EDITOR
DESIGN
All images supplied by Sporting MomentsbyShaun
Eli Duxson
Eric Forman
Tara Murray, Luke D’Anello, Luke Mathews
By Luke Mathews
premiership since 2010, defeating West Coburg by 59 points in a hard fought grand final to return to the top flight.
After a disappointing 2023 season that saw them relegated to Division One, Saturday’s win puts the exclamation mark on an incredible season for coach Brodie Holland which saw them finish on top of the ladder and win 14 games in a row on the way to the flag.
After another excellent season, West Coburg couldn’t match it with Marby in the end for four quarters and paid the full price with Saturday’s loss their third defeat in a row in the final game of the season.
With the margin at 14 points at the final change, it was a dynamic final quarter blitz that sealed the premiership for Marby kicking nine goals to two.
James Kayrooz claimed the coveted David McWilliam for best on ground after a dynamic display that willed his side across the line. The forward kicked two crucial goals in the final term that blew the game wide open.
The sharpshooter had some tough competition from inspirational captain
found plenty of the ball, as well as wingmen Josh Cole and Max Griffin who provided plenty of run all day.
Marby got off to the perfect start with some brilliant work at a forward 50 stoppage.
Matthew Gaul extracted the ball out of the pack and found Lucas Edmonds who gave it off to a free Max Griffin who drilled the first goal of the day off the wing.
Superstar Brodie Romensky made it two from two just minutes later when he snapped truly after he marked Kayrooz’s short set shot
West Coburg hit back straight away when Jesse Martini put through their first after a Muhammed Saad centre clearance landed in the sharpshooter’s lap.
With the rain getting heavier and the players starting fumble, Saad levelled up the scores when he goaled at the 16-minute mark of the first term
After three straight behinds, Marby were able to extend their advantage on the stroke of quarter time when they forced a turnover on the wing and linked up to find Bronte Campbell in the pocket, who made no mistake from the snap.
Emilio Rinaudo snuck forward just after the quarter time break to kick his first for the day, with the Burgers receiving a let off just minutes later after Lachie Plowman failed to make the most of a 50-metre penalty.
With the game becoming a stalemate, Marby squandered several opportunities to extend their lead they before they broke the run of behinds when Kyle Harman kicked truly to open up a 12-point lead.
The game was predominantly played in Marby’s half and the momentum was well and truly in their favour.
West Coburg’s defenders Liam Bowkett and Dane Lucas continued to hold firm and denied Marby the opportunity to run away with the game.
As the seconds were ticking away, Marby were in desperate need of capitalising on their dominance, as Craig Searle sent Marby inside 50 before Will Ryan was infringed upon just before the siren to give Marby a three-goal lead heading into the main break
The tall forward couldn’t covert and Marby were left to rue plenty of missed opportunities at half time.
With the rain returning and supporters seeking shelter, neither side could solidify their grip on the cup.
Dinny Cleary was denied the first goal of the third term, with his long range bomb touched on the goal line.
A goalless 26 minutes added to the already rising tension, however it was Thomas Wyatt who broke the deadlock with a crucial goal.
The small forward brought the Coburg City Oval crowd to its feet when he nudged Patrick McCallum under the ball and ran 50 metres to dribble through Marby’s fifth major for the day.
Thirty minutes was all that was left to decide who would lift the cup in 2024 and the intensity went through the roof.
Lucas Edmonds just about sealed it when the midfielder was given a free kick and nailed the
set shot to extend Marby’s advantage to 19points eight minutes into the final term. Marby’s celebrations started to boil over when Kayrooz slipped over and evaded a tackle before running in and booting his second goal for the day
The entire Marby side was getting in on the action with an avalanche of goals in the finals term as 11 Lions hit the scoreboard in booking their return to Premier Division.
Sam Calleri and Daniel Oliver put the final nails in the coffin with two more goals, before another goal to the Oliver on the siren sealed the deal to bring home a memorable premiership
By Eric Forman
Keilor is heading back to Windy Hill for the grand final after a 39-point preliminary final win against Strathmore on Sunday at Coburg City Oval.
The Mores would've been filled with confidence after coming so close to knocking the Blues off in their last meeting and with the Blues coming off a loss.
They managed to stay right in the contest to half time before a third-quarter blitz set up the Keilor win.
Keilor got on the board with four of the first five goals of the game, before a Will Jury goal late int he first time brought the margin back to 14 points.
Strathmore did all the attacking in the second term kicking the first two goals to eventually draw level 26 minutes into the second term.
With seconds to go until half time, Chris Kosmas marked and goaled from the top of the goal square to giv
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The Blues on the othe cause midfield turnov 50 count which prove Strathmore
With Athan Tsialtas o an injury to the mid-s quarter, his direct op swung forward in the gamechanger.
Returning to the side three goals all came i Blues kicking five goa 35-point margin head
Reuben William was d defensive half for the sneak forward and kic last quarter to dent a had of coming back.
Nick O'Kearney worke lifted his side with 35 seven clearances in a p
James Bailey (33 disposals, 12 rebound 50s) provided a lot of drive for Keilor in a staunch backline alongside the likes of William and Brad Xavier.
Nathan Colenso returned from Williamstown VFL with Petric and also snagged three majors, as nine Blues hit the scoreboard
For Strathmore, Cooper Keogh was excellent all game and finished with a whopping 61 hit outs, 29 disposals, and 19 clearances to go with a goal.
Trent Dumont (33 disposals, nine clearances) and Liam Cavanagh (21 disposals, 17 hit outs, six intercepts) were important as well, but it wasn't to be for the Mores whose season came to a close.
Keilor get set for another finals clash with Pascoe Vale in the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division grand final at Windy Hill.
BLUES BACK TO WINDY HILL
By Luke Mathews
Melbourne, three teams have dominated recent history in the EDFL Premier Division.
Strathmore, Keilor, and Aberfeldie have combined for the last nine premierships and have played in many classic finals.
However, recent history would suggest that there is another team snapping at their heels and are starting to continually contend for premierships across every age group.
Pascoe Vale’s rise to the top of the ladder in Premier Division has put everyone on notice and has culminated with back-to-back top two finishes and a grand final berth in 2024.
Since the pandemic, the club came out of the other side of some difficult times in even better shape than before with the Panthers now boasting one of the strongest junior programs across the league.
The success of this program was on full display to the competition when their Under 18s lifted the cup at Windy Hill last year.
Unfortunately, the 2023 season came to a disappointing end for their seniors which finished in a straight sets exit at the hands of neighbours Strathmore.
turned to experienced coach Leigh Tudor to mould its young list into a premiership winning one
While his first season at the helm has been a raging success, the former Kangaroo and Cat could tell from the very beginning of preseason that this season was shaping up to be a good one.
“There was a good feel to the club,” Tudor stated.
“Our Under 18s had just come off a premiership so there was lots of excitement and part of my role was to try and get the next generation of boys coming through from Pacco.
“The Under 18 guys are a really close group and they were excellent with the vibe of the preseason and the leaders were excellent as well
“First day of preseason the boys were up and about and they came with a pretty good growth mindset of trying to get better whenever they come to the club."
While Tudor has been the mastermind behind a lot of his sides’ success during 2024, the
experienced coach knows that it couldn’t be done without a great team of people that went before him.
The establishment of a sophisticated junior program has allowed the club to rise up the ladder and contend with the very best sides from across the competition
“The club has done a really good job with our junior program," Tudor said.
“The president Tony Paragalli, Jenny Tydell, Sam Scollo, and Jake Pantas (Under 18s coach), they’ve spent an enormous amount of time on making sure our juniors are looked after and they’ve got good facilities.
“There’s a bit of a brief there for me to try and get a couple of them games this year and in the end I think we’ve played nine or 10 of our Under 18 guys.
“There’s always just been a good feel to the club of the next generation coming through.
“We’ve got five or six Cannons kids, we’ve got five or six VFL kids on our list so there’s some talent there.
“My responsibility each week is to pick the best side possible to try and win a game of footy against our opposition.
“When we’ve had injuries or there’s been times when the Cannons boys can play, we try and get them in and give them a feel for what it’s like "
One of the remarkable stories of Pascoe Vale’s 2024 season is the journey of superstar forward Ahmed Saad and the impact he is having both on and off the field.
The sharpshooter’s move to the Panthers has resulted in 51 goals from his 15 games, but his season hasn’t been all smooth sailing.
“The biggest impact Ahmed has with us is our off field stuff," Tudor said. “He works with the Bachar Houli foundation, he’s got great relationships with a lot of our players.
“Unfortunately, he did his ACL in our first practice match and ended up missing six or seven weeks.
“He’s come back to play for us, and I’m just astounded by his performance this year, I haven’t seen too many guys play this type of footy he’s playing without an ACL, it’s quite amazing, he’s had a massive impact on the club.
“It’s freaky – I don’t even know how he’s doing what he’s doing, he’s a very special person ”
On their way to second on the ladder, there have been many highs during 2024 for the men in red and black.
However, the finals win against their neighbours Strathmore stands out above the rest as the best moment in Tudor’s first season at the club
“The game against Strathmore was the best game we’ve played for the year.
“We were outstanding, we’ve had a lot of good games this year but that game we had 22 contributors, everybody played their role, we were really hard in the contest
“It was clearly one of the better games we’ve played for the year, everybody joined in, they looked really connected with their ball movement, they looked really connected with their defence and we were really dominant in the stoppages as well.
“We just stuck to our system, it was a pretty tactical game because there was probably a five or six goal wind, so we just played how we wanted to play
“The biggest thing was we had a game plan set for Strathmore and the boys executed the game plan spot on.
“It was as good a team game as I’ve seen us play and that’s the goal to try and repeat that as many times as we can ”
By having a strong junior program, embracing change, and playing as a team, Pascoe Vale have shown that anything is possible for a club daring to dream.
While there is still 120 more minutes to play to decide if they’ll lift the cup, 2024 has already been a resounding success
OPPOSITIONANALYSIS: RIVALCOACHESPREDICT PREMIERDECIDER
ByLukeD’Anello
The man who engineered Keilor's only homeand-away defeat of the past two seasons is tipping Mick McGuane's men to reverse the result of their semi-final defeat to Pascoe Vale and secure back-to-back premierships on Saturday.
But Airport West coach Brent Taylor, who led his team to a stirring 13-point win over the then-undefeated Blues in Round 16, is expecting a tight contest in what promises to be an enthralling season finale at Windy Hill Aberfieldie co-coach Clay Illman is also predicting Keilor will defend its premiership.
The Panthers, who finished the regular rounds two games astern of the Blues, prevailed by 34 points at Coburg City Oval in the opening week of finals to earn a direct passage through to the decider
Jared Eckersley, Sunny Brazier, Thomas Hofert, Matthew Stillman, and Lachlan Stredwick shone for the winning side in that match, while sharpshooter Ahmed Saad and Joshua Iacobaccio each contributed three goals.
Keilor regained Cody Brand, Nathan Colenso, Mason Thomas, Joseph Ciranna, and Jovan Petric for its preliminary final triumph over Strathmore, with Pascoe Vale having had the more settled line-up in recent weeks.
"I'd lean towards Keilor, the main reason being I just think they've got a bit of class back into their forward line with Brand, Petric, and Colenso. I think they've got a bit of tall timber back," Taylor said.
"Obviously from the last time they met, Pacco were able to win contest and clearance and drive territory and get scoreboard impact. Obviously Keilor need to turn that around in order to do it, but my gut says Keilor in a really tight, close contest.”
Taylor said the Blues' vast experience on the big stage was the key reason he favoured them to go all the way
Keilor is chasing its fourth Premier Division flag since 2016 and also finished runner-up in 2018, while this is Pascoe Vale's first ever topflight EDFL grand final appearance.
The Panthers have claimed three senior EDFL premierships, the most recent coming in Division One in 2011, with the club preserving its Premier Division status since.
"I think it does account for something on game day, to have been in the big dance, and especially when they (Keilor) were there as recently as last year and they were successful," Taylor said.
"It's probably why I'm leaning that way with a bit of experience coming back into their side last week as well."
It is a view shared by Illman, who steered Abers to a finals berth in his first year at the helm.
"I think experience in big games gets them across the line," he said
"We saw that on the weekend against Strathmore, and probably just some calm heads in some pretty tight situations got them across the line. I reckon that will
probably be the difference between them and Pascoe Vale."
Illman added that "continuity is pretty good at this level," pointing to the fact the Blues have played each week of the finals series, while the Panthers will enter the grand final fresh from a week off.
"I think it's probably worked in Keilor's favour, the (semi-final) loss, and being able to get a bit of form back this week," he said.
Taylor said Keilor "probably needed" the semifinal defeat after a patchy finish to the regular season.
The Blues hammered the Panthers by 133 points in Round 6, restricting them to one goal in a top-of-the-table clash, and also won by 41 points when the pair met in Round 13.
Taylor said taking the field in the preliminary final was crucial for Keilor
"For them to get that connection and get a couple of guys back, I think playing that week probably benefits Keilor more than Pacco having the week off," he said.
"Pacco had some good continuity, some tight contests late in the season and they were able
ll be interesting either
re similarities between -and-away win and the victory.
bly replicated similar t Keilor," he said.
was that you had to win st and you had to take 50s and you had to ure. If you give Keilor any hold their space hey'll cut you up with allers.
them one on one and you essure, while taking the that's the way you can
stats compared to Pascoe Vale's stats in the finals, they were quite similar.
"Keilor's challenge will be to overcome that and make sure they can win their fair share of contest and clearance to try to overturn that result "
Illman, an experienced VFL assistant coach, said the Blues' state league-listed talent had been vital in their team's ability to dismantle rivals after half-time this year.
"As blatant as it is, the VFL training standard is a higher level than EDFL training standard," Illman said.
"So just being able to have that fitness base of the VFL guys allows them to continue on in the back half of games when a lot of the local guys start to fatigue. The VFL guys have got that extra gear to go to."
Strathmore coach Nick Ash said he expected "a cracking game".
"The two best teams throughout the year do battle in a grand final I believe the team that can get on top in the midfield battle and can convert their opportunities in front of goal will take the cup in a close game.”.
By Luke Mathews
Pascoe Vale and Keilor are set to square off in a highly anticipated Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division grand final at Windy Hill. Keilor will be hoping to win back-to-back premierships for the first time since 2001 and a victory on Saturday would mark legendary coach Mick McGuane’s fifth premiership in charge of the Blues.
Pascoe Vale will be hoping to follow in Maribyrnong Park and Taylors Lakes' footsteps and win their first premiership in over a decade, with the Panthers last saluting back in 2011 when they won the Division One flag.
A win would also make it the club's first EDFL Premier Division flag.
Both sides have had impressive seasons to date with Keilor claiming a second minor
premiership in a row after they lost just the one home-and-away game for the season, while Pascoe Vale backed up their strong 2023 season with another top-two finish.
The two sides have met on three occasions during 2024, with Keilor dominating their first two encounters winning by 133 points back in Round 6 and by 41 points in Round 13.
The Panthers got their revenge in the semi final, causing a huge boilover to win by 34 points.
In Round 6, it was Keilor’s ruthlessness inside 50 and firm defence that set up the thumping victory
The Blues recorded 68 inside 50s for the day and generated 36 scoring shots while holding Pascoe Vale to just one goal for the entire 120 minutes.
PREMIER
It was Keilor’s superstars who did the damage with Josh Honey collecting 32 touches, nine clearances, and eight inside 50s, and Corey Ellis finishing with 29 disposals and 10 clearances.
Despite the disappointing loss, the game was pivotal moment in the season for Leigh Tudor’s men who have only lost the two games since.
One of which was in Round 13 when it was Keilor’s ability to generate and score off turnovers that won them the game.
Even though Round 13 was a much closer contest, the Blues were still able to cruise to a comfortable victory after forcing an extra 16 turnovers and generating 14 goals from it.
James Bailey put in one of his best performances for the year with 33 disposals and a goal as Chris Kosmas starred once again with 27 touches, eight clearances, and a goal.
In the semi final however, it was Pascoe Vale’s work around clearance and the contest that allowed them to possess the ball and win their way through to the grand final.
Leigh Tudor’s men dominated around the contest recording an extra 43 contested possession and 20 clearances, while taking an extra 37 marks to stretch the Keilor defence.
Jared Eckersley was everywhere finishing with 33 touches and eight clearances while Tom Hofert was dominant in the ruck with 20 disposals, 43 hit outs, and nine clearances.
Co-captain Lachie Stredwick was pivotal in the win, setting up Pascoe Vale’s backline and stopping Keilor’s dynamic forward line with three intercept marks and seven rebound 50s.
If Keilor want to record back-to-back premierships they will need to be able to expose Pascoe Vale off turnovers.
Keilor have been the most efficient team across the competition and one of the best all year at scoring off turnover and punished the Panthers in their two home-and-away games this year.
Pascoe Vale on the other hand have conceded the third most turnovers of any side in the
competition and if Keilor are able to win the ball back in dangerous parts of the ground and move the ball with speed, it will limit the influence of Pascoe Vale’s backline and defenders such as Stredwick, Will Hoare, and Matt Stillman.
For Pascoe Vale to win, it will come down to its dominance in contested possession and clearance as well as their ability to control the game and stop Keilor’s run.
The Panthers are the number one contested possession team across the competition and dominated the Blues in the semi final in that area.
Leigh Tudor’s side will be hoping to expose Keilor around clearance on Saturday as this has been a weakness of Keilor all year with the reigning premiers ranking eighth for the year
Hofert will be hoping to set the tone for the Panthers in the ruck. Keilor have ranked last in the competition for hit outs and hit outs to advantage and the Panthers will be hoping to convert his dominance in the ruck to clearances.
If the Panthers backline can hold firm and control the game like they did in the semi final, they could be holding up the cup on Saturday afternoon.
It's easier said than done as they'll have to do it again against a side that has lost just twice in 755 days come Saturday.
A good omen for the Panthers is that Keilor's last loss before its dominant run was against Pascoe Vale, the last time these sides last met at Windy Hill
STRATHMORE
President: John Toniolo
Coach: Mark Hassall
Caleb Perini
Christopher Scerri
Jake Waters
Lachlan Plant
Hugh Allison
Hugo Jenkins
Sebastian Moffett
Ryan Maddox
James Sayers
Jett Laidler
Will Janky
Alex Tonelli
Curtis Rawlings
Jack Cook
Isaiah Konstantinidis
Daniel Robertson
Zak Waters
Harry Ryan
Brodie Hassall
Willem Hanegraaf
Taylor Moxon
Michael Cross
Hamish Pearce
Nicholas Page
Nicholas Staropoli
Jai Prince
Jack Ryan
Alexander Fish
Kade Mueller
Amin Naim
PASCOEVALE
President: Tony Paragalli
Coach: Jake Pantas
Fares Hamoud
Carled El Khodr
Khalil Kaakour
Cameron Pascoe
Luke Pelosi
Sebastian Carta
Max Carta
Hussein El achkar
Jalal Abou-Eid
Omar Aboueid
Muhammad Abou-Eid
Ahmed Taleb
Mua Tavo
Jack Scollo
Michael Tiligadis
Sam Rafei
Georgios Kavouras
Adam Sweid
Jarrah Younger
Noah Scott
Dean Ciccarone
Benjamin Pascoe
Jack Jeal
Mohammad Abdallah
Omar Abou Eid
Noah Atiyeh
Mohammed Ali
Lucas Baccari
Noah Hijazi
Aiden Foschi Brouwer
Paula Tavo
Lachlan Fazzolari
STRATHMORE
President: John Toniolo
Coach: Zack Carey
Karl Staudt
Sam O’Loughlin
Lachlan Currie
Callum Clinick
Luke Butcher
Lucas Scerri
Hudson Radecki
Matthew Pellegrino
James Kefalas
Matt Elliot
Isaac Brill
Lucas Cavallaro
Matthew Doody
Luke Holian
Kobi West
James Sala
Max Taylor
Cale DuPlessis
Nicholas Owens
Alessi Leggieri
Andrew Pellegrino
Oscar Mammoliti
Declan Harvey
Carlos Egan
Samuel Duggan
Thomas Sayers
Cooper Newton
Cody Rodwell
Max Cirigliano
Ben Figliola
KEILOR
President: Ray Sheridan
Coach: Stephen Pace
Harry Withoos
Oskar Haintz
Darcy Weeks
Joel Sadler
Jhett Gaskett
Cooper MacKenzie-George
Darcy Cassar
Emmanuel Parissis
William Burke
Nathan Ryan
Parker Sneddon
Harvey Wilkes
Thomas Guljas
Ryan Hargreaves
Melvin Tataya
Mitchell Newman
Michael Teal
Kobe Long
William Teal
Jayden Teal
Julian Seol
Connor Vosper
William McKenzie
Daniel Sargent
Patrick Bright
Hubik
Mazziol
PASCOEVALE
President: Tony Paragalli
Coach: Leigh Tudor
Ahmed
Matthew Watson
Paul Ahern
Sunny Brazier
Ben Allan
Rhys Ritchie
Errol Mcconnell
Julian Hemala
Will Hoare
Jake Moorhead
Joshua Iacobaccio
Adam Figliola
Jeremy Rodi
Carled El Khodr
Matthew Stillman
Daniel Guccione
Ahmed Saad
Lachlan Stredwick
Mahmoud Taha
Jared Eckersley
Jayden Ranno
Maclayn Hallows
Dylan Exposto
Sebastian Carta
Charles Bolmat
Hofert
KEILOR
President: Ray Sheridan
Coach: Mick McGuane
Kyle O’Connor
Corey Ellis
Matthew Bartlett
Kane Barbuto
Cody Brand
Mitchell Ellis
Reuben William
Bradley Xavier
Nicholas O'Kearney
Billy Johnson
Joel Sadler
Jay White
Blair Wyllie
Darcy Cassar
Riley Ham
Christos Kosmas
Oscar Smartt
James Bailey
Nathan Colenso
Jermarl Daly
Mason Thomas
Joseph Ciranna
Nathan Ellis
Jovan Petric
Thomas McGuane
