

to-back and continue their ascension through

the VAFA ranks. Their year started fl awlessly, Kew

picked up where they left off in 2013. It was an

unlikely loss to the lowly Elsternwick, that saw

the Bears suff er a mid-season slump. It didn’t

completely de-rail the season though and they

learnt some lessons that would be invaluable

later in the year. Their main rival for the fl ag, St

Mary’s Salesian, defeated them comfortably in

the second Semi Final, as the Bears barely gave a

Division 2

yelp. Kew responded a week later to win through to their second successive grand fi nal with a hard fought win over Old Eltham. The re-match that everyone wanted was in place. The Bears relished their new underdog status. They shocked St Mary’s with a blistering fi rst quarter and in what was a spiteful encounter, hung on in the dying moments to record a momentous win.

Aft er signing ex-AFL player Jess Sinclair as senior coach over the pre-season, all eyes were on St Mary’s Salesian to see if Sinclair could extract the improvement needed for them to deliver on their promise. For an extremely proud and innovative club, a premiership was well and truly in their sights, and their early season form was devastating. St Mary’s boasted winners on every

line, they were resolute and proactive defensively, hard, tough and slick through the midfi eld and damaging up forward. They also had arguable the best home ground advantage at Ferndale Park, where they were an attacking machine. They’re one Achilles heel however was Kew. The Saints were 1–2 over their three meetings heading into the Grand Final, but seemed to hold the psychological advantage aft er dismantling the Bears two weeks prior. Unfortunately it all comes down to how you play on the day, the Saints were supreme for two and a half quarters but didn’t take their chances when they presented. I’m sure it will burn over the summer months and drive them to great things in 2015. St

Depending on the goals set out over the previous summer,

and where a club sees itself going forward, success isn’t always

defi ned by wins and losses, but only one club can walk away

as premiers, and for the Kew Bears their victory

was the of the triumph of the year.

Mary’s Salesian did win the reserves premiership and were also runners up in the Premier C Thirds decider demonstrating the strong position the Saints have worked to be in.

Old Eltham will be disappointed with getting so close to a Grand Final berth, but by no means should view the year as a failure. They broke the fi nals drought and showed that their best was well and truly good enough this year. Consistency in their performance and eff ort will be the messages drummed into the Turtles over their pre-season to ensure they can take the next step in 2015.

Old Paradians fi nd themselves in a similar position to Old Eltham. They showed that they’re more than capable, but didn’t show it for long enough during the season. Having made the fi nals on the back of some encouraging performances during the year, they hardly fi red a shot against Old Eltham in the fi rst semi which was a poor refl ection of their year. Depth will be the main focus at Parade College over the summer, too many times, too much was left for too few.

The Paul Harris led Ivanhoe should view their 2014 as a success aft er just missing out on a fi nals berth. Given the club is in a stage of rebuilding, they took some steps forward this year and have plenty of young talent at their disposal to develop over the pre-season. Big things will be expected at Ivanhoe Park in 2015.

St Johns were the “Jekyll and Hyde” side of 2014, they were well and truly capable of matching it with the likes of Kew and St Mary’s, but unfortunately showed that form in spits and spurts. Close early season losses had them playing catch-up but to their credit they never surrendered and were a mathematical chance to make the fi nals with a couple of rounds to go. Consistency and commitment will be the trigger words at Thomas Carroll next year, with improvement needed in both areas.

Kew go back to back

Aaron Lendaro (Old Eltham Collegians) - Fullerton Medallist


South Melbourne continued to develop during 2014, with promise shown through the form of their young stars. A big pre-season is needed so that those stars continue their development in an upward curve and also build their depth.

Elsternwick unfortunately didn’t carry on their 2013 form into this year. A runner up fi nish to Kew in Division 3, saw the Wick’s struggle with the step up in class of Division 2. They did however have some “out of the box” performances, namely ending Kew’s unbeaten streak but will need to recruit heavily over the summer.

Monash Gryphons were saved from relegation for the second year running by the exit of a club from a higher section. Another disappointing season highlighted by a lack of depth needed to compete on a regular basis. Nevertheless the club is well run and it should only be a matter of time.

Glen Eira were simply out worked and out classed for the majority of the year. They have fallen from the heights of a 2011 premiership in this section to have suff ered back to back relegations. The undoubted highlight was their drought breaking win over Elsternwick in round 12, ending a 708 days without singing the song to record a fi rst win since mid 2012.

Brenton Mann

Division 2 Premiership Team: KewB: William Balme, Michael Cochrane (C), Paul Donaldson

HB: Tom Leeds, Sam Bishop, Tim Allman

C: Josh O’Bryan, Jeremy Fulthiem, Kyle Margaritas

HF: Max Waters, Robert Maibaum, Darcy Spencer

F: Michael Henderson (VC), Andrew Brazzale (VC), Jett Guerin

R: Brandon Droessler, Jack Delbridge, Blake Goodwin

Int: Paul Brough (VC), Billy Shute, Ned Rhort, Corey Quinlaven

Coach: Ian Aitken


David Boundy Old Paradians 74*

Andrew Brazzale Kew 58 (68)

Sabastian Ciavola Old Eltham Collegians 54 (57)

Mitchell Lovell Ivanhoe 51


J Fullerton MedalPlayer Club Votes

Aaron Lendaro Old Eltham 26

Sidney Jones St Mary’s-Salesian 19

Luke Barda Glen Eira 17

Nicholas Latsas St Mary’s-Salesian 15

Andrew Oldfi eld Elsternwick 15

Scribe Team of the yearB: Thomas O’Donnell (Ivan), Tom Leeds (Kew), Sam Bishop (Kew)

HB: Ben Ayache (SJOC), Warren Jeff erey (OP), Josh Tanner (SMS)

C: Tom Whittle (SMS), Nathan Chalk (SJOC), Chris Kingsford (Ivan)

HF: Braedon McLean (SMS), Michael Bellitzia (OP), Mitch Lovell (Ivan)

FF: Aaron Thornton (Elst), Andrew Brazzale (Kew), Sebastian Mahoney (SMD)

R: Daniel Cattolico (SJOC), Scott Pepyat (OEC), Sam Bradford (SMD

Int: Andrew Oldfi eld (Elst), Luke Barda (GE), Michael Boundy (OP), Aaron Lenardo (OEC)


Division 2 Results

Division 2 Grand Final at Casey FieldsSt Mary’s Salesian 0.3 3.7 5.10 6.11 (47)Kew 6.5 7.7 7.7 8.10 (58)

St Mary’s SalesianGoals: L. Holmes 2, D. Weetra 1, S. Jones 1, B. Mc Lean 1, H. Chipperfi eld 1Best: H. Chipperfi eld, C. Butler, S. Jones, N. Latsas, D. Weetra, B. Mc Lean

KewGoals: S. Bishop 2, A. Brazzale 2, R. Maibaum 2, K. Margaritis 1, J. Guerin 1Best: M. Waters, J. Delbridge, S. Bishop, T. Leeds, M. Henderson, K. Margaritis

A.R. Fellows Medal: Kyle Margaritis (Kew)

Division 2 Preliminary FinalKew 2.3 5.5 6.6 11.7 (73)Old Eltham Collegians 3.3 4.7 6.9 8.11 (59)

KewGoals: A. Brazzale 7, R. Maibaum 2, B. Droessler 1, P. Donaldson 1Best: A. Brazzale, S. Bishop, J. Delbridge, K. Margaritis, P. Donaldson, B. Goodwin

Old Eltham CollegiansGoals: S. Whiteside 3, J. Laver 1, S. Ciavola 1, T. Woods 1, Z. Tranter 1, M. Hargrave 1Best: M. Crooks, J. Galvin, S. Whiteside, B. Switkowski, B. Strongman, G. McCracken

Division 2 Semi Final 1Old Eltham Collegians 0.3 3.5 6.11 7.11 (53)Old Paradians 1.0 2.4 2.4 3.12 (30)

Old Eltham CollegiansGoals: S. Ciavola 2, N. Harper 2, B. Galvin 1, B. Switkowski 1, J. Hall 1Best: N. Harper, A. Lendaro, B. Switkowski, C. Brown, M. Crooks, B. Galvin

Old ParadiansGoals: J. Lidyard 1, A. Asdagi 1, J. Kandilakis 1Best: W. Jeff rey, D. Huntley, J. Kandilakis, C. Kandilakis, B. Moylan, M. Simpson

Division 2 Semi Final 2Kew 1.2 2.3 3.5 6.6 (42)St Mary’s Salesian 4.3 9.6 10.11 13.12 (90)

KewGoals: A. Brazzale 3, M. Waters 1, J. Dammenhayn 1, J. O’Keefe 1Best: N. Rohrt, S. Bishop, P. Donaldson, J. O’Bryan, M. Cochrane, A. Brazzale

St Mary’s SalesianGoals: J. Rogers 3, B. Andrews 2, T. Whittle 2, J. Strangward 2, H. Chipperfi eld 1, N. Latsas 1, A. Dwyer 1, L. Holmes 1Best: N. Latsas, J. Rogers, J. Strangward, H. Chipperfi eld, N. Baum, B. Andrews

PREMIERSHIP LADDER


Kew 18 15 2 1 0 0 1809 1084 166.88 62

St Mary’s Salesian 18 15 3 0 0 0 2088 1005 207.76 60

Old Eltham Collegians 18 13 5 0 0 0 1778 1219 145.86 52

Old Paradians 18 11 7 0 0 0 1593 1214 131.22 44

Ivanhoe 18 10 7 1 0 0 1643 1337 122.89 42

St Johns 18 10 8 0 0 0 1705 1393 122.40 40

South Melbourne Districts 18 6 12 0 0 0 1299 1803 72.05 24

Elsternwick 18 4 14 0 0 0 1252 2086 60.02 16

Monash Gryphons 18 3 15 0 0 0 1032 1948 52.98 12

Glen Eira 18 2 16 0 0 0 888 1998 44.44 8



St Mary’s Salesian 18 16 2 0 0 0 2401 601 399.50 64Kew 18 15 3 0 0 0 2083 766 271.93 60Old Eltham Collegians 18 15 3 0 0 0 2027 832 243.63 60Ivanhoe 18 14 4 0 0 0 1961 803 244.21 56Old Paradians 18 8 10 0 0 0 1091 1336 81.66 32Monash Gryphons 18 7 10 1 0 0 1043 1562 66.77 30St Johns 18 5 12 1 0 0 933 1614 57.81 22Glen Eira 18 5 13 0 0 0 722 1557 46.37 20South Melbourne Districts 18 3 15 0 0 0 797 1784 44.67 12Elsternwick 18 1 17 0 0 0 425 2642 16.09 4

Division 2 Reserves Premiership Team: St Mary’s SalesianB: Billy Anderson, Shaun Brown, Cam Rose

HB: Jake Evans, Tom Gowers, Kyle Duerden

C: Henry Wong, Anthony Murphy (C), Ananth Patharina

HF: Stefan Gusts, Jono McCoy, Divyan Rajkumar

F: Matt Curtin, Dylan Gook, Scott Gatehouse

R: Mitch Adam, Kyle Buchanan, Mick Kruze

Int: Ben Kelly, Ben Semmler-Farr, Lewis Hawkins, Jason Dickinson

Coach: Damian Sutherland


St Mary’s Salesian 3.4 7.7 10.8 14.11 (95)

Ivanhoe 2.4 5.5 6.6 10.7 (67)

St Mary’s SalesianGoals: S. Gusts 3, J. McCoy 2, A. Murphy 2, J. Evans 2, K. Buchanan 1, D. Gook 1, S. Gatehouse 1, J. Dickinson 1, H. Wong 1Best: A. Murphy, J. Evans, K. Buchanan, K. Duerden, S. Brown, H. Wong

IvanhoeGoals: P. Walter 2, A. Diorietes 2, B. Grigg 2, B. Zagontinos 1, C. Robinson 1, W. Servinis 1, B. Jackson 1Best: B. Jackson, B. Fleming, A. Diorietes, A. Dimopoulos, W. Servinis, L. Vaughan

Best on Ground Medal: Anthony Murphy (St Mary’s Salesian)

Division 2 Reserves


The Northern Blues Amateurs will now have teams in the higher divisions peering over their shoulder aft er securing back to back premierships in their fi rst two years as a fully fl edged senior club. The Blues are six wins from their six contests in the fi nals under the tutelage of coach George Wakim who continues to have his side playing football worthy of the higher grades. If the Blues can keep their young list together and continue to build their depth it is hard to determine exactly where their ceiling could be.

Richmond Central was a tipster’s nightmare during the regular season as a side capable of defeating anyone on their day underwent a mid-season slump to forget. Despite faltering to a modest fi ft h place fi nish, the Snakes found their mojo again at the pointy end of the year to win seven consecutive games and storm into the Grand Final. Dan Goonan’s men will feel confi dent

Division 3

of being able to mix it with the best of Division 2 if they can remedy their 2014 consistency problems. Depth through their senior side was one of their biggest strengths as their reserves fi nished the year as premiers.

Emmaus St Leos are the unluckiest side to remain in the Division aft er they failed at the fi nal hurdle despite going on a barnstorming 11-game winning streak during the season. The Animals lost in straight sets in the fi nals to the eventual grand fi nalists, going down by one-point in a heart-wrenching defeat to Northern Blues in the Preliminary Final. If they can keep their core group of players including Ryan Harding, Chris Beluszar and Paul Baranello together they should feature prominently again in 2015.

Captain Nick Morrison-Storey dragged his side Aquinas into contention with a fantastic campaign that saw him fi nish second in the competition best and fairest behind Emmaus’ Captain Paul Baranello. The Bloods were eliminated in the preliminary fi nal - one step closer than their 2013 qualifying fi nal fi nish - and under the guidance of Russell Barnes will be hoping to be one of the sides fi ghting it out on the fi nal day of September next season.

Swinburne University were unlucky to fall victim to the dreaded seeding system of the top six Division 3 fi nals, bowing out aft er their loss to Aquinas and following Richmond’s underdog defeat of Emmaus. The Razorbacks have plenty to build on in 2015 following their surge up the ladder this season aft er fi nishing ninth in 2013. Their best performers throughout the campaign were Ashley Woodhead who provided plenty of consistency through the midfi eld and Nick Mauran.

It wasn’t the fairytale story Albert Park were hoping for aft er a seven game winning streak secured them the last place in the fi nals. The Falcon’s began the season slowly going 1-6 through their fi rst seven games of the season before they eventually hit their straps. They hit the roadblock of a strong Northern Blues side in the fi rst fi nal, going down by a disappointing 67-points. Stuart Maunder and Neil Sjostrom posed a serious threat when paired together in the forward line before

One of the most unpredictable divisions in recent history

served up a justifi ed fi nish as the fl eeting Northern Blues

overcame their bogey side Richmond Central to trump

all-comers and secure back to back premierships.

Maunder suff ered a season ending injury late in the year. That pair could form a one-two punch to look out for in Division 3 next year.

Ant Voyage’s Power House missed out on the top six on percentage aft er fl irting inside the fi nals picture all season. The team will feel like their poor start is to blame aft er losing their fi rst three games of the year. Power House had trouble securing wins away from home all season winning just three matches on opposition territory.

The Vultures were expected to be one of the front-runners in contention for the fl ag before a plethora of off -season departures due to work and injury left them struggling for consistency throughout the year. Coach David Wallace will need the off -season to continue to groom his contingent of players brought in through the universities’ aff iliation and get his side back among Division 3’s elite.

A disappointing year for the X-Men was symbolised by their dismal record against Division 3’s top four. Last year’s competition best and fairest Dimitri Dimakopolous steered his side to just one win against the competition’s best teams as they fell short of their loft y expectations. Ben Spencer and Joel Lenders battled hard all season.

A fast start to the year had many thinking that Eley Park were a serious contender for the premiership before a raft of injuries sent their season off -track. With captain Matt Costorphin and spearhead Noel Bahnsen among the injured players, it looked as though the Sharks were destined for a return to Division 4 before wins in their last two contests resurrected their season.

In a dramatic fi nish for the Trobers, a draw in their fi nal game of the season left them an agonizing two points behind Eley Park in 11th position. Jake McMeel thrived in a forward line starved of opportunity – 11th for points for – kicking 58 goals for the year. Jordy O’Brien was another stand

Unstoppable Northern Blues

Paul Baranello (Emmaus St Leos) - Hutchinson Medallist


out player all season for La Trobe who will get a reprieve to stay in Division 3 courtesy of Banyule’s exit from the competition in a higher section.

It was never going to be easy for South Mornington aft er a challenging off -season left them struggling for numbers and depth. Despite not being able to muster up a win for the year, the club’s ability to persevere under the circumstances has to be admired and is a testament to the character of players such as Jason Wilson and Andrew Hamilton.

Kris Neil

Division 3 Premiership Team: Northern BluesB: Daniel Wakim, Reed Jepson, Ty Lehmann

HB: Sean Towers, Olsen Clarke, Dean Calcedo (C)

C: Jordan Hull, Matthew Holmes, Damon Marcon

HF: Lachlan Holmes, Tony Napolione, Mark Ciganua

F: Todd Beames (C), Nathan Parkes, Lachlan McRedmond

R: Paul Sansonetti, Jay Phealan, James King

Int: Sam Maatouk, Alex Campbell, James Warwick, Nicholas DeAndrade

Coach: George Wakim


Christopher Beluszar Emmaus St Leos OC 67* (70)

Rhys Kirk UHS-VU 64

Jack McMeel La Trobe University 58

Ryan Harding Emmaus St Leos OC 56 (58)


P Hutchinson MedalPlayer Club Votes

Paul Baranello Emmaus St Leos 32

Nicholas Morrison-Storey Aquinas OC 29

Sam Confait Power House 23

Dean Calcedo Northern Blues 20

Tony Vuwai Northern Blues 18

Scribe Team of the yearB: Asher Kirk (UHSVU), Nick Mauran (SU), Anthony Ballard (ESL)

HB: Stuart Ward (RC), Sam Buultjens (PH), Nicholas Morrison-Storey (AOC)

C: Damon Marcon (NB), Paul Baranello (ESL) - C, Sam Confait (PH)

HF: Jack McMeel (LTU), Jai Perrett (AOC), James King (NB)

FF: Rhys Kirk (UHSVU), Chris Beluszar (ESL), Stuart Maunder (AP)

R: Dane Roy (RC), Dean Calcedo (NB) - VC, Dimitri Dimakopoulous (SFX)

Int: Noel Bahnsen (EP), Ivan Davies (SM), Tyson Cattle (AP), Ashley Woodhead (SU), Reed Jepson (NB), Nic Robin (ESL)



P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSNorthern Blues 18 14 4 0 0 0 2096 1343 156.07 56Emmaus St Leos 18 13 5 0 0 0 2089 1118 186.85 52Aquinas 18 12 6 0 0 0 1769 1255 140.96 48Swinburne University 18 12 6 0 0 0 1632 1198 136.23 48Richmond Central 18 11 7 0 0 0 1846 1349 136.84 44Albert Park 18 9 9 0 0 0 1557 1363 114.23 36Power House 18 9 9 0 0 0 1325 1305 101.53 36UHS-VU 18 8 9 1 0 0 1362 1476 92.28 34St Francis Xavier 18 8 10 0 0 0 1315 1478 88.97 32Eley Park Sharks 18 6 12 0 0 0 1376 1560 88.21 24La Trobe University 18 5 12 1 0 0 1243 1379 90.14 22South Mornington 18 0 18 0 0 0 461 3247 14.20 0

Division 3 Grand Final at Garvey Oval

Northern Blues 3.7 7.10 11.16 14.18 (102)Richmond Central 3.4 7.5 9.6 12.6 (78)

Northern BluesGoals: T. Vuwai 3, L. McRedmond 3, D. Marcon 2, N. Parkes 1, A. Campbell 1, J. King 1, J. Phelan 1, S. Maatouk 1, T. Beames 1Best: D. Calcedo, T. Vuwai, J. King, O. Clark, P. Sansonetti, D. Marcon

Richmond CentralGoals: L. Carland 3, A. Fiske 2, W. Bucci 1, S. Bugeja 1, P. Holland 1, S. Demeo 1, D. Roy 1, C. Pullen 1, R. Costanzo 1Best: S. Brown, T. Thurwood, L. Carland, K. Schoenmaekers, T. Baker, N. Anstey

V.B. Zanin Medal: Damon Marcon (Northern Blues)

Division 3 Preliminary Final 1Northern Blues 3.3 8.11 11.14 13.17 (95)Emmaus St Leos 4.2 8.3 13.6 14.10 (94)

Northern BluesGoals: T. Vuwai 3, L. McRedmond 2, M. Cigagna 2, J. King 2, D. Marcon 1, J. Warwick 1, N. Parkes 1, J. Phelan 1Best: T. Lehmann, D. Wakim, L. McRedmond, J. Warwick, P. Sansonetti, N. De Andrade

Emmaus St LeosGoals: P. Baranello 3, D. Hill 3, A. McDougall 2, R. Harding 2, C. Beluszar 2, B. Ellis 1, L. Virgo 1Best: N. Robin, T. Thorn, P. Baranello, L. Glover, D. Hill, A. Ballard

Division 3 Preliminary Final 2Aquinas 3.4 6.8 10.9 12.10 (82)Richmond Central 1.5 5.8 9.12 11.25 (91)

AquinasGoals: M. Kershaw 2, J. Perrett 2, S. Williams 2, M. Jess 1, N. Morrison-Storey 1, L. Toomey 1, P. Jurkovsky 1, T. Niezen 1, C. Cormack 1Best: M. Jess, L. Toomey, M. Kershaw, L. Barnes, N. Morrison-Storey, J. Morrison-Story

Richmond CentralGoals: W. Bucci 5, T. Thurwood 1, S. Ward 1, S. Bugeja 1, P. Holland 1, A. Fiske 1, S. Brown 1Best: R. Costanzo, S. Brown, K. Schoenmaekers, T. Thurwood, D. Holland, W. Bucci

Division 3 Qualifying Final 1Northern Blues 7.3 10.4 21.7 21.12 (138)Albert Park 2.3 3.5 5.7 10.11 (71)

Northern BluesGoals: T. Beames 5, L. Holmes 4, C. Paterson 3, M. Cigagna 3, J. Warwick 2, L. McRedmond 2, J. Hull 1, D. Calcedo 1Best: C. Beaty, A. Campbell, C. Paterson, J. Thompson, S. Towers, T. Vuwai

Albert ParkGoals: J. Brick 3, D. Lyne 1, N. Sjostrom 1, H. Turner 1, T. Cattle 1, C. Blizzard 1, J. Antenucci 1, S. Campbell 1Best: J. Brick, S. Campbell, R. Schneider, N. Cattle, C. Blizzard, J. Antenucci

Division 3 Qualifying Final 2Emmaus St Leos 2.5 9.7 9.8 11.13 (79)Richmond Central 2.3 6.7 11.15 12.18 (90)

Emmaus St LeosGoals: D. Hill 4, B. Ellis 2, A. McDougall 1, P. Baranello 1, A. Smith 1, A. Ballard 1, C. Beluszar 1Best: D. Hill, A. Ballard, L. Virgo, M. Lalor, T. Ahern, L. Glover

Richmond CentralGoals: S. Bugeja 3, P. Holland 3, T. Thurwood 2, T. Baker 2, S. Demeo 1, K. Schoenmaekers 1Best: L. Carland, S. Bugeja, T. Baker, T. Thurwood, S. Ward, R. Costanzo

Division 3 Qualifying Final 3Aquinas 6.4 9.4 16.10 19.16 (130)Swinburne University 1.3 6.7 7.9 11.13 (79)

AquinasGoals: J. Perrett 5, S. Williams 3, B. O’’Loughlin 2, P. Jurkovsky 2, M. Kershaw 2, M. Niezen 1, L. McDonald 1, T. Niezen 1, M. Cull 1, M. Jess 1 Best: M. Jess, L. Toomey, P. Jurkovsky, J. Perrett, A. Meagher, L. Barnes

Swinburne UniversityGoals: J. Bunge 4, Z. Scrase 2, B. Higgins , R. Lugg , T. Kennedy , A. Woodhead , G. Peter Best: Z. Scrase, J. Bunge, A. Woodhead, M. Hodgson, J. Bradley, A. Hyman



Richmond Central 18 16 2 0 0 0 1873 777 241.06 64UHS-VU 18 14 4 0 0 0 1712 1036 165.25 56La Trobe University 18 12 6 0 0 0 1639 862 190.14 48Power House 18 11 7 0 0 0 1468 933 157.34 44Aquinas 18 11 7 0 0 0 1170 1027 113.92 44Swinburne University 18 11 7 0 0 0 1280 1223 104.66 44Eley Park Sharks 18 10 8 0 0 0 1551 1090 142.29 40Albert Park 18 9 9 0 0 0 1489 1041 143.04 36Emmaus St Leos 18 5 13 0 0 0 979 1660 58.98 20St Francis Xavier 18 5 13 0 0 0 911 1692 53.84 20Northern Blues 18 4 14 0 0 0 1072 1600 67.00 16South Mornington 18 0 18 0 0 0 595 2844 20.92 0

Division 3 Reserves Premiership Team: Richmond CentralB: Chris McCluskey, Joseph Shaw (C), David Ballock

HB: Jamie Fenech, David Panaho, Eoin Cotter

C: Mitchell Turner, Tim Nunn, Alex Shopov

HF: Jordan Ruwoldt, Joshua Sharp, Beau McGoldrick

F: Andrew Fraser, Jake Munro, Nicholas Cannon

R: Trent Woodberry, Ben Zelencich, Matthew Skinner

Int: Travis Noff ke, Stephen Bohan, Rory McCaughey, Mathew Croker

Coach: Joshua Sharp


Richmond Central 1.2 3.4 6.7 11.8 (74)

UHS-VU 1.0 5.1 7.4 9.5 (59)

Richmond CentralGoals: J. Munro 5, N. Cannon 3, E. Cotter 1, A. Shopov 1, A. Fraser 1Best: S. Bohan, J. Shaw, E. Cotter, J. Munro, D. Ballock, M. Turner

UHS-VUGoals: R. Dickson 3, M. Sweeney 2, W. Smith 1, H. Lovell 1, S. Parker 1, S. Cracknell 1Best: W. Smith, S. Cracknell, A. Thomasse, A. Bossie, M. Roberts, C. Certo

Best on ground medal: Stephen Bohan (Richmond Central)

Division 3 Reserves

Adam Collett (Power House)


Chadstone: The appointment of Ken Schwab as senior coach in the pre season perpetuated an atmosphere hope out Chadstone way. Despite showing plenty of heart throughout the season, unfortunately the Synners were unable to register a win. Stand out players this season were the Farrugia brothers and Nick Boothman who was the club’s only representative in the Team of the Year.

North Brunswick fi nished well below where they could have, had injury not constantly decimated their list through the season. A top six in 2013 could not be replicated and the wounded Bulls fi nished 2014 one from the bottom. Simon Mair and Kenny Zuidema led the charge and were well supported by plenty of determined youngsters who will be better for their run in the senior side

next season. Strong wins over the Synners and

Division 4

Dragons were the highlights of 2014 for North Brunswick, but their resilient attitude and a host of close results demonstrated the culture that will serve them well going into next year and beyond.

The Dragons second season in the VAFA was a real mixed bag. Some weeks they surprised everyone as they blitzed opponents, whilst others they just could barely muster a challenge. Wins over Box Hill North, Manningham Cobras and surprise packet Westbourne Grammarians prove that at their best the Dragons were a dangerous team, but unfortunately from their perspective those performances were few and far between. Sadly aft er only two seasons the club has decided to leave the VAFA and return to the SFL.

Point Cook FC had a horror start to the season losing their fi rst fi ve. This made things hard for the rest of the year, but eventually the boys at the kennel got the best out of themselves. They weren’t able to knock off a big scalp this year, generally speaking they produced convincing results against those equal to or lower than them on the ladder. Robert Milne and Ben Cox were kept busy in the back half all year. They were equal to the challenge and rewarded with starting positions the competition’s best side for 2014.

Box Hill North held fi rm this year as they fi nished roughly where they did the year before. A capable side that ended up where their level suggested – the best of the rest. Toby Manning was rewarded for hard work with as he earned a guernsey in the Team of the Year.

Westbourne Grammarians: The newly branded club enjoyed an exciting fi rst year. Aft er starting well, an incredible form slump consumed the middle of their 2014 campaign. Many wrote Westbourne off midyear, however an astonishing back end of the season, saw them win seven of

As the clocks across Victoria were wound forwards, there

is, in this humble scribe’s opinion no better time to wind

the clock back on the year that was. ‘No expectations, no

disappointments’ - a fi tting mantra for the year that was in

‘The People’s Division’. Season 2014 was a year of new coaches,

new players, new clubs and new challenges for Division 4.

So who stood out, who sat back and how did they settle?

their last eight to off er a fi ghting chance at fi nals footy. Unfortunately, lacklustre early season form came back to bite them as they fi nished equal fourth, but missed out by 1.05 percentage points.

Manningham Cobras: A month out from the fi nals it seemed as though Manningham had a lock on fourth spot. However a late charge from Westbourne and a shock loss to the Dragons almost saw them blow it. They snuck in but didn’t hang around long as they went down in a tight snake fi ght against Canterbury. Dylan Wolfgramm was a tower of strength for Manningham, kicking a swag of goals which earned him a seat in the Team of the Year Forward line, but it was gun recruit Tom Bell that stole the show in Division 4, taking home the Meehan Medal as the best and fairest in the section.

Canterbury: Aft er 132 years of history in various competitions, Canterbury Cobras joined the VAFA in 2014 and they wasted little time making themselves at home. An incredible season saw them account for almost every team in the competition and regularly push the two competition front-runners. Walmsley, Eckersley and Baker were names that regularly appeared in the side’s best and they are sure to feature again next season. Aft er a stellar fi rst year in the VAFA, there’s no reason Canterbury can’t add more silverware to their grand old cabinet in 2015.

Hawthorn: It was a shame in many ways that the Hawks stumbled at the fi nal hurdle of their golden run. Their star-studded line up went the entire home and away season, plus a second semi fi nal undefeated. McNeil, Tremewen, Gold, Ince and Kennedy (to name but a few of their near impossible match ups) struck fear into the hearts of opposition players and coaches on a weekly basis. New coach Luke Mathers will be proud of what his team achieved this season, but there is

West Brunswick delivered on the day

Tom Bell (Manningham Cobras) - Meehan Medallist


no doubting the Hawthorn faithful will be sore that once again, their champion team left 2014 empty handed. Solace can be taken from their reserves pinching a fl ag against the previously unbeaten West Brunswick, but the senior fl ag was one that got away. Hawthorn will return to Division 3 without a fl ag, but considering the eff ort to get back there aft er an eventful few seasons, it is well deserved promotion.

West Brunswick: The Mapies found their groove at the right time to be crowned well deserved premiers of Division 4. Having lost on three previous occasions to the all mighty Hawks, the Pies went into the Grand Final as underdogs. Those who followed them all year however, knew that they were getting closer to their rivals and if things went their way a boil over could be on the cards. Simpson, Hulm and Bull all featured in the Team of the Year, whilst there were a host of others who were simply squeezed out due to Hawthorn’s utter dominance at the time of selection. West Brunswick were rarely challenged through the season, unless they tackled Hawthorn, but the casual observer could still identify steady Magpie improvement. In the end, it was their constant willingness to improve and achieve what few thought they could that saw them mark the year with a fl ag.

Ryan Goodman

Division 4 Premiership Team: West BrunswickB: Corey Bull, Raphael Touzel, Warwick Baker

HB: Nick.Mitchell, Jake Taylor, Toneka Costa (VC)

C: Chris Germon (VC), Mitchell Simpson, Anthony Gibson

HF: Matt Holmes, Pat Carroll, Michael Handscombe

F: Dylan Muscat, Jack Nulty, Zac Tisdale

R: Jarrod Sandow, Louis Martin (C), Jack Taylor

Int: Richard Benjamin, Adam Ross, Luke Buckler, Jim Forbes

Coach: Angus Hamilton


Jason Ince Hawthorn 88* (92)

Sam Gold Hawthorn 59

Andrew Baker Canterbury 55 (59)

Thomas Lowden Dragons 51


OJ Meehan MedalPlayer Club Votes

Thomas Bell Manningham Cobras 22

David Tremewen Hawthorn 20

Cameron Liston Box Hill North 18

Dylan Wolfgramm Manningham Cobras 16

Scribe Team of the yearB: Corey Bull (WB), Ben Cox (PC), Simon Mair (NB)

HB: Robert Milne (PC), Kade Pargeter (Haw), Toby Manning (BHN)

C: Justin Johns (WG), Matt McNeill (Haw), Tom Bell (MC)

HF: Tom Lowden (Drag), David Tremewen (Haw), Rohan Walmsley (Can)

FF: Dylan Wolfgramm (MC), Jason Ince (Haw), Tom Eckersley (Can)

R: David Kennedy (Haw), Sam Gold (Haw), Scott Hulm (WB)

Int: Nick Boothman (Chad), Andrew Baker (Can), Kenneth Zuidema (NB), Mitchell Simpson (WB)



P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSHawthorn 18 18 0 0 0 0 2480 874 283.75 72

West Brunswick 18 16 2 0 0 0 2089 1115 187.35 64

Canterbury 18 12 6 0 0 0 1834 1590 115.35 48

Manningham Cobras 18 10 8 0 0 0 1600 1329 120.39 40

Westbourne Grammarians 18 10 8 0 0 0 1820 1525 119.34 40

Box Hill North 18 7 11 0 0 0 1679 1821 92.20 28

Point Cook 18 7 11 0 0 0 1379 1553 88.80 28

Dragons 18 6 12 0 0 0 1165 1747 66.69 24

North Brunswick 18 4 14 0 0 0 1449 1629 88.95 16

Chadstone 18 0 18 0 0 0 701 3013 23.27 0

Division 4 Grand Final at Meade Reserve (Clayton)

West Brunswick 2.3 11.4 13.10 18.13 (121)Hawthorn 6.3 8.5 10.9 12.11 (83)

West BrunswickGoals: D. Muscat 5, J. Nulty 3, N. Mitchell 2, M. Handscombe 2, P. Carroll 1, A. Gibson 1, M. Simpson 1, R. Benjamin 1, Z. Tisdale 1, M. Holmes 1Best: Z. Tisdale, J. Taylor, D. Muscat, L. Buckler, R. Touzel, M. Simpson

HawthornGoals: R. White 3, S. Stormonth 3, J. Ince 2, D. Tremewen 2, G. Edmond 1, S. Gunn 1Best: R. White, P. Avery, S. Gunn, N. Raiti, K. Pargeter, L. Chapman

A.K. White Medal: Zac Tisdale (West Brunswick)

Division 4 Preliminary Final

West Brunswick 2.3 6.7 7.7 11.12 (78)Canterbury 3.2 5.5 8.7 8.8 (56)

West BrunswickGoals: J. Nulty 3, C. Germon 1, Z. Tisdale 1, N. Mitchell 1, P. Carroll 1, A. Gibson 1, M. Simpson 1, M. Handscombe 1, J. Taylor 1Best: R. Touzel, W. Baker, J. Nulty, Z. Tisdale, L. Martin, J. Taylor

CanterburyGoals: T. Eckersley 3, L. Chapman 2, A. Baker 2, B. Johnson 1Best: R. Walmsley, H. Giles, T. Nichols, B. Peel, J. Gillen, M. Higgins


Canterbury 2.2 4.7 7.8 10.14 (74)Manningham Cobras 0.2 4.2 7.4 10.7 (67)

CanterburyGoals: T. Eckersley 3, A. Baker 2, B. Johnson 2, D. Gates 1, B. Hui 1, M. Peel 1Best: T. Eckersley, H. Giles, R. Walmsley, T. Nichols, B. Peel, N. Stogdale

Manningham CobrasGoals: M. Muller 5, S. Fisher 2, K. Hawker 1, A. Pianto 1, D. Wolfgramm 1Best: M. Muller, G. Murphy, A. Pianto, C. Terpsinis, T. Bell, P. Wood


Hawthorn 3.2 5.6 8.9 11.15 (81)West Brunswick 3.3 4.5 8.7 10.7 (67)

HawthornGoals: J. Ince 4, R. White 2, G. Edmond 2, S. Stormonth 2, A. Beaton 1Best: J. Campbell, P. Nunan, A. Beaton, M. McNeill, J. Ince, D. Pritchard

West BrunswickGoals: J. Nulty 2, M. Holmes 2, Z. Tisdale 2, L. Buckler 1, C. Germon 1, R. Benjamin 1, M. Simpson 1Best: L. Buckler, C. Germon, W. Baker, R. Touzel, J. Sandow, L. Martin



West Brunswick 18 18 0 0 0 0 2944 322 914.29 72

Hawthorn 18 16 2 0 0 0 2416 529 456.71 64

Westbourne Grammarians 18 11 7 0 0 0 1308 1021 128.11 44

Manningham Cobras 18 10 7 1 0 0 998 1141 87.47 42

Canterbury 18 9 9 0 0 0 1283 1588 80.79 36

Box Hill North 18 9 9 0 0 0 1176 1507 78.04 36

North Brunswick 18 5 11 2 0 0 1131 1764 64.12 24

Chadstone 18 4 13 1 0 0 884 2232 39.61 18

Point Cook 18 3 15 0 0 0 904 1848 48.92 12

Dragons 18 3 15 0 0 0 606 1698 35.69 12

Division 4 Reserves Premiership Team: HawthornB: Sam Rickard, Johnny Stapleton, Jono Downie (C)

HB: Pat Clancey, Nick Martin (VC), Kayne Davies

C: Adam Morse, Callum Gough, James Perks

HF: Nick Loutit, Steve Wintle, Paul O’Callaghan

F: Dan Lauletta, Jason Jackomos, Matt Laing

R: Xavier Hallam, Andy Loke, Michael Jones

Int: Serge Moussi, Shaun Howson, Tom Bowler, Jarrod Ward

Coaches: Paul O’Callaghan & Jarrod Ward


West Brunswick 2.2 3.2 3.3 8.3 (51)

Hawthorn 2.4 3.9 6.12 7.13 (55)

HawthornGoals: S. Wintle 2, D. Lauletta 1, P. O’Callaghan 1, J. Jackomos 1, N. Loutit 1, M. Laing 1Best: S. Wintle, C. Bilton-Gough, J. Perks, X. Hallam, A. Loke, K. Davies

West BrunswickGoals: T. Crabtree 2, B. Shepherd 2, R. George 2, P. Healey 1, P. Walpole 1Best: M. Graham, P. Walpole, J. Tassone, T. Crabtree, V. Townsend, R. George

Best on ground: Steve Wintle (Hawthorn)

Division 4 Reserves


The Big V in 2014SeniorsThe VAFA commenced the season in fantastic fashion defeating the powerful Eastern Football League by 46 points to win the new AFL Victoria Metro Championships to be off icially crowned as the best community football competition in Melbourne. An arm wrestle until three quarter time gave no indication of the game breaking open the way it did, a dominant VAFA win.

VAFA coach Simon Lethlean mentioned Cherry Street (it’s Cherry Road) - where the majority of the EFL’s squad and their coach ply their trade for Balwyn - in his half time address to the VAFA team, reminding the players that “we are fi tter than them, we play on bigger grounds, use our run, use our class”.

Whilst it didn’t make the diff erence in the third term, the seeds were sown and they eventually bore fruit in the fi nal quarter as Murphy Ambrose, Brendan Goss (both Old Xaverians) and Tom Paule (Old Melburnians) were on the end of VAFA counter attacks or EFL errors to kick goals that fi rst became breathing space but ended up becoming a rout.

Murphy Ambrose won the best on ground medal for the VAFA for his three goals, consistent run and moments of brilliance. Goss was a concern for the opposition from the get go. At one point Goss had the entire VAFA score before a goal to Paule on half time gave the VAFA an 8 point buff er at the main break.

VAFA Seniors vs Eastern Football League

VAFA Seniors 0.1 3.3 5.8 12.8.80

Eastern Football League 2.1 2.1 5.3 5.4.34

VAFAGOALS: B. Goss 5, M. Ambrose 3, T. Paule 2, M. Handley 2. BEST: M. Ambrose, T. Paule, B. Goss, B. Mahon, T. Roach, W. Tardiff .

EFLGoals: L. Barker 2, D. King, L. Williams, S. TregearBest: S. Taylor, T. Gilchrist, S. Tregear, S. Kemperman, J. Chirgwin, L. Barker

VAFA’s Best Player: Murphy Ambrose (Old Xaverians)

Spirit of the Big V: Tom Paule (Old Melburnians)

EFL Best VAFA Player: Lachlan McQueen-Miscamble (Old Carey)

Earlier Tom Roach displayed what a good pick up he will be for Old Carey whilst a Matt Handley (Old Xaverians) chase the length of the wing, resulting in a turnover was just one example of many fantastic pressure acts that the VAFA put on the EFL.

The performances of Tom Caven (St Bernard’s), Jack Townley (University Blues) and Will Tardif (Collegians) in thwarting the EFL attacks were magnifi ed by their willingness to take the game on and run the ball out of defence.

There were no passengers in a mighty performance for the Big V. The fi nal margin may

have been fl attering considering the close nature of the contest to three quarter time but is was no more than the VAFA team deserved. The pressure and tackling, particularly in the forward half of the ground, was magnifi cent. Paule, Joel Rice (Old Carey), Brendan Iezzi (Old Trinity), Matt Fieldsend (De La Salle), Trent Zimbachs (Collegians) and Ben Smithwick (Old Carey) hunted their opponents in packs.

Lach McQueen-Miscamble (Old Carey) was awarded the Best VAFA Player Award from the EFL coaching panel and Tom Paule was awarded the Spirit of the Big V Award from the VAFA panel.

VAFA SENIORS V EFLBack row: Jack Bull (Old Scotch), Bede Mahon (University Blacks), Sam Willliams (De La Salle), Will Tardif (Collegians), Simon Hogan (University Blacks), Brendan Goss (Old Xaverians),

Brendan Iezzi (Old Trinity), Ben Smithwick (Old Carey), Joel Rice (Old Carey), Matt Fieldsend (De La Salle). Third Row: Luke Gladman (Assistant Coach), Jack Townley (University Blues), Tom Caven (St Bernards), Lachlan McQueen-Miscamble (Old Carey), Tom Mentiplay (Old Brighton),

James Jorgenson (Collegians), Anthony Lynch (St Kevins OB), Matthew Handley (Old Xaverians), Murphy Ambrose (Old Xaverians), Thomas Roach (Old Carey), Mick Overman (Team Manager), Ian Wheeler (Trainer).

Second Row: Alistair Parton (Assistant Coach), Chris Waller (Old Xaverians), Trent Zimbachs (VC) (Collegians), Simon Lethlean (Head Coach), Adam Bentick (C) (St Bernards), Thomas Paule (Old Melburnians), Anthony McDonald (Assistant Coach), Kylie Da Fonte (Trainer).

Front Row: John Robinson (Timekeeper), Ryan Colbert (Runner), Lex Vasdekis (Runner), Neeraj Kochhar (Physio).


VAFA SENIORS V AFL QUEENSLANDBack row: Courtney Hylton (Collegians), Harry Croft (Collegians), John Shaw (Old Xaverians), Cameron Williams (University Blues) and Tyson Kruse (University Blacks).

Third Row: Murphy Ambrose (Old Xaverians), Nick Wynne (Old Xaverians), Neeraj Kochhar (Physio), David Lepair (Umpire), Sam Confait (Runner), Tom Caven (St Bernards) and Jack Townley (University Blues).

Second Row: Thomas Roach (Old Carey), Sam Williams (De La Salle), Andrew Scott (Collegians), John Robinson (Timekeeper), Kylie Da Fonte (Trainer), Nikki Phillips (Trainer), Mick Overman (Team Manager), Will Tardif (Collegians), Joel Rice (Old Carey) and Patrick Kean (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers).

Front Row: Thomas Paule (Old Melburnians), Tom Overman (St Bernards), Luke Gladman (Assistant Coach), Lachlan Mcqueen-Miscamble (VC) (Old Carey), Simon Lethlean (Head Coach), Cameron Howat (C) (Old Carey), Andrew McDonald (Assistant Coach), Mathew Handley (VC) (Old Xaverians), Andrew Leoncelli (Assistant Coach),

Mathew Fieldsend (De La Salle) and Trent Zimbachs (Collegians)

The VAFA defeated the Queensland AFL by 83 points at Burpengary, Queensland. The VAFA were never troubled as they kicked the fi rst six goals of the game. Matt Handley (Old Xaverians) was the recipient of brilliant midfi eld work, kicking eight goals for the day.

Tom Paule (Old Melburnians) kicked four goals of his own in a fantastic forward display, whilst Harry Croft presented all day and was awarded the Spirit of the Big V for his performance at centre half forward.

The VAFA commenced in the best possible fashion as skipper Cam Howat kicked a long running goal from out side 50 to get the ball rolling inside the fi rst minute of the match.

The VAFA then kicked a goal every two minutes for the fi rst 10 minutes of the match to establish a commanding lead, holding the Queenslanders to just one behind for the term.

VAFA Seniors vs AFL Queensland

VAFA Seniors 6.5 8.7 15.12 18.16.124

AFL Queensland 0.1 1.5 2.8 5.11.41

VAFAGOALS: M. Handley 8, T. Paule 4, C. Howat 2, T. Zimbachs, J. Rice, H. Croft , P. KeanBEST: T Roach, M Handley, J Rice, N Wynne, H Croft , S Williams

QAFLGoals: M Trewhella 2 J Hackett 2 R Power.Best: M Trewhella P Shelton M Logan M Derrick N Kinch A Boon.

VAFA’s Best player: Tom Roach (Old Carey)

Spirit of Big V: Harry Croft (Collegians)

Queensland responded well in the second term and held the VAFA to just two goals for the term, nevertheless the margin was still 44 points at half time.

Tom Roach and Joel Rice (Old Carey) were winning plenty of ball through the midfi eld and Jack Townley (University Blues) and Nick Wynne (Old Xaverians) were dominant across half back.

Simon Lethlean still wanted more pressure and the VAFA responded to his half time request to pile on seven goals in the third term to lead by 82 at three quarter time.

With the game well and truly done, Queensland kicked a couple of late goals but not before Handley took his tally to eight for the aft ernoon with three fi nal quarter goals.


VAFA U23 vs Tasmania U23

VAFA U23 4.2 7.7 9.14 16.19

Tasmania U23 1.5 4.6 4.9 8.11

VAFAGOALS: N. De Steiger 3, T. McKinley 3, J. Lew 3, A. Scott 2, T. Penberthy , M. Rippon , G. Hamilton , H. Lahy , J. Hunt BEST: T. Penberthy, T. Garside, M. Rippon, N. De Steiger, T. McKinley, J. Skene

VAFA’s Best player: Tom Penberthy (Collegians)

Spirit of Big V: Jarryd Skene (Old Xaverians)

VAFA U23Aft er a slow start the VAFA U23 side powered

away to a 56 point win over the Tasmanian Under

23s at North Hobart Oval. Nick De Steiger from

Old Melburnians, Vice Captain Tom McKinley (Old

Scotch) and Jake Lew (AJAX) led the goal kickers

for the visitors with three goals each.

Tassie jumped out of the blocks with the fi rst goal

then a series of missed chances before the VAFA

started to get on top. Tasmanian forward Tom

Bennett was proving a handful though and he

ended the day with six goals.

Despite holding a 35-point lead at three quarter

time, VAFA coach Andrew Hayes implored

his players to fi nish the job in the last. As the

players tired from both sides, the game opened

up and goals were kicked at both ends. However

the VAFA were again dominant booting six goals

to four in the last to fi nish 56 points clear.

Tom Penberthy (Collegians) was best for the VAFA

but he was assisted by many others including

Tom Garside (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers), the

skipper Marshall Rippon (University Blues) and

Nick De Steiger. Jarryd Skene (Old Xaverians) was

awarded the Spirit of the Big V Award.

VAFA U23 vs TasmaniaBack row: Mark Tomlinson (Physio), Greg Meredith (Assistant Coach), Gabriel Hamilton (Old Trinity),

Peter Gleadhill (Old Hailebury), Jack Hunt (Old Trinity), Jarryd Skene (Old Xaverians), Tom Garside (St Bede/Mentone Tigers), Josh Cowan (Mazenod), Anthony Scott (Old Trinity), David Kinsella (Assistant Coach).

Middle Row: Nigel Credlin (Board), Campbell Ross (Fitness Advisor/Runner), Jack Gray (Williamstown CYMS), Simon Thomas (University Blacks), Ben Amberg (Monash Blues), Tom Russell (St Bernards), Nick De Steiger (Old Melburnians),

Jake Lew (AJAX), Simon Caven (St Bernards), Ned Hunt (Old Trinity), Sean Scully (Property Steward). Front Row: Brian Woodhead (Team Manager), Fiona Jacobs (Trainer), Sam Levin (Umpire), Michael Barnes

(St Bedes/Mentone Tigers), Tom McKinley (VC) (Old Scotch), Andrew Hayes (Coach), Marshall Rippon (C) (University Blues), Harrie Lahy (VC) (University Blacks), Joshua Ludsky (AJAX), Jason Salopek (St Kevins OB), Brad Berry (Assistant Coach).

VAFA PREM B – D4AFL Victoria Country Number 2 side continued

their unbeaten run against the VAFA’s Premier

B-Division 4 side in emphatic fashion, however the

fi nal margin of 80 points was only achieved

through a 10 goal fi nal term from the Country in

their clash at St Albans Reserve in Geelong. Despite

the fi nal quarter fl urry, Country increased their

lead at every change to post a commanding 19.21

(135) to 8.7 (55) victory. The VAFA made a rally in

the early stages of the third term to reduce the

defi cit to three goals, but a couple of late goals

before the end of the quarter meant the Country

had a fi ve goal buff er over the VAFA at the fi nal

change. With early goals to the Country in the last

term, the game was beyond the reach for Brett

Voss’ men and as the skies worsened over head,

so too did the fi nal margin. Mitch Bosward was

named best afi eld for the Country side with his

pressure around the packs inspiring. For the VAFA,

Cam Livori (PEGS) was awarded the best player

medal whilst Steven Puhar (Williamstown CYMS)

was presented with the Spirit of the Big V for his

four-quarter display.

VAFA PREM B – D4 vs AFL VIC Country 2

AFL Victoria Country 2 3.6-24 9.7-61 12.14-86 19.21-135

VAFA (B - D4 Grades) 2.2-14 4.5-29 7.6-48 8.7-55

VIC CountryGOALS: Fowkes 5,Poholke 4, Davies 2, Lavars 2, Cosson 2, Collins, Baskaya, Wade, Bosward.BEST: Bosward Collins Baskaya Davies Poholke Burke

VAFAGOALS: Meehan 3, Mugavin, Molan, King, Bishop, Karageorgiou,BEST: Livori, Amberg Puhar, Boundy, Bishop, Meehan

VAFA’s Best player: Cam Livori (PEGS)

Spirit of Big V: Steven Puhar (Williamstown CYMS)

VAFA B-D4 vs Victoria CountryBack row: Bernie Lazaro (Assistant Coach), Peter McBrearty (Assistant Coach), Tim Mckenzie (Monash Blues),

Robert Mann (Mazenod), Samuel Bishop (Kew), Ben Amberg (Monash Blues), Leigh Fletcher (C) (Hampton Rovers), Brett Voss (Head Coach), Steve Puhar (Williamstown CYMS), Jeremy Mugavin (University Blues), Gus Patti (Mazenod), Mick Meehan

(Old Haileybury), Hamish McLauchlan (Old Haileybury), Cameron Livori (PEGS), Jarrod Egglestone (Therry Penola), Ben Phibbs (VC) (Mazenod), Luke Mahoney (Assistant Coach), Cameron Taylor (Assistant Coach), Brian Goodman (Team Manager).

Front Row: Dave Murphy (Runner), James King (Northern Blues), Dermot Cleary (Oakleigh), Paul Florance (Bulleen Templestowe), Dimitri Dimakopoulos (St Francis Xavier), Dave Boundy (VC) (Old Paradians), Panayioti Karageorgiou (St Kevins OB),

Luke Molan (Williamstown CYMS), Warren Steinberg (AJAX), Adam Weekes (Old Haileybury).


VAFA U19 vs AFL U19 VIC Country

AFL Victoria U19 Country 2.3 6.9 12.16 18.19.127

VAFA U19 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.3.21

AFL Vic CountryGOALS: Bell 4, Doyle 3, Keegan 3, Youl 2, Hayes 2 Egan 2, Russell 1, Cary 1.BEST: Neagle, Nelson, Atkins, Hayes, Egan, Bell

VAFAGOALS: T. Johnstone, C .Haley, M. MaltBEST: A. Scott, T. Silvestro, O. Armstrong, M. Malt, M. Bowden, A. Sloan

VAFA’s Best player: Anthony Scott (Old Trinity)

Spirit of Big V: Mitchell Malt (Whitefriars)

VAFA U19AFL Victoria Country’s U19s were too strong for

the VAFA’s U19 side as they reclaimed the Brian

Molony Cup winning by 106 points at St Albans

Reserve in Geelong. The contest appeared to

be an arm wrestle early as the VAFA’s pressure

in the fi rst term was causing the Country to turn

over the ball regularly. Despite kicking into the

breeze, the VAFA led the Country at quarter time

by four points. However, that was where the fun

stopped for the VAFA as the Country asserted

their authority on the contest. The VAFA were held

scoreless in both the second and third quarters

whilst the Country kicked 11.12 in the same

period. The VAFA side struggled to adjust to the

extraordinary length of the St Albans ground.

It didn’t get much better in the last. Restricted

to just one behind, the VAFA couldn’t stop the

margin blowing out to over 100 points as the

Country team were relentless. Anthony Scott

(Old Trinity) was deemed the best VAFA player on

the ground whilst Mitchell Malt (Whitefriars) was

awarded the Spirit of the Big V for his eff orts over

the four quarters.

VAFA U19 vs AFL U19 VIC CountryBack row: Sam Confait (Football Operations Off icer), Chris Mathieson (Assistant Coach), Jack Cowell (Bulleen Templestowe),

Jordan Tabakman (Ormond), Andrew Sloane (Old Carey), Duncan Moore (Old Trinity), Braydon O’Toole (St Bedes), Tom Tyquin (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers), Michael Henderson (Old Xaverians), Alex Polidoros (Old Trinity),

Brandon Droessler (Kew), Lachlan Howes (Beaumaris). Second Row: Billy Kanakis (St Kevins OB), Michael Bowden (Caulfi eld Grammarians), Mitchell Malt (Whitefriars),

Liam Hard (Oakleigh), Charley Haley (De La Salle), Sam D’ Andrea (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers), Jack Grange (Beaumaris), Oliver Armstrong (Old Haileybury), Brian Goodman (General Manager – Football & Umpire Operations),

Thomas Johnston (Williamstown), David Kinsella (Assistant Coach), Mark Tomlinson (Physio).Front Row: Caroline Ray (Trainer), David Gately (Head Coach), Thomas Silvestro (VC) (Caulfi eld Grammarians), Gerard Gleeson (C)

(St Kevins), Anthony Scott (VC) (Old Trinity), John Raff le (Team Manager), John Robinson (Timekeeper).

Thomas Paule (Old Melburnians)

Joel Rice (Old Carey)


VAFA U18 Tour of New Zealand

Game 1 at Parrs Park, Auckland

VAFA U18 7.6 11.9 19.12 24.15.(159)

New Zealand U18 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4.(4)

VAFAGOALS: J Tabakman 4, R Malt 3, C Cusack 3, J Cahan 2, C Peele 2, Z O’Halloran 2, F Palleschi 2, B Droessler 2, E Ramsay, J Toouli, B Miller, C StirlingBest: J Tabakman, R Malt, W Considine, J Ross, J Toouli, B Dickson

NZGoals: NilBest: T Kopa, T Thomas, W Baker

Best on Ground Medals: VAFA: Ben Dickson (Beaumaris) and Jordan Tabakman (Ormond)

Game 2 at Parrs Park, Auckland

VAFA U18 4.2 11.4 14.8 19.15.(129)

New Zealand U18 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2.(2)

VAFAGoals: J Cahan 4, B Dickson 3, J Tabakman 3, J Toouli 2, C Peele 2, E Ramsay 2, B Meadows, R Malt, F PalleschiBest: R Malt, J Ross, J Cahan, J Toouli, M Caven, B Dickson

NZGoals: NilBest: J Copeland, C Blackie, W Baker, K Brunel, C Donnell-Brown

VAFA Best on Ground: John Cayhan (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers) and Ryan Malt (Whitefriars)

VAFA U18 v New ZealandBack row: Sam Confait (Tour Manager), Broadie Meadows (Williamstown CYMS), John Humphrey (Therry Penola),

Billy Shute (Kew), Brenden Miller (Westbourne Grammarians), Daniel Wiles (Mazenod), Matthew Sier (Mazenod), Ryan Malt (VC) (Whitefriars), Craig Sterling (Parkdale Vultures), Stephen Forster (Mazenod).

Second Row: Mark Tomlinson (Physio), Michael Caven (St Bernards), Brandon Droessler (C) (Kew), John Tabakman (VC) (Ormond), Corey Peele (Parkdale Vultures), Will Considine (St Bernards), Zach O’Halloran (St Bernards),

Callum Cusack (Beaumaris), Ben Dickson (Beaumaris), Anthony Edmonds (Umpire), Brian Goodman (Team Manager).Front Row: Kylie Da Fonte (Trainer), David Kinsella (Assistant Coach), Ezubalew Ramsay (UHS-V),

John Cayhan (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers), Owen Lalor (Head Coach), Johnny Ross (Old Melburnians), Francis Palleschi (Mazenod), Patrick O’Brien (Westbourne Grammarians), David Gately (Assistant Coach),

John Robinson (Timekeeper).

T he VAFA embarked on our sixth U18 tour to New

Zealand departing Melbourne on Friday, 3rd

October and returning from Auckland on Monday,

6th October.

The tour consisted of 22 players from 14 VAFA

clubs. Owen Lalor coached the side with the

leadership team of captain Brandon Droessler

(Kew), and Jordan Tabakman (Ormond) and Ryan

Malt (Whitefriars) as vice captains.

Game 1

Facing the New Zealand Haka for the fi rst time

and a pre-game fi re up from coach Owen Lalor

had our boys jumping out of their skins in the fi rst

few minutes as 22 VAFA individual players became

one, leaping to a 46 point lead at the quarter time

break. Jordan Tabakman and Ryan Malt led from

the front whilst Johnny Ross matched the Kiwi’s

hardness gathering plenty of inside ball. Zac

O’Hallon and Callum Cusack providing fi rst use in

ruck as well as both converting up forward.

The third quarter displayed something special

from Brenden Millar, slotting an unbelievable

boundary line goal as our boys continued their

dominance in blustery conditions, heeding the

coaches’ direction on using the open side of

the ground. Craig Sterling, Jack Touli and Ben

Dickson were all prominent.

The St Bernard’s boys Will Considine and Michael

Caven ensured the Kiwis were restricted to just

the 4 points whilst Brodie Meadows showed class

rebounding off half back.

Game 2

The New Zealand Hawks made a strong statement

in the 2nd match restricting a fl at VAFA side to one

behind until the fi ft een minute mark of the fi rst

quarter. Their pride and enthusiasm provided a

glimpse of the future of AFL in New Zealand but

they were unable to convert on the scoreboard.

A spark from Ryan Malt kick started a dominant

25 minutes that saw the VAFA score 11 goals. The

VAFA clicked into gear withstanding the Kiwi’s

pressure and physicality to regain the form of

game 1 with clean outside use.

A half time message directing all players to

fi nish the tour with pride and respect instilled a

determination to continue their hard work that

resulted in a quality second half performance.

Jack Touli and Ben Dickson continued their form

from Game 1 whilst John Cayhan again chipped

in with 4 majors rewarding him with a Best on

Ground Award. Corey Peel and Ezza Ramsay

booted 2 majors a piece yet it was Brandon

Droessler proving why he was selected Captain,

displaying acts of courage and leadership

applauded by the entire touring party.


JAMES DUNCAN ANDERSON

BIG V CAREER

• 8 games for the Big V (1950-54) including AAFC Carnivals in 1951 & 1953

• 2 x Australian Amateur games in 1954

• 3 x Australian National Football Council games for ACT 1958

• Represented the VAFA in the Olympic Demonstration match in 1956

CLUB CAREER

University Blues and Old Melburnians

• A Section Premiership player at University Blues 1952 (Vice Captain)

• Kicked 10 of the 20 goals Blues kicked in the Grand Final win over Ormond

• Uni Blues Captain /Coach 1953 (Runners Up)

• Won A Section Goal kicking fi ve years in succession, every year he played. Duncan is the only player to ever do that.

• 1950 -75 goals at University Blues



• 1953 - 115 goals at University Blues

• 1954 - 75 goals (left to move to UK in August)

• In Dec 1954 played alongside Bob Hawke (Rhodes Scholar for WA) for Oxford and was BOG in annual Oxford v Cambridge Australian Rules game

• 80 Games for University Blues and 16 games for Old Melburnians

• Named as full forward in the MUFC team of the modern era

MICHAEL BLOOD

BIG V CAREER

• 10 games for the Big V (1994-1999)

• 3 x Best on Ground in Big V matches

• Big V Captain 5 games (1997-1999)

• Chairman of Selectors (2008-2011)

CLUB CAREER

Old Xaverians

• 6 x A Section Premiership player (1995-2000)

• 4 x Premiership Captain (1997-2000)

• 2 x Jock Nelson Medalist (1995 & 1997)

• Woodrow Medal 1997 (A Section Best and Fairest)

• Club Captain 1997-2001

• 4 x Club Best and Fairest winner

• 212 Games

• OXFC Life Member

ANDREW RAMSDEN

BIG V CAREER

• 13 games for the Big V (1998–2005)

• Big V Captain 2002-2005 (5 games)

• Big V Vice Captain 2000-2001

• 3 x AAFC (Australian Amateur Football Council) ‘Team Of The Year’ (2002, 03, 04)

• AAFC All-Australian Captain 2004

CLUB CAREER

Old Trinity

• 3 x B Section Premiership player (1994, 1996 & 1999)

• Woodrow Medal 2005 (A Section Best and Fairest)

• G.T. Moore Medal 1999 (B Section Best & Fairest)

• Old Trinity Senior Co-Captain 2002 & Captain 2003-2007

• 6 x Old Trinity Best & Fairest

• 5 x Old Trinity Runner-Up Best & Fairest

• Old Trinity ’50 Year Team’ 1954 - 2003

• Old Trinity Leading Senior Goal kicker 2008-2013

• Played 348 games for Old Trinity (club record)

• Old Trinity Life Member (2004)

• VAFA Leading Premier B Goal kicker 2009

• VAFA Leading Premier Goal kicker 2010 & 2012

Big V Club Inductees


Juniors

advantage all day on their way to a resounding win. Alex Polidoros won the Miles Medal for his six goals and best on ground performance. The other major individual honour of the season was shared. Ryan Malt (Whitefriars) and Will Blakey (University Blues) tied on 14 votes for the McTaggart Medal, with Blakey also tying with teammate Daniel Bartarillo for the leading goal kicker award.

U19 Section 3Eight teams competed in Section 3 and unfortunately St Mary’s Salesian lost too many of their top age players to follow up last year’s premiership success, only managing the one win for the year. Old Camberwell and Old Xaverians both fi nished on a respectable six wins each with AJAX the best of the rest, securing a record of 9-9 from the home and away rounds. The fi nal four sides could hardly be separated, Marcellin (4th) won the fi rst semi fi nal across Bulleen Road at Old Carey (3rd) to send the Panthers packing. Old Carey had been in the top two for large parts of the season so it was a disappointing end, however they did have the joint winner of the I.A. Brown Medal for the section best and fairest in Toby Wooldridge. If anything Old Ivanhoe were the standout side of the section. However they were made to earn their second semi fi nal win over Williamstown CYMS and with their captain

Jordan Stanton – the man who tied Wooldridge

for the Brown Medal on 17 votes – in the side, the

Hoes were too strong for Williamstown CYMS in

the second semi fi nal. Marcellin sealed the fate

of the CY’s in the prelim, a straight sets exit not

great reward for such a strong campaign. The

Grand Final was a sensational game, the Eagles

and Hoes going goal for goal and the scores were

locked for large periods of the fi nal quarter. In

the end, Old Ivanhoe triumphed sending their

supporters into raptures in a tough season for the

club.

U19 NorthTherry Penola and Northern Blues moved into the

North Section from Section 3 aft er fi ve rounds,

but only Therry Penola were able to capitalise.

Blues aft er such a dominant period in the junior

sections, fi nished the season on the bottom.

Whitefriars number 2 side were the other side

that struggled, whilst Yarra Valley and PEGS

each had moments, their seasons had too many

inconsistencies. La Trobe University were half a

game outside the four with Banyule creeping into

fourth spot. The Bears fell an agonising two points

short of Wyndham Suns in the knock out fi rst semi

fi nal. Ivanhoe had been the powerhouse side all

year only losing one game from their 18 home

and away matches. They defeated St Bernard’s

by 10 goals in the second semi to book a grand

fi nal berth. St Bernards ended the Suns season

in the preliminary fi nal to earn a second crack at

Ivanhoe. However this Hoes group of youngsters,

were on a mission and they duly saluted with the

club’s fi rst premiership of any kind since 1987.

There was an unprecedented four way tie for the

Harry Harisiou Medal with four players all polling

14 votes.

MEGT U19 PremierFor the fi rst time since its inception the MEGT U19 Premier Section consisted of just eight teams. This decision was made in pre-season in a progressive move by the VAFA to enhance the competitiveness of the section. Unfortunately for Old Melburnians and 2013 premiers St Bedes/Mentone Tigers, this left them facing some severe losses throughout the season as both sides managed just two wins each and each side forfeited once. If one club has dominated U19 football in recent times, it is De La Salle, but the perennial fi nalists and winners of six of the past ten premierships at this level also struggled winning just four games for the year. Old Scotch were the best of the rest with a respectable nine wins and nine losses to just miss the four. Beaumaris played fi nals but were no match for Old Xaverians in the fi rst semi. In the other semi fi nal St Kevin’s upstaged the more fancied St Bernard’s to earn a week’s respite. St Bernard’s were pushed all the way by Old Xaverians in the preliminary fi nal before the drew away from Xavs to earn a re-match with SKOBs. The Grand Final was all one way traff ic at Trevor Barker Oval. St Bernard’s stretched their lead at every change to win their fi rst fl ag at this level since 2003. Jeremy Hannan from Old Xaverians completed a rare double winning both the Newbury Medal for the section best and fairest and the competition’s leading goalkicker with 80 goals for the season.

U19 Section 2Caulfi eld Grammarians and University Blacks

held up the table with three and four wins respectively. Collegians, fi elding two junior teams also struggled at times throughout the year but still managed a respectable six wins. Mazenod and Old Brighton both showed glimpses through the home and away year, but were still four wins short of being in contention for fi nals. Fitzroy, so successful over recent seasons at junior level were strong but not quite strong enough to make the four, missing on percentage to Parkdale Vultures. The Vultures faced up to an Old Trinity outfi t in the fi rst semi and fell short of the T’s who had held a top two spot for most of the year. In the other semi, University Blues were far too good for 2013 premiership side Whitefriars out in Donvale. It was a tough break for the Friars who had home ground advantage in the fi nal and had fi nished the season as minor premiers. It got tougher for Whitefriars who succumbed to Old Trinity in the preliminary fi nal to exit the series in straight sets. Aft er a change in day and venue, the Grand Final took place in splendid conditions at Bulleen Park. Old Trinity got on top early and maintained their


U19 SouthMHSOB were the backmarkers in 2014, registering just one win. Collegians and Old Haileybury had percentage separate them from ninth and eighth with the Bloods winning that battle. Marginally ahead were Monash Blues before a gap emerged to the mid table Peninsula who left the 2014 season with a 50% record. Peninsula’s James Moignard was the runaway leader in the section best and fairest. Beaumaris missed the four by a couple of games and in reality the gap to the fi nals positions was signifi cant. In the fi rst semi fi nal Hampton Rovers defeated De La Salle at the Dairy Bell to earn a prelim spot. The second semi saw ladder leaders Ormond comprehensively win their way through to the Grand Final, defeating Oakleigh by 12 goals. Rovers were on a roll and they ended Oakleigh’s run of fi ve consecutive years of winning a junior premiership by knocking them out in the preliminary fi nal. The scene was set, two local rivals facing off in the South Grand Final. Ormond had been the best side all year, yet Hampton Rovers were in form at the right time. Rovers defi ed expectations and won the premiership from fourth spot to kick start a memorable day for the club.

VAFA ColtsThere was a change to the make up of the U18 compeition this year. To secure the competitiveness of the section, the competition became the VAFA Colts with University Blues, Old Paradians and Westbourne Grammarians moving

into the section from U19 North aft er round 3 as South Melbourne Districts disbanded through a lack of numbers. Uni Blues and the combined UHS-VU/Flemmington struggled the most in the section but still managed to win a few games. Old Paradians fi nished sixth before a sizable gap to Williamstown CYMS in fi ft h. The CY’s missed the four on percentage to Point Cook. Westbourne Grammarians and St Bernard’s were clearly the best chasing down an irrepressible Mazenod who for the fi rst eight games looked destined for an undefeated season. Alas the Nodders lost their round 9 clash at Westbourne, but then didn’t lose another game for the year on the way to a dominant premiership win. Mazenod proved too strong for St Bernard’s on Grand Final day in a one sided match. Pat O’Brien won the section best and fairest for Westbourne polling in 10 of the 13 games played in the Colts.

Leading goalkickers

Goals Player Club

MEGT U19 Premier 75* (80) Jeremy Hannan Old Xaverians

Under 19 Section 2 49* (57) Daniel Batarilo University Blues

49* (55) William Blakey University Blues

Under 19 Section 3 79* (81) Mitchell Nixon Old Carey Gr.

Under 19 North 52* (54) Josh Stephens Wyndam Suns

Under 19 South 52 (65) Cambell Jones Hampton Rovers

54* (58) Jack Meeking Ormond

VAFA Colts 71* (77) Kieren McKeogh Mazenod OC


Under 19 Section 2PREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSWhitefriars 18 14 4 0 0 0 1665 942 176.75 56University Blues 18 14 4 0 0 0 1683 1141 147.50 56Old Trinity 18 13 5 0 0 0 1460 979 149.13 52Parkdale Vultures 18 11 7 0 0 0 1553 1137 136.59 44Fitzroy 18 11 7 0 0 0 1412 1281 110.23 44Mazenod 18 7 11 0 0 0 1114 1227 90.79 28Old Brighton 18 7 11 0 0 0 1011 1358 74.45 28Collegians 18 6 12 0 0 0 726 1269 57.21 24University Blacks 18 4 14 0 0 0 834 1567 53.22 16Caulfi eld Grammarians 18 3 15 0 0 0 965 1522 63.40 12

Under 19 Section 2 Grand FinalUniversity Blues 1.2 5.5 8.11 10.12 (72)Old Trinity 3.5 8.9 10.13 17.17 (119)

University BluesGoals: D. Batarilo 5, W. Blakey 3, T. Coburn 1, W. Langley 1Best: D. Cumming, D. Batarilo, W. Blakey, W. Langley, M. Roche, L. Cameron

Old TrinityGoals: A. Polidoros 6, T. Kerkvliet 4, S. Joyce 1, L. Aikman 1, D. Moore 1, H. Tyson 1, S. Nicolosi 1, D. White 1, D. Land 1Best: A. Polidoros, J. Spassopoulos, H. Aikman, W. Cooper, S. Emerson, H. Tyson

J.A. Miles Medal: Alex Polidoros (Old Trinity)

GW McTaggart MedalPlayer Club VotesRyan Malt Whitefriars O.C. 14William Blakey University Blues 14Kurt Lopo Parkdale 13

Under 19 Section 2 Premiership Team: Old TrinityB: Will Cooper, Andy Bennett, Mac Brown

HB: Hugh Boyle, Nick Roberts, Simon EmersonC: Nathan Valkanis, Jamie Spassopoulos, Harry Aikman

HF: James Nitsopoulos, Duncan Moore, Seb Nicolosi, F: Sam Joyce, Alex Polidoros, Darcy WhiteR: Alex Gebert, Hugh Tyson, Christos Manoussakis

Int: Lachlan Aikman, Danny Land, Matt Lasorko, Zac Aarons, Tom Kerkvliet, Mitch Bourke

Coach: Speros Beasley

MEGT Under 19 PremierPREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSSt Bernards 18 16 2 0 0 0 2320 783 296.30 64St Kevins 17 13 3 1 0 1 1934 911 212.29 58Old Xaverians 17 12 3 2 0 1 1942 976 198.98 56Beaumaris 18 10 7 1 0 0 1625 1292 125.77 42Old Scotch 18 9 9 0 0 0 1301 1432 90.85 36De La Salle 18 4 14 0 0 0 1262 1822 69.26 16St Bedes / Mentone Tigers 17 2 15 0 0 0 857 1917 44.71 8Old Melburnians 17 2 15 0 0 0 506 2697 18.76 8

MEGT U19 Premier Grand FinalSt Bernards 4.5 5.5 9.9 12.10 (82)St Kevins 1.3 2.6 2.7 4.13 (37)

St BernardsGoals: G. Zoccali 2, E. Sibbald 2, Z. O’Halloran 1, M. Hughes 1, P. Romano 1, J. Sullivan 1, T. Doody 1, J. Hedley 1, B. Ronke 1, H. Wade 1Best: G. Zoccali, W. Considine, T. Doody, M. DeLeur, T. Delzoppo, S. Piantella

St KevinsGoals: R. Stagg 2, W. Ostrowsky 1, M. Roberts 1Best: S. Doyle, M. Spence, N. Fletcher, N. Meehan, T. Sullivan, M. Smart

T.A. Johnson Medal: Giacomo Zoccali (St Bernard’s)

CR Newbury MedalPlayer Club VotesJeremy Hannan Old Xaverians 21Luke Sabato St Kevin’s Old Boys 17

MEGT Under 19 Premier: St Bernard’s OCB: Stefan Piantella, Will Considine, Thomas Riley (C)

HB: Marcus DeLeur, Michael Caven, Sam Woods (DVC)C: Giacomo Zoccali, Harry Wade, Nick Larkin

HF: Mitchell Hughes, Edyn Sibbald, James RileyF: Ben Ronke, Darren Colaco, Pat Romano (VC)R: Zachary O’Halloran, Josh Hedley, Tom DelZoppo

Int: Anthony Dillon, Tristan Doody, Rhyen Woods, Jed Carey, Edward Connelly, Jeremy Sullivan

Coach: Rocky Iannello


Under 19 Section 3PREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSOld Ivanhoe 18 15 3 0 0 0 1819 1058 171.93 60Williamstown CYMS 18 13 5 0 0 0 1743 1169 149.10 52Old Carey 18 13 5 0 0 0 1765 1202 146.84 52Marcellin 18 13 5 0 0 0 1535 1113 137.92 52AJAX 18 9 9 0 0 0 1405 1300 108.08 36Old Xaverians 18 6 12 0 0 0 1155 1487 77.67 24Old Camberwell 18 6 12 0 0 0 1054 1487 70.88 24St Mary’s Salesian 18 1 17 0 0 0 1042 1977 52.71 4

Under 19 Section 3 Grand FinalOld Ivanhoe 2.2 5.4 9.5 13.6 (84)Marcellin 5.0 7.3 9.4 11.7 (73)

Old IvanhoeGoals: M. Kirwan 4, T. Deane 2, M. Broughan 2, D. Pierri 1, J. Kandiliotis 1, S. Tsanoudakis 1, N. Marshall 1, T. Kellock 1Best: T. Deane, N. Marshall, M. Kirwan, D. Inglese, T. Crouch, S. Tsanoudakis

MarcellinGoals: X. Burns 5, D. Tomat 3, J. Robertson 2, K. Mahoney 1Best: D. Tomat, X. Burns, K. Mahoney, J. Robertson, P. Lunn, J. Edwards

T.M Lyon Medal: Tyson Deane (Old Ivanhoe)

IA Brown MedalPlayer Club VotesToby Wooldridge Old Carey Gr. 17Jordan Stanton Old Ivanhoe Gr. 17Cameron Wallace Old Carey Gr. 13

Under 19 Section 3 Premiership Team: Old IvanhoeB: Dominic Inglese, Matthew Broughan, Jake Erman

HB: Josh Begeman, Jordan Stanton (C), Jackson LeeC: Will Gough, Stephen Tsanoudakis, Tim Fidler

HF: Tom Kellock, Liam Oliver, Adam MeikleF: James Kandiliotis, Max Kirwan, Damien PierriR: Chris Jowett, Trent Crouch, Nick Marshall (VC)

Int: Alex Bacskos, Tyson Deane, Patrick Walsh, Ross Echersley, Dylan Buttifant, Nick Christo

Coach: Brad Shadbolt & Brad Low

Under 19 NorthPREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSIvanhoe 18 17 1 0 0 0 1740 876 198.63 68St Bernards 18 12 4 2 0 0 1506 1199 125.60 52Wyndham Suns 18 11 7 0 0 0 1459 1135 128.55 44Banyule 18 10 7 1 0 0 1379 1073 128.52 42La Trobe University 18 10 8 0 0 0 1214 1080 112.41 40Therry Penola 13 7 6 0 0 0 1134 823 137.79 32P E G S 18 8 10 0 0 0 1328 1403 94.65 32Yarra Valley 18 6 12 0 0 0 1335 1507 88.59 24Whitefriars 18 2 15 1 0 0 840 1793 46.85 10Northern Blues 13 2 11 0 0 0 767 1429 53.67 8

Under 19 North Grand FinalIvanhoe 1.1 4.7 6.10 7.14 (56)St Bernards 0.3 0.5 1.7 2.9 (21)

IvanhoeGoals: J. Scardamaglia 3, M. Rees 1, L. Jacob 1, J. Schaff ert 1, W. Emerson 1Best: F. Orsag, D. Ioannou, L. Kennedy, D. Jones, D. Treloar, J. Scardamaglia

St BernardsGoals: J. Notaro 1, P. Comerford 1Best: W. Baird, J. Holland, M. Satterley, M. Farrant, D. Parkes, W. Isaacs

P.J. Harris Medal: Danny Jones

Harry Harisiou MedalPlayer Club VotesDaniel Jones Ivanhoe 14Brendan Lee Yarra Valley 14James Vovos PEGS 14Brenden Wilson Wyndham Suns 14

Under 19 North Premiership Team: IvanhoeB: Liam Kennnedy Cameron Bath Sam Batterton

HB: Dylan Treloar David Ioannou Alex Griff ithsC: Patrick Lagreca Ruben Blackmore-Moore James Schaff ert

HF: Jake Scardimaglia Mathew Bullen James Lagreca (C)F: Ben Mcgrgeor Liam Jacobs Will Emerson (VC)R: Mark Cochrane, Max Post, Daniel Jones (C)

Int: Mitch Rees, Charles Doman, Feinan Orsag, Nathan Zervides, Will Martin, James Obrien

Coach: Bill Emerson


VAFA ColtsPREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D FF For Agst % PTSMazenod 17 16 1 0 1 1573 377 417.24 68

St Bernards 18 13 5 0 0 1411 682 206.89 52

Westbourne Grammarians 16 13 3 0 0 1044 637 163.89 52

Point Cook AFC 18 9 9 0 0 1021 1025 99.61 36

Williamstown CYMS 18 9 9 0 0 929 1188 78.2 36

Old Paradians 16 4 12 0 0 701 1134 61.82 16

UHS-VU / Flemington 18 3 15 0 0 699 1261 55.43 12

University Blues 16 2 14 0 0 596 1518 39.26 8

VAFA Colts Grand FinalMazenod 4.4 10.10 15.14 21.18 (144)St Bernards 0.0 1.1 2.3 3.4 (22)

MazenodGoals: J. Welsford 4, J. Swainston 3, K. McKeogh 3, J. Winn 2, M. Sier 2, S. Mier 2, J. Webster 1, E. Van Rensburg 1, G. Lok 1, M. Consolmagno 1, F. D’Alfonso 1Best: E. Van Rensburg, G. Lok, M. Sier, D. Wiles, K. McKeogh, T. McKenna

St BernardsGoals: M. Zammit 2, C. Vague 1Best: D. Kennedy, J. Comito, M. Jaggard, T. Howard, C. Vague

Harry Overman Medal: Kieren McKeogh (Mazenod OC)

VAFA Colts Best and Fairest Medal

Player Club VotesPatrick O’Brien Westbourne Grammarians 28Esubalew Ramsay University High School-Vic Uni 21Cody Day Point Cook 17Elijah Van Rensburg Mazenod OC 16

VAFA Colts Premiership Team: MazenodB: Billy Campbell, Daniel Wiles, Ben Riley (VC)

HB: Daniel Mydaras, Jacob Bucella, Tom PattersonC: Sam Mier, Tom McKenna (C), Sam Deegan (VC)

HF: Goy Lok, Kieren McKeogh (DVC), Jeremy Welsford F: Fabio D’Alfonso, Josh Swainston, Jake Winn R: Elijah Van Rensburg, Matt Sier (DVC), Mark Consolmagno (DVC)

Int: Lachlan McEniry, Jack Carroll, Josh Webster, Matt McLellan, Tim Johnson, Nathan Beovich

Coach: Paul Deegan

Under 19 SouthPREMIERSHIP LADDER

P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSOrmond 17 15 2 0 0 1 1843 831 221.78 64Oakleigh 16 13 3 0 1 1 1624 761 213.40 60De La Salle 17 12 5 0 1 0 1538 996 154.42 52Hampton Rovers 18 12 6 0 0 0 1510 1066 141.65 48Beaumaris 17 9 8 0 0 1 1733 1250 138.64 40Peninsula 18 9 9 0 0 0 1444 1350 106.96 36Monash Blues 18 6 12 0 0 0 1108 1543 71.81 24Old Haileybury 18 5 13 0 0 0 985 1639 60.10 20Collegians 15 5 10 0 0 0 709 1652 42.92 20MHSOB 18 1 17 0 0 0 724 2089 34.66 4

Under 19 South Grand FinalOrmond 0.3 3.7 4.7 6.12 (48)Hampton Rovers 3.2 5.3 12.8 16.12 (108)

OrmondGoals: J. Meeking 2, D. Gregg-Mantle 2, N. Curwood 1, M. LaGreca 1Best: D. Gregg-Mantle, M. Kerstens, M. LaGreca, N. Edwards, L. Adlington, N. Houghton

Hampton RoversBest: C. Clarke 4, C. Jones 4, H. Hodges 3, M. Robertson 1, L. Cairns 1, H. Hill 1, J. Elston 1, T. Fisher 1Best: T. Fisher, H. Hodges, C. Clarke, H. Hill, R. Fogarty, J. Campion

J.S. Simpson Medal: Harry Hodges (Hampton Rovers)

Under 19 South Best and Fairest MedalPlayer Club VotesJames Moignard Peninsula 22Adam Tanzimat Beaumaris 14Callum Carothers Ormond 14

Under 19 South Premiership Team: Hampton RoversB: Luke Morcom (C), Mathew Oswald, Cameron Cullis

HB: Ryan Fogarty, Jack Campion, Tom FisherC: James Benjamin, Jack Stewart, Conor Clarke

HF: Harry Hill, Sam Care (VC), Joshua ElstonF: Harry Hodges, Campbell Jones, Lachlan CairnsR: Petrus Olivier, Joel Ballegi, Mackie Robertson

Int: David Broadstock, Corey Jones, James Short, Zachary Donald, Jack Zaina, Jack Daley

Coach: John Cesario


Whilst there was contention about playing six team competitions with four sides in each competition destined to play fi nals, certainly each club relished the prospect of the 66% chance of playing at the pointy end of the season.

Hawthorn and Richmond Central both jumped a section off the back of their premierships in 2013 and both clubs immediately made an impression. The Hawthorn’s Spartans sent shockwaves through the Club XVIII world when they handed perennial competition heavyweights Old Xaverians a signifi cant loss in the early rounds of Section 1. Richmond Central’s Snakes were also racking up early wins in Section 2 and new club La Trobe Uni were the pacesetters in Section 3.

In Section 1 Masala, in their second year as a club and keen to move up through the sections with ambitions of becoming a senior club found the going a little tougher but they did sneak a win against Old Geelong late in the year that was rich reward persistence. Old Geelong had a poor year. OG’s were promoted from Section 2 last year having fi nished runner up, but the loss of players and another year older for their veterans made the year a tough one at Como Park.

Club XVIII

Mt Lilydale commenced their VAFA odyssey in Club XVIII back in the 1990s and whilst this return was not what they would have envisaged, they held high hopes heading into the year. However, expectations were not met for the Rams who ended the season by losing the fi rst fi nal to fi nish fourth.

Prahran Assumption fought their way to a preliminary fi nal and gave the Spartans the fright of their life. Ultimately though the Two Blues were just a peg or two below what Hawthorn and Old Xaverians had produced in 2014.

The Spartans had beaten Old Xaverians twice during the season on the smaller Rathmines Road Reserve but proceeded to lose both their Round 15 and second semi-fi nal clashes against the Crocs at the larger Sportscover Arena. Hawthorn may have won the minor premiership with only that round 15 loss to Xavs against their record but the feeling was the Crocs were here to play in fi nals. So it proved to be, with Old Xaverians comfortably claiming the Section 1 fl ag, defeating Hawthorn for a third straight time to show they are the kings of this section. Tim Silk won the King-Landrigan Medal despite nine goals from Dan Rush in the

The Club XVIII season again saw three sections although there

were less teams in 2014 as each section was made up of only of

six teams each. Four new entrants joined the competition:

Mt Lilydale (back from Division 4) went into Section 1:

whilst La Trobe University, North Old Boys/St Patrick’s

and Melbourne High School Old Boys all entered teams

into Section 3.

Grand Final whilst the section best and fairest was claimed by Anthony Marguccio of Hawthorn.

In Section 2, Richmond Central claimed back to back premierships, coming from third place winning three fi nals in the most competitive of the three sections. Emmaus St Leo’s topped the charts aft er 15 rounds, but lost both their fi nals to exit in straight sets. The Snakes Sam Hartmann was the best on ground in their grand fi nal win over Williamstown CYMS. Mark

Pietryk of Emmaus St Leo’s won the section best and fairest for the second year in a row, however he along with leading goal kicker Robert Hughes would have traded their medallions in for a premiership medal no doubt.

Therry Penola were the best of the rest but in reality were no match for the top three. Therry beat Eley Park to the fi nal spot in the four, the Sharks acquitting themselves reasonable well up a section aft er their runners up performance in Section 3 last year. Bulleen Templestowe battled through the year without a win, the Bullants regularly had players taken from them to fi ll their injury ravaged senior and reserve sides.

In Section 3, La Trobe University took all before them on the way to a barnstorming premiership win. North Old Boys/St Pat’s looked of much of the season like they would be the side best placed to challenge the Uni outfi t, but on preliminary fi nal day, Melbourne High School Old Boys found something to make it through to the Grand Final.

La Trobe held the Unicorns goalless for three quarters of the Grand Final but never really put the game beyond doubt. Despite a late rush of goals, MHSOB were too far back and La Trobe claimed a much treasured fl ag for the club.

Kew fi nished fourth whilst the Dragons and UHS-VU scrambled a handful of wins between them to miss out on the fi nals

New and old names on top


Club XVIII ResultsClub XVIII (Section 1) Premiership Team: Old Xaverians

B: James Glenn, Jeremy McDonnell, Nick Silk

HB: Nick Larkins, Edward Maas, Tim Silk

C: Tim O’Meara, Dominic Quinn, Michael Scanlan

HF: Nick Corcoran, Matthew Green, James McDonnell

F: Andrew Barrett (C), Dan Rush, Sam Chester

R: Nick Bye, Corey Slater, John Raff aele

Int: Andrew Nolen, Tom Lee, Hugh Lyons, Rob Dillon, Will Molony, Jeremy Pytel, Darra Conlon, Max Parasol

Coach: Joe McGrath

Club XVIII (Section 1) Grand FinalOld Xaverians 6.2 10.4 14.5 18.7(115)Hawthorn 3.0 4.3 5.4 7.5(47)

Old XaveriansGoals: D. Rush 9, M. Green 3, T. Silk 2, N. Corcoran 1, N. Bye 1, J. McDonnell 1, T. O’Meara 1 Best: D. Rush, T. Silk, N. Bye, M. Green, J. Raff aele, M. Scanlan

HawthornGoals: A. Mitropoulos 4, A. Brizzi 2, M. Dabab 1Best: S. Zito, A. Marguccio, A. Mitropoulos, M. Dabab, J. Rieve, A. Brizzi

David King / Tony Landrigan Medal: Timonthy Silk (Old Xaverians)

Club XVIII (Section 2) Premiership Team: Richmond CentralB: Peter Tierney, Sam Holsman, Clint Collins

HB: David Logan, Caleb Nontapan, Peter Iser

C: Guy Cartwright, Charles Logan, Daniel Buckthorpe (VC)

HF: Todd Nolan, Nathan Rice (VC), James Stevenson

F: Anthony Pruscino, Matt Sandilands, Luke Cartwright

R: Sam Hartmann, Mark McCabe, Robert Nolan (C)

Int: Josh Little, Jesse Malloy, Andrew Godfrey, Thomas Evans, Lachlan McKenzie (VC), Joseph Chen, Linton Neilson, Andrew Read

Coach: Tim Pritchard

Club XVIII (Section 2) Grand FinalWilliamstown CYMS 0.2 1.8 6.8 9.11(65)Richmond Central 2.4 2.8 7.10 13.11(89)

Williamstown CYMSGoals: D. Whiteoak 3, C. Fennell 2, M. Ferrie 2, J. Farley 1, B. Gatt 1Best: J. Farley, D. Whiteoak, B. Gatt, J. Streets, M. Ferrie, D. O’Keeff e

Richmond CentralGoals: M. McCabe 3, T. Nolan 3, R. Nolan 2, N. Rice 2, J. Stevenson 1, J. Chen 1, C. Logan 1 Best: S. Hartmann, P. Iser, R. Nolan, P. Tierney, M. McCabe, T. Nolan.

Best on ground medal: Sam Hartmann (Richmond Central)

Club XVIII (Section 3) Premiership Team: La Trobe UniversityB: James Anderson, Luke Russell, Mitch Mackenzie

HB: Brad Van Ooi (C), Daniel Parry, Paul Russell

C: Rylie Garland, Scott Pickett (VC), Zane Curwen-Walker

HF: Brendan Jordan, Adam Hughes, Ben O’Brien

F: Dale Sidebottom, Shannen Johnstone, Seabastien Di Girolamo

R: Mark Sturges, Brant Laidlaw, Kristan Jeff ery

Int: Josh Eltringham, Tim McPhan, Bryce Cameron, Tyler Cameron, Mark Erskine, Rob Clift on, Chris Bright, Christian James

Coach: Dale Sidebottom

Club XVIII (Section 3) Grand Final La Trobe University 2.2 3.6 5.9 8.11(59)MHSOB 0.0 0.1 0.1 4.4(28)

La Trobe UniversityGoals: S. Johnstone 2, S. Digirolamo 1, R. Garland 1, K. Jeff rey 1, D. Parry 1, S. Pickett 1, J. Anderson 1Best: D. Parry, S. Digirolamo, M. Sturges, M. Mackenzie, B. Laidlaw, B. Van Ooi

MHSOBGoals: L. Meyer 3, R. Coxon Best: J. Quarmby, D. Grantham, L. Meyer, D. Bird, T. Doer-Tolhurst, R. Coxon

Best on ground medal: Sebastien Digirolamo (La Trobe University)

PREMIERSHIP LADDERClub XVIII (1) P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSHawthorn 15 14 1 0 0 0 2075 711 291.84 56Old Xaverians 14 12 2 0 0 1 1804 866 208.31 52Mt Lilydale 15 8 7 0 0 0 1292 1155 111.86 32Prahran Assumption 15 7 8 0 0 0 975 1341 72.71 28Old Geelong 14 2 12 0 0 0 709 1565 45.30 8Masala 15 1 14 0 0 0 663 1924 34.46 4

PREMIERSHIP LADDERClub XVIII (2) P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSEmmaus St Leos 15 12 3 0 0 0 1431 714 200.42 48Williamstown CYMS 14 10 4 0 0 1 1202 1046 114.91 44Richmond Central 15 10 4 1 0 0 1069 762 140.29 42Therry Penola 15 6 8 1 0 0 1039 1075 96.65 26Eley Park Sharks 15 5 10 0 0 0 903 1137 79.42 20Bulleen Templestowe 14 0 14 0 0 0 597 1562 38.22 0

PREMIERSHIP LADDERClub XVIII (3) P W L D B FF For Agst % PTSLA TROBE UNI 13 12 1 0 0 2 1712 416 411.54 56NOBS / St Pats 14 12 2 0 0 1 1486 653 227.57 52MHSOB 14 6 8 0 0 1 918 1096 83.76 28Kew 15 6 9 0 0 0 879 1185 74.18 24Dragons 11 3 8 0 0 0 483 1650 29.27 12UHS-VU 15 2 13 0 0 0 772 1431 53.95 8


Leading Goalkickers - Club XVIII (1)Name Club Goals

Ari Mitropoulos Hawthorn 63* (67)

Antonio Brizzi Hawthorn 45 (47)*Sharpshooter (Including Finals)

Stephen Mason Medal Club XVIII (1)Player Club Votes

Marguccio, Anthony Hawthorn 16

Trigwell, Neil Mt Lilydale OC 14

Hickey, Samual J Mt Lilydale OC 12


Robert Hughes Emmaus St Leos OC 46

Joshua Brown Eley Park Sharks 43

Section Best and Fairest Club XVIII (2)Player Club Votes

Mark Pietryk Emmaus St Leos 16

Charles Logan Richmond Central 12

Benjamin Walters Emmaus St Leos 12


Todd Macleod North Old Boys/St Patricks College 37*

Louis Meyer Melbourne High School Old Boys 33 (36)*Sharpshooter (Including Finals)

Section Best and Fairest Club XVIII (3)Player Club Votes

Brenton Lawty North Old Boys St Patricks College 12

Louis Meyer Melbourne High School Old Boys 12

Dale Sidebottom La Trobe University 11

Sebastian Digirolamo La Trobe University 11


Seniors Reserves U19/U18 Thirds/Club XVIII Total

University Blues 60 34 42 8 144

St Bernards 52 30 48 12 142

Williamstown CYMS 56 28 39 10.5 133.5

St Kevins OB 44 30 42 13 129

Therry Penola OB 72 26 24 6.5 128.5

Ivanhoe AFC 42 28 51 0 121

Old Xaverians 40 25 40.5 14.5 120

Marcellin OC 60 12 39 7 118

Hawthorn AFC 72 32 0 14 118

Parkdale Vultures 40 31 33 9 113

Winning Edge Club Championship

Rising Star WinnerAnthony Scott – Old Trinity

Congratulations to Anthony Scott from Old Trinity

who is the winner of 2014 VAFA Club Warehouse

Rising Star.

Scott, 19, beat off stiff competition from a number

of talented youngsters in their fi rst year of VAFA

football. He was voted as the winner by a panel

for his consistent season playing on the wing

for Old Trinity. Scott is the second player from

Old Trinity to win the Rising Star award aft er his

current skipper Brendan Iezzi won the award in

2007. Scott played every game in his fi rst year at

Old Trinity having been a member of the fi rst XVIII

at the school where the school team won one

and lost one AGS Grand Final. Whilst performing

consistently over the course of the season – he

was named in Old Trinity’s best on six occasions,

Scott was recognised for his outstanding play in a

number of matches, his classy left foot fi nishing

seeing him feature on the highlight reel a number

of times.

Scott also played 8 games at the Oakleigh

Chargers last year and upon his arrival at Old

Trinity in the preseason he immediately impressed

all with his silky skills and hardness at the contest.

Scott’s early season form saw him play well in Old

Trinity’s senior practice matches before being

selected for his debut in round 1 against St

Bernard’s where he played well and made a solid

contribution to the win. Scott was exceptional

on the wide wings of Sportscover Arena against

Old Xaverians in round 2, running both ways to

win plenty of possessions and continued to be

hard at the contest and demonstrated his clean

skills when in space. It was this performance that

won him the nomination for the Club Warehouse

Rising Star Award. When not playing football in

the green and gold, Anthony is studying Arts at

Melbourne University.

Once again from everyone at the VAFA and Club

Warehouse congratulate Anthony Scott on

winning the 2014 Rising Star Award. Scott will be

presented with his award at the Woodrow Medal

and VAFA Awards Night next Wednesday at Crown.

• Andy Evans joined the Board as a Board appointee.

• Simon Costello was inducted as a Life Member of the VAFA.

• Christian Burgess and Sam Confait joined the Football Operations department in January and April respectively. Olivia Crowe moved to the new position of Umpire Operations Off icer. Ally Handley joined as the new Finance and Administration Assistant in April. Brian Goodman became General Manager of Football and Umpire Operations in February. Tim Noonan left the position of General Manager of Football Operations to return to the education sector in January.

• The VAFA held a stand alone Woodrow Medal Count at Crown’s River Room, counting all 18 rounds live in the room. The other senior sections were all counted on radio station 96.5 Inner FM.

• Brendan Iezzi of Old Trinity win his second Woodrow Medal to go with his two Moore Medals.

• The VAFA Premier Coaches MVP was awarded for the fi rst time and won by Harry Tinney of Old Trinity.

• The senior VAFA representative side defeated the Eastern Football League in AFL Victoria’s Metro Championships at Visy Park by 48 points to be crowned the number one community football competition in Melbourne.

• The senior representative side defeated AFL Queensland by 83 points in Burpengary, Queensland.

• The VAFA U23 representative side defeated the U23 Tasmanian side by 56 points in Hobart.

• The VAFA U19 and VAFA Premier B-Division 4 sides both lost to AFL Victoria Country representative sides at St Albans Reserve in Geelong.

• Canterbury and Westbourne Grammarians became the VAFA’s two newest senior clubs commencing in Division 4.

• Collegians hosted the fi rst Premier Section senior match in a Friday night game for points, defeating Old Brighton at Harry Trot Oval.

• University Blues win the Winning Edge Club Championship.

• University Blacks win their 14th Premier Section senior premiership and their fi rst in the top section of the VAFA since 1974 when they beat Collegians by 44 points.

• University Blues defeated Old Carey by 75 points to win the Premier B Grand Final for their fi rst senior premiership in 10 years.

• University Blues and Old Carey become just the second pair of teams in history and the fi rst since Old Xaverians and Alphington in 1962, to be relegated from the top section then win promotion back the following year.

• Hampton Rovers won back-to-back premierships defeating Parkdale Vultures by 27 points at Trevor barker Oval, Sandringham to win the Premier C Grand Final.

• Williamstown CYMS upset Therry Penola twice during the fi nals to win the Division 1 premiership at Visy Park, Carlton by 56 points. The CYs earning promotion to Premier C for the fi rst time in their history. Therry Penola had not lost a game all home and away season.

• Kew won back-to-back premierships for the fi rst time in their history when they defeated St Mary’s Salesian by 11 points in the Division 2 Grand Final at Casey Fields.

• Northern Blues won back-to-back premierships when they defeated Richmond Central by 24 points to win the Division 3 Grand Final at Garvey Oval.

• West Brunswick upset Hawthorn to win the Division 4 premiership at Meade Reserve, Clayton. The loss was Hawthorn’s fi rst loss all year.

Highlights 2014

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VAFA Annual Report 2014

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