The Amateur Footballer 2025 - Week 18

In the VAFA 2023-26 Strategic Plan we committed to increasing the awareness of the VAFA competition through media channels.

Accordingly, we have invested in several media resources to drive both the brand exposure and increase the value to the VAFA’s and our Clubs’ commercial partners.

Upgraded Website

In 2024, our Head of Media and Digital Cameron Voss led the project to upgrade our website and make it more engaging and user friendly. The results have been significant. As an example, in comparing the coverage of the week-long Big V events against the corresponding period in 2024, the 2025 VAFA website generated:

• 25% increase in Page views (to 187,076)

• 42% increase in Page views per user

• 44% increase in Average time per user

These results reflect a highly engaged user, thanks to both the improved usability of the website and the relevance and quality of the content being produced by VAFA Media.

Thanks largely to the new PlayHQ fixtures, results and ladders integration introduced early in the season, page views on the VAFA website are up 45% compared to the same period last year, with almost 4.5 million pages viewed this year already – well above last year’s total for the entire year.

New Mobile App

We are excited to announce that in the coming weeks, we will release a new VAFA App that will be a one stop shop for all VAFA information, including fixtures, live scores, ladders, news stories, etc. This has been another big project led by Cameron Voss involving our key strategic partner Premier Data.

Social Media

Jason ReddickCEO

This has seen our total Instagram followers rise from 13,990 in 2024 to 18,393 in 2025 between both VAFA accounts and our new Tik Tok account securing 1,300 followers and that has generated 39,200 likes to date. In the last 90 days alone VAFAHQ content has amassed 9.8 million views

Broadcasting

We were thrilled to attract renowned Channel 7 football broadcaster Jason Bennett as the VAFA as Broadcast and Content Manager in 2024. Jason has had a profound impact on the quality and quantity of the live coverage of the VAFA competition.

Attracting and mentoring the best up and coming media talent has enabled the VAFA to expand our broadcast offering to deliver initiatives such as:

Attracting and mentoring the best up and coming media talent

In order to engage and connect with the younger generation coming into the VAFA competition, we contracted Dylan Humphries as our 2025 Social Media Growth Coordinator. Dylan is the founder of Cenchfooty who produces AFL content attracting over 258,000 Instagram followers and 6,300 X followers. Dylan has been busy driving content that covers all sections of our VAFA competition such as the Whitefriars U19’s first win in their last game of the year; Richmond Centrals Jake Dillon ‘ton watch’; and Ormond’s 16 consecutive win club record.

• Big V State games v Perth FL broadcast live via the use of a high quality Outside Broadcast Van, featuring 8 cameras, on-screen hosting and miked-up coaches taking viewers inside the huddles.

• William Buck Premier Men’s Showcase in Round 3, featuring every match streamed live for the first time.

• Premier B showcase in Round 16, featuring every match streamed live for the first time & the launch of our VAFA TV Megawall

In total, we will deliver live VAFA Media coverage of 99 matches across the 2025 home & away season on the VAFA website, Kommunity TV platform & SEN App.

We’re keen to continue expanding our streaming footprint across the competition to help clubs connect with their entire community, well beyond those who can physically make it to the games, thereby generating more visibility and exposure for club commercial partners, and helping clubs grow their community.

Our official weekly VAFA podcast, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME, is also enjoying a bumper year of engagement, with 11 of the top 15 episodes from the past 3 seasons airing in 2025.

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER

Jason Bennett

Blues land body blow on Blacks, while the Lions fall agonisingly short of a huge upset

Both the Finals & Relegation races remain alive entering the final fortnight of the home & away season. Here’s Round 16 of Premier Men’s in review.

University Blues have won three in a row to kick clear of the drop zone after posting a comfortable 30-point win over University Blacks in a massive Uni Derby at Melbourne Uni Oval.

The stakes were high for both teams, but for different reasons, as the Blues looked to escape the relegation zone, while the Blacks looked to draw level with Old Haileybury in the race for fourth.

The Blacks got the jump with the first 2 goals to Tom St.Clair & Matthew Grocott, before Trent Cossar kicked a beauty for the Blues deep into time-on to reduce the margin to 5 points at the first break.

The second quarter proved to be the decisive one, as the Blues got their contested and intercept games going to control the term. They capitalised with 7 goals to 2 (including a monster torpedo from Darcy Chirgwin on the half-time siren) to open a handy 28-point half-time lead.

The Blues dominated territory again in the third, but the Blacks’ defence held back the tide - both teams adding just 1.2 for the term.

But when the Blues booted the opening three goals of the last quarter, the margin blew out to 46 points. Credit to the Blacks, who responded with 3 goals in 4 minutes, but the damage was done – the Blues continuing their late-season revival with a critical 5-goal win that moves them 6 points clear of the relegation zone, given they finish with matches against the Top 2.

The Blacks have now lost 4 of their last 6, and while they’re still a chance to steal fourth from the Bloods, they’ll need to win their last two and hope that Old Haileybury lose their last two (against St Bernard’s & Old Scotch).

THE RUN HOME:

Uni Blues:Uni Blacks: Old Xavs (Away)Old Scotch (Home) Old Brighton (H)Old Xaverians (A)

Matt Smith (Uni Blues): “Arguably our best four-quarter performance of the year. Although it didn’t show on the scoreboard in the first quarter, it felt as though we had controlled territory for the majority of it.

“In the second quarter, everything came together for us. We dominated territory, and everything we touched in front of goal worked.

“We knew the Blacks would come out hard in the second half, and we’ve had a tendency to let teams back into the contest. But to the boys’ credit, they stuck to playing their role and continued to suffocate with pressure.

“It was nice to be able to enjoy a quarter of relatively stressfree footy in the last!”

Dale Bower (Uni Blacks): “The Blues beat us in pretty much every aspect of the game and fully deserved the win. We need to get back to our best quickly and redeem ourselves against Old Scotch this week.”

The Blacks’ loss meant that Old Haileybury could effectively wrap up fourth spot if they could defeat St Kevin’s at Haileybury College.

It’s always a special day for the Bloods when they get to play at the school, and they booted the last couple of goals of the opening term to lead by 7 points at the first change.

But the second quarter belonged to the visitors as SKOB took control around the contest and booted 5 unanswered goals to open a 25-point half-time advantage – Jack Ball with two second-quarter majors for St Kevin’s.

Leading goalkicker Andreas Stefanakis threatened to bring the Bloods back into the game with a couple of early thirdquarter goals, but St Kevin’s held firm and responded with two of their own early in time-on.

But Stefanakis wasn’t done. He booted 2 goals in 2 minutes late in the quarter to give him four for the term, keeping the Bloods alive as they headed to the break 23 points down and still in with a chance.

The hosts added a couple of minor scores to begin the last term, but 2 goals in 3 minutes pushed the margin out beyond 30 points, and, from there, Anthony Lynch’s men

were able to control the game and post a comfortable win that effectively locks them into third spot and their seventh consecutive finals campaign.

While the chance to secure fourth spot slipped from the Bloods’ hands, they still maintain a strong hold on that last finals position. Win either of their last two games, and they will qualify for September.

THE RUN HOME:

St Kevin’s:Old Haileybury:

De La Salle (H)St Bernard’s (A)

St Bernard’s (A)Old Scotch (H)

Anthony Lynch (St Kevin’s): “Haileybury were right on top of us in the first quarter in terms of their intensity and pressure, which was disappointing from our perspective given the significance of the game.

“Fortunately for us, they were not able to get too far away from a scoreboard perspective, and quarter time enabled us to reset.

“I was really happy with our game after quarter time, and although there are always things to improve on, the signs were good against a team we really rate.

“In such a challenging and even competition, I’m incredibly proud that for the seventh season in a row we have qualified ourselves into a finals campaign, and I think this group is building at the right time.”

Daniel Ward (Old Haileybury): “We matched their intensity early and deserved to have a lead at quarter time.

“St Kevin’s won crucial contests and territory to dominate the second term, and that was the difference in the game. Credit to Plugger and his group, who, despite significant changes, were able to stay disciplined and play their roles.

“We still have our destiny in our own hands but need to find our best footy fast.”

Old Xaverians survived an almighty scare from a gallant Collegians at Harry Trott.

The visitors led by a couple of goals at the first break, before the Lions bit back hard in the second term, dominating contested possession and controlling territory to boot 5 goals to 2, and lead by 9 points at the half.

The third quarter was all Old Xavs, who locked the ball in at their end with a whopping 17 Inside 50s to 1, yet only converted those into 1.4 as Collegians defended grimly – scores locked together at the final break – but Xavs without guns Josh Kennedy and Alec Spralja, who were both out of the game due to injury.

The last quarter was just as quirky as the third, with the Lions dominating territory but unable to score. They had 14 Inside 50s to 7, yet the game hung in the balance to the final siren.

Sam Hansen struck first for Xavs to give them a 6-point lead, which held until Dylan Thomas tied things back up 15 minutes in.

Tex Wanganeen gave Xavs the lead once again entering timeon, but their 8-point lead was reduced back to 2 points when Alex Lukic goaled at the 30-minute mark to set the scene for yet another thrilling finish at the Trott.

Collegians won the ensuing centre break and launched it forward, looking for the winner. Xavs cleared momentarily, but the ball went back Inside 50 to an Alex Lukic contest as the siren sounded to give Xavs a nailbiting 2-point win.

Heartbreak once again for Collegians, who suffered their fifth single-digit loss of the season (they are 0-5 plus a draw from six thrillers) after once again proving themselves capable of stretching a contender - yet they remain squarely in the relegation race with a fortnight to play.

THE RUN HOME:

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S

Dan Donati (Old Xavs): “I was rapt to get the 4 points in the end. We’ve had a challenging couple of weeks, and then going two men down early in a tough contest meant we had to dig really deep for this one.

“After half-time our effort went up, and whilst we had the territory in the third, just couldn’t find the scoreboard while Collegians defended the ground extremely well.

“In the end, it could’ve gone either way, as both sides just kept going at it. They’re always nice to win those games, as the effort required was enormous from both teams.”

Jordie McKenzie (Collegians): “It was a hard-fought arm wrestle against Xavs on the weekend. Neither side gave an inch, and goals were hard to come by.

“Our best quarter was our second quarter, when we won the territory battle and hit the scoreboard on the back of some great teamwork. The momentum changed multiple times, and ultimately, Xavs came out victors. Our boys kept trying right to the end, but much like many games this year, we couldn’t find a way to salute.”

Old Scotch took a giant step towards safety with a critical win over St Bernard’s at Camberwell.

The stakes were high, with both teams battling to avoid relegation and the winner gaining valuable breathing room.

The opening quarter was an entertaining, free-flowing shootout with both teams booting 5.3 apiece, before the Cardinals edged their way to a 16-point half-time lead, courtesy of greater efficiency with ball in hand (the Snowdogs going at just 46% by foot, committing 21 turnovers to 11 in the second term).

The even contest continued into the third quarter, with the Dogs increasing their ascendancy on the inside but not converting that into territory and score as both teams struggled to string together meaningful possession chains. Two goals apiece resulted as the Cards headed to the final change with a 15-point lead.

Old Scotch finally managed to get their uncontested game going in the last quarter, controlling the tempo with uncontested marks giving them the ability to set up behind the ball and defend their advantage.

One goal for the entire quarter was the result, and it went the Cardinals’ way, courtesy of skipper Andy Jelbart at the 25-minute mark, as the reigning premiers all but secured their place in Premier Men’s for 2026 with a hard-fought 22-point win that leaves the Snowdogs stranded in ninth and likely needing to win their final two matches and have other results go their way.

THE RUN HOME:

Old Scotch:St Bernard’s: Uni Blacks (A)Old Haileybury (H) Old Haileybury (A)St Kevin’s (H)

Mark Gnatt (Old Scotch): “It was great to get back on the winners list! The boys have been putting in the work and deserved some reward for effort.

“St Bernard’s certainly came to play and made us work for it. The match was tight all day, with both sides having the momentum at various stages. Our leaders brought the energy and really stood up when it mattered.

“Rhys Galvin was outstanding in defence and has taken his game to another level. Henry Brown dominated in the midfield and has had a very consistent season.”

Steve Alessio (St Bernard’s): “The endeavour of our group was really good. We persisted all game, and the last quarter was a real arm wrestle with no score for about 20 minutes. It was a fantastic contest.

“If we scored, the margin would have been under 10 points late in the quarter. Unfortunately, a 50-metre penalty at a crucial time stopped what looked to be an enthralling finish to the game.

“We move on and do everything in our control to try and avoid relegation.”

The final game of the weekend saw top visit bottom as Old Brighton headed to Waverley Oval to face De La Salle.

And, as has been the case so often this season, De La served it up to a contender for an extended period but couldn’t go hard enough for long enough.

They led the Tonners by 3 points at the first break, and it took the league-leaders 12 minutes in the second term to find a major, but their pressure eventually took its toll, and Old Brighton took control of field position from which they booted the only 3 goals of the quarter to lead by 17 points at the long break.

The third term was last year’s minor premiers at their best. They slammed 7.3 to 0.1 to blow the game wide open by completing dominating the contest and hauling in an incredible 11 Marks Inside 50 for the term.

Trailing by 61 points at the final change, De La rolled up their sleeves in the last quarter and, to their credit, managed to break even in the stoppage and territory battles. What could have been a triple-figure defeat turned out to be 66 points as Old Brighton moved a step closer to backto-back minor premierships.

Rising Star nominee Charlie Richardson delivered another eye-catching performance with 4 goals, while Tom Fisher led the way in the midfield with 38 disposals, 9 tackles and 7 clearances.

Nick Bufalo racked up 31 disposals, 9 tackles and 7 clearances for De La, while Jacob Williams rebounded tirelessly on his way to 29 touches, 9 marks and 8 Rebound 50s.

THE RUN HOME:

Old Brighton:De La Salle: Collegians (H)St Kevin’s (A) Uni Blues (A)Collegians (A)

Marcel Bruin (Old Brighton): “In the first half, we couldn’t get our hands on the ball effectively, and we were lax defensively. De La had the better of the stoppages and put great pressure on our possession.

“In the second half, we needed to lift our intensity across the ground and, off the back of being a lot cleaner, we were able to set up better defensively and offensively shift the ball more effectively. This helped to create good shots on goal.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to lock in Top 2 and get another finals opportunity with two more really challenging games against in-form teams to finish the home and away season.”

Nick Hyland (De La Salle): “Our first half was actually pretty good. We matched Old Brighton in the contest, and our pressure was up all over the field. We were unlucky not to be a little closer at the main break.

“Third quarter was really disappointing. We completely lost our way when Old Brighton ramped things up. Credit to Marcel and his playing group, when they can chain out from stoppage, they are very potent.

“I was pleased with the way we responded in the final quarter to fight out the contest. A clear positive was that we matched the ladder leaders in the first half, as always, though, our challenge has been sustaining that across four quarters.”

ROUND 17 TIPS

Old XaveriansV University Blues

Old BrightonV Collegians

University Blacks V Old Scotch

St Bernards V Old Haileybury

St Kevin’sV De La Salle

ROUND 16 RESULTS

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S

Xaverians:

GOALS: Collegians: A. Lukic 2, J. Davy 1, C. Walker 1, J. Archer 1, D. Thomas 1, W. D’Amico 1, N. Canny 1, S. Hibbins 1

GOALS: Old Xaverians: C. MacIsaac 3, E. Delany 2, S. Hansen 1, T. Wanganeen 1, J. O’sullivan 1, W. Brusnahan 1

BEST: Collegians: L. Smith, N. Canny, J. Davy, S. Beilby, J. McGuiness, B. Van Twest

BEST: Old Xaverians: H. Woodhouse, J. O’sullivan, C. Lane, C. Knott, D. Symeopoulos, C. Dunne

University Blacks:

University Blues:

GOALS: University Blacks: M. Grocott 3, C. Moorfield 2, K. Loftus 1, T. St Clair 1

(84)

GOALS: University Blues: J. Stewart 3, G. McCulloch 3, D. Chirgwin 2, T. Cossar 1, J. Curran 1, A. Lord 1, S. Grimley 1

BEST: University Blacks: K. Loftus, A. Makieng, C. Moorfield, M. Gray, J. Clark, J. Cassidy

BEST: University Blues: D. Chirgwin, J. Goddard, J. Ryan, C. O’shea, G. McCulloch, N. Conway

De La Salle:

GOALS: De La Salle: L. Healy 2, R. O’Meara 1, A. Indovino 1, B. Boscacci 1, M. Miller 1

GOALS: Old Brighton: C. Richardson 4, B. Pryor 3, H. Hill 2, A. Langworthy 1, F. Campigli 1, A.

Edgar 1, H. Dick 1, K. Dimattina 1, J. Segar 1, F. Flockart 1

BEST: De La Salle: S. Cross, N. Bufalo, T. Stanton, R. O’Meara, T. Filipovic, L. Healy

BEST: Old Brighton: H. Dick, B. Pryor, K. Dimattina, A. Edgar, H. Hill, C. Richardson

Old Haileybury:

St Kevin’s:

GOALS: Old Haileybury: A. Stefanakis 5, E. Hardeman 1, J. Morgan 1

(51)

(81)

GOALS: St Kevin’s: S. Critchley 2, J. Ball 2, E. Mahoney 2, O. Gill 1, A. phillips 1, J. Mahony 1, J. Darmody 1, S. Cameron 1

BEST: Old Haileybury: C. Riley, D. Seccull, A. Stefanakis, J. Gasparini, C. Sinclair, M. Rose

BEST: St Kevin’s: J. Mahony, W. Coates, C. Hodges, A. Mathieson, L. Winter, R. Larcher

Old Scotch: 5.3 9.9

(87)

St Bernard’s: 5.3 7.5 9.9 9.11 (65)

GOALS: Old Scotch: D. Lawrence 4, H. Brown 2, H. Wild 1, A. Jelbart 1, J. Torney 1, A. Noblet 1, W. Clark 1, B. Easton 1

GOALS: St Bernard’s: L. Alessio 3, D. Iermano 2, L. Said 2, M. Sauro 1, Z. Overman 1

BEST: Old Scotch: R. Galvin, H. Brown, A. Noblet, C. Cormack, J. Brown, B. Hays

BEST: St Bernard’s: M. Hughes, A. Ryan, D. Sullivan, L. Alessio, H. Fuller, M. Sauro

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S RESERVE

Old Haileybury:

St Kevin’s:

GOALS: Old Haileybury: J. Kennedy 2

(17)

(123)

GOALS: St Kevin’s: T. Williams 4, M. Canning 4, W. Pearce 3, X. Duke 1, T. Pirola 1, A. Butler 1, Z. Greenham 1, T. Feehan 1, T. Davidson 1, C. Lynch 1

BEST: Old Haileybury: J. Black, J. Adams, J. Gown, J. Grenda, S. Hall - kahan, B. Prior

BEST: St Kevin’s: X. Duke, o. white, C. Lynch, H. Reimers, M. Canning, T. Pirola

Old Scotch:

(68) St Bernard’s:

GOALS: Old Scotch: J. Davies 3, J. Livingston 2, A. Halse 1, C. Hocking 1, G. Kennedy 1, R. Spark 1, H. Byrne-Jones 1

(85)

GOALS: St Bernard’s: D. Barker 5, N. Vinecombe 2, J. Duvnjak 2, S. Miceli 1, J. Sullivan 1, D. Restuccia 1

BEST: Old Scotch: M. Muller, H. Byrne-Jones, H. Japp, R. Spark, J. Livingston, P. Johnson

BEST: St Bernard’s: D. Restuccia, N. Vinecombe, L. Chillura, D. Barker, W. Riley, M. Eid

Blacks:

Blues:

GOALS: University Blacks: J. Wentzel 1, S. Ackland-Evans 1, W. Baker 1, S. Cleary 1

GOALS: University Blues: A. Dowsley 5, J. Paterson 3, J. Harrington 2, L. Di Lallo 2, T. Ingram 1

BEST: University Blacks: R. Satanek, J. Connelly, S. Ackland-Evans, B. Mithen, S. Malone, Z. Harris

BEST: University Blues: J. Pring, J. Fulton, A. Bain, O. Sleiman, A. Dowsley, J. Paterson

GOALS: Collegians: A. Walker 3

GOALS: Old Xaverians: J. Boyd 5, M. Exell 4, H. Bird 2, H. Bell 2, O. Duncan 2, J. Gangi 2, T. McRae 1, D. Tuddenham 1, B. Scala 1, N. Brown 1, H. Troiani 1

BEST: Collegians: H. Waters, A. Walker, A. Nolan, B. Monahan, A. Wilson, M. Mckeown

BEST: Old Xaverians: J. Gangi, L. Danielis-Morley, M. Exell, D. Tuddenham, C. Holmes, H. Bowen

La Salle:

GOALS: De La Salle: A. Mastroianni 1, A. Kelly 1, J. Brooker 1, M. Elliott 1

GOALS: Old Brighton: S. Collins 4, L. Macnab 1, Z. Bowen 1, M. Ho 1, M. Hofmann 1, L. McCluskey 1, B. Jakobi 1

BEST: De La Salle: M. Elliott, E. McMahon, J. Brooker, D. Kaminaris, R. Ritson, L. Eldering

(30)

BEST: Old Brighton: L. Macnab, B. Branson, S. Collins, C. Hathway, T. Howden, L. McCluskey

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER

Cardinals edge Fields as finals race heats up

With just two rounds remaining, Round 16 delivered a mix of gritty contests and dominant performances as the race for finals intensifies in the William Buck Premier Women’s competition. Old Scotch held their nerve in a tense three-point thriller over Caulfield Grammarians, while West Brunswick, St Kevin’s and Kew all recorded convincing wins to solidify their positions. Fitzroy enjoyed a timely bye, watching the ladder tighten around them as the top four jostle for supremacy.

Kew travelled to Fearon reserve to face off with Williamstown CYMS, with the Bears prying for a top four position. The CY’s have put in strong performances throughout the year but struggled to keep pace with the Bears and were defeated handily by 64 points, 9.10 (64) defeated 0.0 (0).

Bears coach Emily Avery praised her side’s cleaner ball use and dominance at the centre bounce.

Claire Dyett starred up forward for the Bears with four goals and several assists, while Georgia Wyett’s explosive work from stoppages consistently generated forward-half opportunities.

On the other side of the ledger, CY’s coach Xavier Smith was disappointed with his side’s performance after several positive weeks.

“It was definitely a step backwards for our program, after two pretty positive weeks.”

“All we can do is look forward to St Kevin’s this week, where hopefully we can back up our performance from our first meeting.”

West Brunswick proved too strong for Beaumaris in their 25-point win, defeating the Sharks at home 5.5 (35) to 1.4 (10).

Sharks coach Sam Calogero was clear about his side’s tactical focus heading into the game and despite the result he remains forward-looking,

“Our aim was to slow them down in transition from their back half and make them go slow.”

“Our intent and approach over the next few weeks are working on getting more reward for our effort.”

Georgia Alomes alongside Mia Amon and Audrey Fithall kicked goals for the Magpies. West Brunswick’s win continues their push toward finals with another composed performance. They currently hold down fourth spot with two rounds to play but have Kew chomping at their heels to steal their finals chance.

St Kevin’s grinded out a low-scoring win over Old Geelong 1.7 (13) to 1.0 (6) away from home.

St Kevin’s coach Tom Purcell was pleased to see his side’s defensive intent and intensity to win a low scoring game.

“It was a great contest and battle all day with both defences well on top. I was really proud of our team the way they stood up and fought the game out to the very end.”

Belinda Woolcock and Elysia Burvill were the standouts for the victors with Kate Stanton kicking the sole major for St Kevin’s.

For the OG’s Brooke McKay, Emma Hoban and Samatha Davis led the way, with Tessa Longden kicking the home team’s only goal for the afternoon.

OG’s coach Jack Crameri was positive about the performance despite not getting the four points and credited Sam Davis’ performance at full back.

“It was a great game of footy, and it was an awesome contest between the two teams. Huge credit to Sam Davis who kept their full forward goalless for the first time this year.”

Crameri also recognised a huge milestone on the day with Brooke McKay celebrating her 100 th game for the club, becoming the first female to do so at the OG’s and only the second woman to be recognised as a life member.

Cooper Watkins

In what previewed as the game of the round, Old Scotch edged out Caulfield Grammarians in a gripping threepoint contest, 3.8 (26) to 3.5 (23). The loss is the Fields second consecutive loss and tightens the race at the top of the ladder. The cardinals chased down the ladder leaders in a tense final term. Caulfield, who had been unbeaten until round 15, remain on top of the ladder and face a crucial run home as the top four narrows.

Sarah Kenny, Brooke Randall and Jacinta Baxter were among the best for the Fields with the former kicking the only three goals for the ladder leaders.

For the Cardinals it was the familiar names putting up strong performances with Vice-Captain Mia Cowan slotting two majors and Captain Katie Hunter-Scott adjudged best on ground.

Round 17 shapes as a pivotal weekend in the VAFA William Buck Premier Women’s competition, with finals spots on the line and momentum up for grabs. Kew host Old Geelong in a clash that could define the mid-table logjam, while Caulfield Grammarians face Fitzroy in a must-win for both sides. Old Scotch will look to extend their winning run against a dangerous West Brunswick outfit, and St Kevin’s welcome Williamstown CYMS in a showdown that could decide a top two finish. Beaumaris enjoy a timely bye, watching closely as the ladder tightens around them.

ROUND 17 TIPS

KewV Old Geelong Fitzroy V Caulfield Grammarians

Old ScotchV West Brunswick St Kevin’sV Williamstown CYMS

ROUND 16 RESULTS

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S

GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians: S. Kenny 3

GOALS: Old Scotch: M. Cowan 2, J. Mifsud 1

BEST: Caulfield Grammarians: S. Kenny, J. Baxter, I. Mottram, B. Randall, O. Rundle, A. Myers

BEST: Old Scotch: K. Hunter-Scott, L. Murphy, I. Tuttle, Z. Fodor, S. Fortunato, M. Wells

GOALS: West Brunswick: A. Fithall 1, G. Alomes 1, M. Amon 1, B. Whyte 1, R. Friend 1

GOALS: Beaumaris: C. Newman 1

BEST: West Brunswick: A. Duguid, M. Hammond, R. Friend, K. Priestly, M. Amon, F. Russell

BEST: Beaumaris: T. Tysoe, M. Podnecky, S. Hollingsworth, S. Crofts, C. Newman, S. Tedde

GOALS: Old Geelong: T. Longden 1

GOALS: St Kevin’s: K. Stanton 1

BEST: Old Geelong: B. Mckay, E. Hoban, S. Davis, S. Nicholls, m. williams, C. Mackenzie

BEST: St Kevin’s: B. Woolcock, E. Hay, E. Burvill, K. Stanton, M. Beaconsfield, A. Hynes

GOALS: Williamstown CYMS:

GOALS: Kew: C. Dyett 4, L. Rinaldi 2, A. Melnikas 1, P. Rafferty 1, L. Barr 1

BEST: Williamstown CYMS: J. Court, C. Perrett, A. Woodhead, J. Farrugia, K. Russell, P. Paton

BEST: Kew: C. Dyett, G. Wyett, A. Melnikas, L. Barr, L. Rinaldi, E. Brown

PREMIER WOMEN’S RESERVE

GOALS: Williamstown CYMS: A. Lipski 1, A. Acquaro 1, A. Parsons 1, P. Kalka 1, L. Smead 1

GOALS: Kew: K. Cook 1

BEST: Williamstown CYMS: E. Whybrow, P. Kalka, A. Acquaro, B. Krt, T. Conway, S. Mullins

BEST: Kew: D. Graham, S. Wilmott, K. Cook, A. Schuller, E. Voulgaris, G. Smith

Caulfield Grammarians:

GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians: B. Tuszynski 2, L. Wenk 1, A. Mills 1

GOALS: Old Scotch: L. Morley 2

BEST: Caulfield Grammarians: H. Grange, I. Dingli, E. Grills, W. Sweeney Johnston, A. Mills, C. Ryan

BEST: Old Scotch: A. Stubbings, L. Zhang, G. Kerr, L. Morley, E. Uittenbosch, G. Ryan

Geelong:

GOALS: Old Geelong:

GOALS: St Kevin’s: L. Watkin 7, T. Berkowitz 2, C. McDonough 2, E. Macey 1, P. Somerville 1, M. Howard 1

BEST: Old Geelong: D. Willows, L. Ellis, A. Owen, L. Detmold Cox, C. Kay, W. Jay

BEST: St Kevin’s: I. Calder, L. Watkin, A. Buffham, P. Somerville, C. McDonough, R. Fiorentini

West Brunswick:

Beaumaris:

GOALS: West Brunswick: G. Fogarty 3, I. Johanson-Blok 2, J. Hooke 1, S. Dekker 1, N. Newman 1, T. Moynihan 1

GOALS: Beaumaris:

BEST: West Brunswick: G. Fogarty, A. Traill, I. Johanson-Blok, S. Dekker, J. Roberts, T. Moynihan

BEST: Beaumaris: G. Tiplady, S. Keogh, A. Pearce, P. Barrow, M. Johnson, R. Barker

(0)

PREMIER B MEN’S

Paddy Grindlay

Clutch Carey from the clouds, OGs breach fortress Ivanhoe

Wins for Old Camberwell, Old Carey and Old Geelong in critical Round 16 matchups have ripped apart the bottom half of the top four, with three of the top four teams going into last weekend’s game suffering losses in yet another about-turn in the 2025 Premier B Men’s season.

Old Ivanhoe and Old Trinity are unimpeachable inside the top two, meaning one of those teams will be making the move to top flight for 2026, but how third and fourth end up is anyone’s guess.

With ninth-placed Fitzroy and tenth-placed Hampton sure to be relegated, and the eighth-placed Old Melburnians ruled out of September, here’s how the final fortnight of the season is laid out for the five sides scrapping over two spots.

THIRD - Caulfield Grammarians: 40 points, 10-6, 101.94%

The Fields have spent the last five Rounds in a row inside the top four, but despite the one-game advantage on the chasing pack Paul Satterley’s men are far from safe. Their percentage is the third worst in Premier B, the worst of the teams jammed in from third down to seventh. They’ve been close-game specialists this year, having won five of six games decided by 12 points or fewer. It’s a particularly interesting stat as the Fields’ season might come down to a Round 18 meeting with Old Trinity, whom they lost to by five points in Round Eight despite having 10 more scoring shots.

TO COME: Hampton (H), Old Trinity (H)

FOURTH - Old Camberwell: 36 points, 9-7, 114.73%

The Wellers are flying. Neil Connell’s side has won four of its last five games and has only lost to Old Ivanhoe (by eight points in Round 14) and Old Trinity (by 30 points in Round 11) since Round 10. With the best percentage of the finals aspirants, the Wellers have an in-form Liam Thomas (who has kicked back-to-back bags of five) at their disposal. They’ll be tested this weekend by Old Geelong at Como Park.

TO COME: Old Geelong (A), Williamstown CYMS (H)

FIFTH - Old Carey: 36 points, 9-7, 105.84%

What a year for first-year coach Luke Giles, taking Premier C’s reigning premiers right to the final fortnight of the season, at least. Old Carey won’t leave home for the rest of the year and could remedy their poor percentage somewhat with this week’s match against ninth-placed Fitzroy. Not since June have the Panthers ended a weekend inside the four - that could change this weekend.

TO COME: Fitzroy (H), Old Geelong (H)

SIXTH - Old Geelong: 36 points, 9-7, 103.96%

The OGs’ run home from the double-bye has been arguably the toughest of any finals aspirants, but Nick Dixon’s men are well and truly alive after last weekend’s heart-stopping win over Old Ivanhoe. Going into Round 13 the OGs were scheduled to play the then-top three teams in a row (Williamstown CYMS, Old Trinity and Old Ivanhoe), and have taken two wins from that run. In a series of ‘pre-elimination finals’ to finish the year, the hits keep coming with the Wellers and Panthers.

TO COME: Old Camberwell (H), Old Carey (A)

SEVENTH - Williamstown CYMS: 32 points, 8-8, 112.60%

From third, the CYs have tumbled. They’ve lost their last four games, in an increasingly dramatic and heart-wrenching fashion, conceding the last four goals of the game to lose to the Fields by eight points at home in Round 15, and the last two on the road to Old Carey in the final minutes to lose by three points last weekend.

The CYs haven’t won since before the double-bye. Con Terzoglou’s men need to win both remaining games and hope results fall their way elsewhere to qualify.

TO COME: Old Melburnians (H), Old Camberwell (A)

Old Carey has leapt into fifth after an astonishing final few minutes at home, resuscitating a game that was dead for all money and stunning Williamstown CYMS

Well aware the game was a must-win to continue to press a case for finals, Panthers coach Luke Giles felt his side had command of much of the match - and with a ten-point three quarter time lead, the Panthers looked the safer bet.

“We felt like we controlled the game all day, I was really happy with the way we played… we felt like we’d done enough right, (but) their good players, as they do, got a hold of us late in the game”.

Giles speaks of Ayden McCarroll, an Anytime Fitness Rising Star nominee who has flummoxed opposition coaches with his sheer size and marking ability at 209 centimetres tall. McCarroll kicked four goals - all after half time - and took a game-high four contested grabs, “taking over the game” late by Giles’ estimation.

As the clock ticked past 30 minutes in the final quarter, the CYs had kicked the only three goals of the term to take a ten-point lead - and Old Carey, remarkably, would only at that point register its first score of the quarter, a rushed behind to cut the lead to nine.

The CYs, having learned from their heart-breaking defeat to the Fields in Round 15, had succeeded in creating stoppages and holding up the opposition, until, from three deep in a pack,

Panther Charlie Grummitt pulled down a contested grab in the goal square. He took his set shot quickly, converted, at the 31-minute mark cutting the lead to three points.

Stoppage after stoppage followed the resumption, the Panthers inching the ball inside 50 - but a hold on CYs defender Lachie Downey gave the visitors back the footy. His relieving, downthe-line kick was snared by the Panthers though and sent to the corridor for Tim Newton, who belted the ball deep inside Old Carey’s 50 with 32 minutes gone.

To that point, Carey’s Charlie Connell-Tobin had only kicked two goals all season. His rove of the pack that formed underneath Newtown’s high ball was textbook. He hared away, swung a rightfoot snap goalward, and put the Panthers in front, and into delirium.

“We picked ourselves up off the canvas with probably 90 seconds left. It’s probably a sign of where the club is going that the two players that kicked the winning goals for us were a 19-year-old, Charlie Grummit, and then a 21-year-old, Charlie Connell-Tobin,” said Giles.

“When we’re looking around for people to win the game, we’re looking for our young players. Very excited to see where we’ll be in a couple of years.”

The siren sounded a minute later, Old Carey 11.12 (78) to 11.9 (75) victors, well and truly alive in an absurd run towards September in Premier B.

“There’s half the competition realistically playing for dead rubbers in the last couple of weeks for the year - and we’re in it, and part of the storyline,” said Giles.

Nick Brewin and Trent Warren were terrific behind the footy, Riley Thompson kicked four goals and Bede Waters had 28 disposals to go with 12 clearances - for the CYs, Hamish Tambourine had 29 disposals.

From third a few weeks ago, the CYs have lost four on the trot - and two heartbreakers in a row against fellow finals aspirants. Now a game back from the Wellers, Panthers and OGs in the race for fourth, Con Terzoglou’s side has no option but to pick itself up for the Old Melburnians at the Fearon Reserve.

“We are going to turn up. Irrespective of the situation, we will turn up and give our best effort,” Terzoglou said.

“We are honest in our approach - we recognise that we have lost a number of close ones and have lacked the composure to turn those situations into a positive result. We don’t believe in sandbagging or playing mind games. We are extremely disappointed, but we are going to turn up and have another go this weekend.”

It could be a case of what could’ve been for the CYs - they’re 1-4 in games decided by 12 points or fewer this season.

“We had an approach if the situation arose again and we felt that we tightened up around the stoppage and had the coverage down back,” said Terzoglou of the game’s conclusion.

“Ultimately a couple of small errors allowed Carey to keep us on the back foot. Credit to them, they were persistent and found an avenue to hit the scoreboard.”

In any other week, the Panthers’ comeback would’ve had a mortgage on the weekend’s storyline - but Old Geelong’s toppling of Old Ivanhoe gave it a run for its money.

The OGs handed the Hoers their first loss since Round 9, 13.13 (91) to 13.6 (84), a trademark clutch set shot from the enigmatic

Mickey Nicholls putting away the Hoers late at Chelsworth Park after a ripping game of amateur footy.

“I’ve lost count of the amount of times Mickey Nicholls has kicked a goal late to either seal the game, or put us in front,” laughed OGs coach Nick Dixon.

“He’s just incredible when the moment comes - he’s desperate to get the ball in his hands, and he’s a great set shot finisher.”

The Hoers were at their efficient best early and led by as many as four goals in the second term before the OGs were able to restrict their efficiency inside 50.

“While we were down at quarter time, we were still pretty optimistic. We had a lot of the play in our front half, we just couldn’t finish our work and Old Ivanhoe were really clinical,” said Dixon.

“Post-half time, the weather started to change, it was a lot more slippery … which I think suits us pretty well, we’ve won some pretty tough games in the wet this year.”

With star OGs ruckman Jack Sheridan away, Lachie Dunnell stepped up to take on Old Ivanhoe behemoth Alex Mirkov and, by the estimation of his coach, was Old Geelong’s finest due to his repeat efforts and appetite for the contest.

PREMIER B MEN’S

“He was as big of a reason why we won on the weekend (as anyone),” said Dixon.

“His ability to make a contest in there and not let Mirkov just dictate terms all day was incredible.”

The OGs hit the front in the third and went goal-for-goal with the ladder leaders throughout the rest of the second half. Hoer Patrick Naish kicked a goal after a chase-down tackle in front of goal to cut the Old Geelong lead to a point at the 25-minute mark of the last - but the OGs defensive unit was strong under pressure, and Mickey Nicholls sealed a famous win with 32-and-a-half gone.

“There was a lot of relief (at the final siren),” said Dixon.

“We understand that we’re pretty much playing elimination finals from here on out… I was really pleased with our effort and intensity. The boys really set themselves for this game - we’ve had success out on that ground over a few years.

“We’re not at the end of the fight yet. Every game is a fifty-fifty game, we have to be up. Our great effort will count for nothing if we don’t show up this weekend.”

“Old Geelong were excellent,” said Old Ivanhoe coach Jarrod Giechen.

“We knew before the game that they wouldn’t leave anything out on the park, they were playing for survival … (and) when the rain came down, they played the conditions better than us”.

“We were very disappointed to lose the game, there were no excuses … there were a lot of learnings, which is great. To find out at this time of year rather than three-or-four weeks’ time, a few things that we’ll learn from … that being said, it wasn’t like we did anything cute. We were going at Old Geelong as hard as we possibly could, and they were just too good for us”.

Old Camberwell has an argument to be the competition’s most in-form side, turning what shaped as a belter against Caulfield Grammarians into a second-half fizzer, booting eight goals to one after half time on the way to a 12.8 (80) to 6.10 (46) win.

Since the double bye, Neil Connell’s Wellers are 3-1, that loss coming by eight points on the road against Old Ivanhoe. The 34-point win at the weekend arrests the Fields’ momentum, garnered with five wins in a row that’s seen Paul Satterley’s side take hold of third place.

The Fields led by four points at half time, but kicked just four behinds in the third, whilst the Wellers kicked four goals straight, taking a 16-point lead on the final turn for home. Despite an overwhelming Old Camberwell advantage in disposals (+36), the Fields had just two fewer inside 50s (13-11) but let themselves down in front of goal.

But with 14 inside fifties to five, and four goals to one, the Wellers punched the bruise in the final quarter, cruising to their ninth win of the season and critically bleeding the Fields’ percentage, potentially significant in the last fortnight of the home-and-away season.

“The whole year’s been based around each week, trying to improve our game. I think it’s starting to come together now,” said Wellers coach Neil Connell, who is enjoying the benefit of

Access Team Lists on PlayHQ via VAFA.com.au

a healthy list that’s developed nicely over the course of his first year in charge.

“I think the boys have got a little bit of confidence now after those wins - that always helps. It’s all coming through at the right time.

“It’s great to be in this position with two games to go. Our destiny is in our own hands, we play sides that are around us. If we deserve to be in the top four, we have to win these games.”

Lachie Harker (37 disposals) and Jimmy Allen (36) were stellar, but Liam Thomas (five goals from 18 disposals) got the nod as Connell’s best. The Fields were without a multiple goalkicker, but Sam McInerney racked up 43 disposals and 26 contested possessions on the inside.

“We thought we were lucky to be in front at half time, as we didn’t play very well,” admitted Fields coach Satterley.

“In the second half, Codge (Neil Connell) had his lads playing a hungrier brand of footy and they were really impressive.”

“Our lads have been up for a number of weeks so a lapse in form is not the end of the world, we look forward to regrouping for Hampton next week.”

Old Trinity was the only side that went into Round 16 in the top four to come away with a win, four-goal hauls for Dom Payman and Ed Chard standouts in a 17.10 (112) to 7.8 (50) defeat of Fitzroy.

A goal for Payman in the first minute set the tone as the Ts burst to a 40-point quarter time lead, incrementally increasing the advantage at each break to ultimately take a 62-point win and lock in a top two spot.

“You wouldn’t say it (top two) was a goal - the goal was just to try and get back into finals, (we) always knew the competition was going to be super tight,” reflected coach Donald McDonald, who led the Ts to a preliminary final in 2024.

Tom Wenn was excellent with 40 disposals and 14 clearances, while Louis Davidson complimented his 36 disposals with two goals.

Returning from injury, Dom Payman adds a late-season narrative to the Ts’ premiership hopes, with last year’s team of the year full forward able to qualify for finals provided he can “stay on his feet” over these last few weeks.

“We had to be really careful with his minutes these last two weeks, a bit of minimal game time. He’s such a competitor, Dom, and because he’s one of the boys (who played) Under 19s … the experience for him at Coburg’s been terrific,” said McDonald.

Charlie Beasley had a run in the Reserves and is pressing for a return, while on Hugh Beasley, it’s a return either this week or next - “we’ll just have to see,” says McDonald.

It’s an early look at the Hoers this week for McDonald and his coaching group - the Ts and the Hoers will play off twice in three weeks, first in Round 17 and then in the second semi-final - but the coach won’t hold anything back.

“We’ve just got to keep playing the footy we’re playing; you don’t want to lose any momentum.”

Despite a dominant day for Laird Ramshaw (45 disposals and a goal) and a manful effort from Max Ellis and Taylor Strachan, the Roys weren’t able to stymie the flow of the Ts, said their coach, Travis Ronaldson.

“We ran into a slick Old Trinity outfit who jumped out of the gates and played some impressive footy early. We managed to slow the game down in the second quarter and make it more of an arm wrestle but couldn’t make any inroads on the scoreboard.

“Again the effort from our young group was exceptional and it was a good learning experience for us.”

Finally, the Hampton Rovers got exceptionally close to their first win of the season against the Old Melburnians but were outrun late, going down by 20 points at Elsternwick Park.

The OMs took a two-point lead into the final term in what had been a close contest and fell behind in the first seven minutes but leapt into gear and kicked six goals in a row, ultimately securing a 16.10 (106) to 13.8 (86) victory.

It’s the OMs’ first win since Round 11 over the OGs - it’s been a tricky year for returning coach Nathan Brown, with injury and unavailability limiting the output of his senior side.

“Hampton were excellent, so well played by Marty and the clubfighting right to the end for a win,” said Brown.

“Our boys were scratchy at times (and) under the pump from Hampton - but they were excellent in the last quarter with none on the bench. It was a great fight to get our first win for a long time.

“A couple of weeks to go, we’ll keep looking at lads in different positions … ramping into next year, win, lose or draw, which was the case on Saturday.”

Debutants Will Dixon and Sam Cannock were “excellent,” Will Nichols was typically industrious with 32 disposals and 11 clearances while Jeremy A’Beckett kicked four goals.

Rover Josh McPherson was a constant threat up front and punted seven goals from ten kicks - prior to the game, he hadn’t kicked more than two in a match all season.

He was ably assisted by Christian Carnovale, Lachie Costello and Owen Bater.

The Rovers will play Caulfield away while the OMs travel to the Fearon Reserve for a meeting with Williamstown CYMS.

Elsewhere, Old Carey host Fitzroy, a Semi Final preview is on the cards between Old Ivanhoe and Old Trinity, and the OGs play the Wellers in a critical game for the makeup of the top four.

ROUND 17 TIPS

Caulfield GrammariansV Hampton Rovers

Old CareyV Fitzroy

Old Geelong V Old Camberwell

Old TrinityV Old Ivanhoe

Williamstown CYMSV

ROUND 16 RESULTS

PREMIER B MEN’S

Old Melburnians:

Hampton Rovers:

GOALS: Old Melburnians: H. Dale 3, A. Richardson 2, S. Connock 2, O. Hanisch 2, S. Laube 1, B. Jackson 1, J. Spargo 1

Hampton Rovers: J. McPherson 7, C. Friend 1, O. Horigan 1, L. O’Driscoll 1, L. Costello 1, J. Melnjak 1, C. Carnovale 1

BEST: Old Melburnians: W. Nichols, H. Dale, J. Spargo, W. Dixon, S. Anderson, T. Spargo

Hampton Rovers: J. McPherson, C. Carnovale, L. Costello, O. Bater, O. Sutherland, Z. Ziesing

Old Carey:

Williamstown CYMS:

(78)

(75)

GOALS: Old Carey: R. Thompson 4, C. Grummitt 2, Q. McKay 1, C. Connell-Tobin 1, W. Green 1, I. Ellwood 1, D. Godden 1

Williamstown CYMS: A. McCarroll 4, Z. Provest 2, R. Cockerell 1, O. Becroft 1, j. raymond 1, C. Vicino 1, A. Williams 1

BEST: Old Carey: T. Warren, N. Brewin, B. Andrews, I. Ellwood, W. Green, C. Connell-Tobin

Williamstown CYMS: H. Tambourine, A. McCarroll, N. Malkoun, L. Warren, N. Sayers, D. Cutajar

Old Ivanhoe:

Old Geelong:

(84)

(91)

GOALS: Old Ivanhoe: W. Murphy 2, L. Agrotis 1, D. Waldron 1, D. Cuningham 1, M. Whiteman 1, c. naish 1, R. McKenzie 1, T. McManus 1

Old Geelong: J. Nicholls 3, M. Nicholls 3, C. Dixon 2, H. Kol 1, H. Graham 1, J. Adams 1, T. Jones 1, M. Bird 1

BEST: Old Ivanhoe: R. McKenzie, W. Murphy, c. naish, T. Rattray-Wood, R. Mantello, D. Waldron

Old Geelong: L. Dunell, J. Nicholls, A. Lazzaro, T. Jones, S. Dixon, M. Nicholls

Old Trinity:

Fitzroy:

(112)

(50)

GOALS: Old Trinity: D. Payman 4, E. Chard 4, A. Emery 2, J. Jenkins 2, L. Davidson 2, C. Wenn 1, M. Scott 1, B. Curtain 1

Fitzroy: H. Grace 2, D. Shepherd 1, H. Kooloos 1, L. Sekhon 1, T. Strachan 1, L. Ramshaw 1

BEST: Old Trinity: T. Wenn, B. Littlefield, L. Davidson, C. Manoussakis, J. Ingpen, E. Chard

Fitzroy: M. Ellis, T. Strachan, L. Ramshaw, H. Kooloos, M. Nelson, H. Grace

Old Camberwell: 1.1

Caulfield Grammarians: 3.2 5.4

GOALS: Old Camberwell: L. Thomas 5, H. Laukens 3, J. Allen 1, C. Finlayson 1, J. Blew 1, L. Harker 1

(80)

(46)

Caulfield Grammarians: J. Dobosz 1, Q. Cooper 1, T. Williams 1, O. Ursini 1, K. Watt 1, h. mckenzie 1

BEST: Old Camberwell: L. Thomas, J. Allen, T. Oliver, D. McColl, B. Hart, R. Hopkins

Caulfield Grammarians: S. Mcinerney, H. McInerney, C. Eerhard, h. mckenzie, J. Webster, J. Dobosz

PREMIER B MEN’S RESERVES

Old Melburnians: 3.1

Hampton Rovers:

(88)

(36)

GOALS: Old Melburnians: T. Dixon 3, E. Chantrell 2, W. McIntyre 2, H. Nicholls 2, J. Hurley 1, H. McIntyre 1, M. Dixon 1, C. Higgins 1

Hampton Rovers: J. Bull 2, D. Merlo 1, N. Assirvaden 1, S. Ebbott 1

BEST: Old Melburnians: W. McIntyre, t. donnelly, G. Derham, H. Sibly, H. Williams, A. Tashevski-Beckwith

Hampton Rovers: D. O’Shea, R. Leslie, S. Ebbott, S. Horigan, J. Bull, D. Lyon

Old Ivanhoe: 2.4

Old Geelong:

(69)

(31)

GOALS: Old Ivanhoe: J. Erman-Keogh 3, N. Hill 2, M. Del Monte 1, F. Knight 1, M. French 1, T. Kellock 1, A. Stratov 1

Old Geelong: E. Johnstone 1, L. Maiden 1, H. McDonald 1, T. Breadmore 1

BEST: Old Ivanhoe: M. Gurrisi, J. Erman-Keogh, D. Davies, D. Steele, N. Sivakumar, M. French

Old Geelong: J. Dunstan, H. McDonald, J. Anderson, S. Wells, S. Jess, L. Maiden

Old Trinity: 1.1 1.5

Fitzroy:

GOALS: Old Trinity: B. Smith 2, J. Francis 2, w. Noumertzis 1

Fitzroy: T. Duffin 1, K. Ramshaw 1, D. Bakes 1

BEST: Old Trinity: R. Hughson, C. Beasley, B. Smith, L. Milner, J. Francis, T. Mullins

Fitzroy: T. Bishop, D. Bakes, P. McGrath, C. Holdsworth, M. Bombardieri, L. Chiappini

Old Carey:

Williamstown CYMS:

(45)

(42)

GOALS: Old Carey: E. Taylor 4, M. Hogg 2, J. Athanasopoulos 2, Z. Dempsey 2, C. Harvey 1, N. Valentine 1, N. Dempsey 1, F. Park 1

Williamstown CYMS:

BEST: Old Carey: M. Hogg, N. Dempsey, J. Athanasopoulos, Z. Dempsey, A. Simpson, F. Park

Williamstown CYMS: S. Shepherd, J. Neville, J. Billington, C. Taylor, B. Davies, H. Azzopardi

Old Camberwell:

Caulfield Grammarians:

GOALS: Old Camberwell: H. Kimmitt 1, M. Vogel 1, N. Latsas 1, W. Allsop 1, F. Chable 1

(39)

(62)

Caulfield Grammarians: C. Hankin 2, J. Freedman 1, S. Hankin 1, M. Kaufman 1, H. short 1, O. Fox 1, J. Harrison 1, J. Wallace 1

BEST: Old Camberwell: J. Schreuder, D. Gaffney, L. Ross, L. Campbell, J. Davidson, W. Allsop

Caulfield Grammarians: J. Harrison, H. short, J. Wallace, C. Pietsch, K. May, M. Kaufman

PREMIER B WOMEN’S

Lauren Atkinson

From Friday night fireworks to Finals fever: Round 16 delivers

Round 16 of Premier B Women’s marked the end of the home-and-away season, and while the top four sides are locked in for finals, the weekend’s action was anything but predictable.

From a Friday night thriller to last-quarter heroics, teams across the competition showed grit, growth, and glimpses of what’s to come. Whether it was St Bedes/Mentone Tigers and Old Xaverians battling to the final siren, Old Yarra Cobras edging out Westbourne in a two-point nail-biter, or Port Melbourne Chargers and Old Brighton honing their craft ahead of finals, the round delivered high-quality contests and heartfelt moments to close out the regular season.

Under the lights at Mentone Reserve, St Bedes/Mentone Tigers and Old Xaverians delivered one of the most gripping contests of the season, with the Tigers holding on for a nailbiting five-point win, 5.10 (40) to 5.5 (35).

The match had all the hallmarks of finals footy, despite being contested between two sides who won’t feature in finals this year – momentum swings, clutch goals, and fierce tackling pressure. Old Xavs struck first through Chiara Chiarelli, but the Tigers responded with two of their own to take a threepoint lead into the first break.

The two sides traded goals in the second term, with the Tigers extending their lead by an additional three points.

Old Xaverians lifted their intensity in the third, winning the territory game and reclaiming the lead. Just before the siren, Tigers’ vice-captain Madeleine Tilley slotted a crucial goal to put St Bedes up by a single point heading into the final term.

Old Xavs came out firing in the fourth, snatching back the lead with an early goal. But the Tigers weren’t done. After struggling with accuracy all day, Isabella Gietzmann, the league’s third-leading goal kicker, stepped up with a composed finish to swing the lead back in her side’s favour. From there, the Tigers’ held their nerve, locking the ball in their forward half until the final siren sounded.

Georgia Ricardo was a standout for the Tigers, combining toughness with clean ball use, while Maddi Wilson and Madeleine Tilley were also instrumental, combining for three goals.

For Old Xaverians, captain Mel Clarke led by example, kicking a goal and driving her side forward with relentless effort. Molly McCarthy was Old Xavs’ best player in the heartbreaking loss, producing one of her finest performances of the season.

With the win, St Bedes/Mentone Tigers can take confidence into the off-season, having notched six wins and a draw for the season to finish fifth position on the ladder. Unfortunately for Old Xavs, the loss sees them end their season in eighth position on the ladder.

At Andrew Park Pavilion, Old Yarra Cobras capped off their season with a hard-fought two-point win over Westbourne Grammarians, 3.4 (22) to 3.2 (20), in a match that provided a glimpse into the Cobras’ promising future.

With finals already secured for Westbourne, the match served as a valuable tune-up for their campaign, while Old Yarra were determined to finish their season on a high. The Cobras struck early, taking an eight-point lead into quarter time, and despite Westbourne’s making the most of the wind in the second quarter, the visitors fought back in the third to take a two-point lead into the final break.

The final term was a tense arm-wrestle, with Westbourne briefly taking the lead before Old Yarra’s Lara Moussa slotted the match-winning goal at the 14-minute mark, sealing a memorable victory.

Cobras coach Michael Talbot praised his side’s resilience, noting that even with their backs against the wall in the final term, they were still able to find a way to win.

“We defended extremely well in the last quarter to cause a lot of stoppages and take away their space,” he said. “There was a strong wind and being able to have a period in the last quarter against the wind where we controlled field position and play gave us an opportunity to kick the winning goal –with the help of some luck.”

Talbot highlighted the leadership of Clare Moody, who stepped up as captain in the absence of Alannah Murray, and the efforts of Erin Woodford in defence, whose intercept marking and rebound work were crucial. Young midfielders Mia Giannopoulos and Lara Moussa also impressed with their drive and contest work.

For Westbourne, coach Chris Grant commended the Cobras’ performance and reflected on the strategic approach his side took, explaining that with the result unable to affect their final standing, they opted to rest seven senior players and provide an opportunity for less experienced players.

“Our attitude to the game by those that played was terrific, and with Old Yarra playing a great game of footy, it provided a great opportunity to prep for our first final this week,” he said.

The youngest player on Westbourne’s list, Gabby Pejovic, made her seniors debut in a touching moment for the home

side, while Chloe Weston-Sirett impressed in her third senior game for the year, kicking two long-range goals.

Usual suspects Gracie Lamers and Eleni Kikidis stood out through the middle, while Kayla Koropeckyj and Hannah McMahon held strong in defence.

While Westbourne now turn their focus to finals, Old Yarra Cobras can take pride in their growth across the season, finishing with five wins and a clear sense of momentum heading into 2026.

Meanwhile at JL Murphy Reserve, Port Melbourne Chargers closed out their home-and-away season with a commanding 57-point win over Melbourne University Women’s FC, 10.7 (67) to 1.4 (10), which saw star forward Georgia Harris put on a clinic.

The Chargers started strong, kicking three goals in the opening quarter, and maintained control throughout the match. Melbourne Uni showed glimpses of fight, particularly in the third quarter, but were ultimately outclassed by a well-drilled Port Melbourne outfit.

Coach Harriet Cooper will be pleased with her side’s ability to build momentum heading into finals, especially with Harris hitting peak form. Providing the key target up forward all day, Harris continuously hit the scoreboard, kicking three final-term goals to finish with seven for the day, and 45 for the season.

Maia Sublet was influential in the ruck, also having an impact as an additional midfielder once the ball hit the ground, which saw her edge out Harris for the best-on-ground honours.

It’s been a challenging season for MUWFC, who were unable to register a win across 16 rounds. Despite the scoreboard, their effort and commitment remained evident, and their young squad showed glimpses of potential that will serve them well as they look to rebuild and regroup heading into next year.

Minor premiers Old Brighton flexed their premiership credentials with a dominant 58-point win over Marcellin, 8.16 (64) to 1.0 (6).

The Tonners burst out of the gates, kicking four goals in the opening term with the aid of a strong breeze, and never looked back. By half-time, they had built a 50-point buffer, effectively putting the game out of reach.

While a different Marcellin outfit showed up in the second half, bringing a much more even contest, Old Brighton’s ability to run and carry, as well as their disciplined pressure, ensured they maintained control throughout.

Tonners coach Andrew Grant was pleased with his side’s fast start.

“We won the game with a very strong first half and were able to put scoreboard pressure on Marcellin, which made it hard for them to come back,” he said. “After that, the game was a real arm wrestle and a really good contest. I was very happy with our discipline and run, as well as the physical pressure we applied.”

Scout Howden was electric up forward, finishing with four goals and proving a constant threat inside 50, while Charley Hodgson and Lucy Mitchell also caught the eye of their coach, competing hard all day.

ROUND 16 RESULTS

PREMIER B WOMEN’S

St Bedes/Mentone:

Old Xaverians:

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: M. Wilson 2, I. Gietzmann 1, M. Tilley 1, J. Honey 1

GOALS: Old Xaverians: C. Chiarelli 2, M. Mennilli 1, M. Clarke 1, A. Gangi 1

(35)

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: G. Ricardo, M. Wilson, M. Tilley, O. Steinfort, S. Hedger, B. Ousley

BEST: Old Xaverians: M. McCarthy, M. Clarke, A. Libertone, M. Poulton, Z. Purcell, J. Slupecki

Port Melbourne Chargers:

MUWFC:

GOALS: Port Melbourne Chargers: G. Harris 7, A. Kamberis 1, S. Lay 1, C. Pritchard 1

GOALS: MUWFC: A. Price 1

BEST: Port Melbourne Chargers: m. sublet, G. Harris, J. Stolz, J. Ross, T. Maloney, O. Box

BEST: MUWFC:

Old Brighton:

Marcellin:

GOALS: Old Brighton: S. Howden 4, M. Nolan 1, I. Tait 1, G. Buckley 1, T. Doultree 1

GOALS: Marcellin: Z. GLASCOTT 1

BEST: Old Brighton: I. Tait, l. grant, G. Buckley, S. Howden, M. Nolan, L. Mitchell

BEST: Marcellin: J. Wakefield, L. Robertson, T. Carpinteri, J. Getson, B. Feehan, S. Bridge Westbourne:

GOALS: Westbourne: c. weston-sirett 2, L. Waghorne 1

GOALS: Old Yarra Cobras: e. watson 1, L. Moussa 1, B. Wriedt 1

BEST: Westbourne: E. Kikidis, G. Lamers, K. Koropeckyj, c. weston-sirett, S. Moodie, H. McMahon

BEST: Old Yarra Cobras: C. Moody, E. Woodford, M. Giannopoulos, e. watson, B. Wriedt, J. Major

Although Marcellin struggled to stop Old Brighton’s quick ball movement, they showed great resilience to arrest Old Brighton’s momentum in the second half, eventually breaking through for a goal via Zoe Glascott in the final term.

Despite the loss, coach Paul Harvey was full of praise for his players.

“Jennae Wakefield was a rock in defence against a really good forward line. She took mark after mark and stopped many OB forays forward. A terrific game,” said Harvey. “Also, a terrific game by Hayley Carlson at CHB only 6 weeks after giving birth to her third. She is an Amazon.”

Reflecting on the season, Harvey noted the challenges of adapting to the 16-a-side format of Premier B, with managing fair rotations a struggle, but celebrated the progress made by his developing group.

“Despite this, we made some great progress with the girls new to the game and really enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie. I personally enjoyed the chats with rival coaches and the exuberance of our opponents,” he said. “Women’s footy is a joy to be involved with.”

Old Brighton now head into finals as clear flag favourites, having only dropped one game, while Marcellin close out the season in seventh place.

Next week, finals begin at 11:40 am at Elsternwick Park, where Port Melbourne Chargers and Westbourne Grammarians will meet in a do-or-die elimination final. Next up, Old Brighton and Old Melburnians will do battle in what promises to be a scintillating contest, with the winner to earn a ticket to the 2025 Premier B Women’s Grand Final.

FINALS WEEK 1 TIPS

PREMIER C MEN’S

Harrison McIlwaine

Eagles earn breathing space after taming Tigers

Marcellin have taken an emphatic step towards Premier C safety, defeating finals bound St Bedes/Mentone Tigers, handily, on Saturday.

Speaking after the match, Eagles coach Bernie Dineen called the 12.12 (84) to 5.9 (39) result the ‘best day I’ve had at the footy in five years’, such was the commitment to task from his charges. “All the things we talk about during the week were executed; it was the most invested, switched on and accountable I’ve had the group,” he said.

Defensive accountability, tackling acumen and trust in Dineen‘s request for bold, proactive defensive starting positions in matchups all over the ground pleased the second-year man in Bulleen, a week after going down to Beaumaris by almost 100 points.

Dineen says that his side are ‘learning that his game plan suits their ground’, with confidence and momentum byproducts of this learning. “We need to get up for the last two games. There are so many players on the list that I was proud of,” he said.

One such player is James May, who played his 50th match for the Eagles in the victory. “He’s really found a leg at centre half back in the back half of the year, and his form has been a catalyst for our changing fortunes,” Dineen said.

Adam Tomaro also drew his coach’s praise for an all-round game in the midfield. The vice-captain set the standard for team-first actions, while also providing highlight tape marks, and kicking two majors.

Tigers coach Brad Berry appeared level-headed when speaking post-match, praising Behnk, and Jake Ryder, while offering that focus quickly moves to next week’s monster clash with Parkdale.

“Behnk and Ryder gave everything they possibly could — they always give their absolute all. Time after time after time, they try to lift the team with their efforts. Their care factor is just 100%,” he said.

“We know what our best looks like; we weren’t able to get it done yesterday. We invited the oppo into the contest, and once they got a sniff, they went on with it. Credit to Marcellin. We gave them our full respect, prepared really hard, started really well and just didn’t take our opportunities. It can’t be panic stations, there’s no need for that.”

Lukas Ritter was named Berry’s best for a lockdown role on the dangerous Lachlan Rush, while Dave Goodman continued his strong form across halfback, repelling a number of Marcellin forward forays, when the Eagles had the ascendancy.

In a potential September dress rehearsal, the ladder-leading Parkdale Vultures conquered fellow finalists AJAX, in a tale

of two halves. Owen Lalor’s charges ran out 12.11 (83) to 7.8 (50) victors, overturning a 21-point halftime deficit, on a chilly afternoon in Albert Park.

“That (halftime) margin felt like six goals – they were all over us,” Lalor offered, crediting a ‘mindset change’, orchestrated by his midfield, with the comeback. Matt Emmanouil was instrumental in this shift, while habitual forward Lewis Castle starred in the ruck. Young leader Nathan Sullivan was awesome in connecting the lines, after having his magnet moved from half-back to half-forward, while Cooper Howe was strong across half-back. With a top two seed now sewn up, the Vultures have the luxury of resting some tired troops in the final two matches of their season, but will be sweating on the availability of Ben Phibbs, after the runner pinged a calf early in the contest.

Jackas coach Lachlan Buszard credited the Vultures work ethic and fitness for the result.

“They were just too good,” he said. “Far too much talent - they just bat deeper, run harder and worked harder in the second half.” Usual suspects populated Buzz’s bests, with Justin Vogel, Nick Lewis and Toby Sheezel some of the names afforded mentions.

At the other end of the table, Parkside leapfrogged Mazenod, finding themselves out of the relegation places following an 8.13 (61) to 7.13 (55) victory in Alphington.

“(We’re) flat,” Mazenod coach Peter Banfield said. “We just couldn’t get our game going. Full credit to-the opposition. We were all over them late but missed some crucial opportunities.”

The Nodders now must win the final two games of Banfield’s tenure, should they wish to remain in Premier C. Banfield’s men face first and last in their final two fixtures, while Parkside face road trips to Glen Eira/Old McKinnon and St Bedes/ Mentone, with at least one win required to secure their own safety, with Mazenod, and their superior percentage, favoured over Prahran.

Rick Frost spoke glowingly of his side’s resilience this season, after the victory. “(I’m) very happy with the performance of the players and the club,” he said, adding that Tom Hakins, Jim Clarke and Joel Stevens starred in the contest. “To win was very important, for us to potentially stay in Prem C.”

“The score was even for most of the day, and Mazenod had a lot of momentum in all 4 quarters. We were lucky there was some inaccurate kicking – they were superb in the last ten minutes of the game in attack.”

Beaumaris continue to flex their considerable muscle, recording a thirteenth straight victory in dominant fashion. The

Sharks led all day, en route to a 20.11 (131) to 4.5 (29) victory over PEGS. Milestone man Josh Trew was the story of the rout, registering ten goals in his 100th match for the club, despite spending a sizable portion of the first half in the backline.

Sharks coach Josh Bourke was forthcoming in his praise of PEGS, their strengths, and the campaign they’ve put together.

“We certainly respect them,” he said. “The fact is they have won nine games, which in other seasons would have them in the mix for finals, so we went in extremely focused. They’ve got a great on-ball group and a dominant ruckman, so breaking even in there was a strong focus,” he said. “We felt like after the first quarter, we did a really good job of competing inside and then transitioning the ball.”

Bombers coach Rob Kerr alluded to that same dominance in his assessment of the match. “The first quarter was highly contested, which we wanted, but we didn’t capitalise on what were limited entries,” he said. “We couldn’t go with their spread and run as the game went on – they react very quickly in both offence and defence, and their skills are high, so you rarely get the ball gifted back to you. The only area I felt we matched them was at stoppage but once it got outside, we couldn’t hold them.”

Riley Simmons went back, covering injuries in defence, adding more responsibility to the roles of Jack Fenner and Matt Barake, up forward. The trio, along with the ever-reliable Mitch BakerWest, earned Kerr’s praise for their battling, after the match. Prahran have been mathematically relegated, following their 16.11 (107) to 11.8 (74) loss, at the hands of Glen Eira/ Old McKinnon. The Two Blues have two fixtures to claim a breakthrough victory in the division this season, and have shown signs of life in recent weeks, albeit without premiership points to show for it.

An 8.2 to 3.1 first quarter set the tone for the Gryphons, with only their inaccuracies inhibiting the margin from growing further. Six wins and five losses from their last 11 games, after starting the season 0-5, has propelled Guy Martyn’s men to sixth place on the ladder, with their safety secured. The in-season turnaround from presumed relegation fodder to an awkward mid-table matchup has been inspired, with fans no doubt eager to see the wellcredentialed VAFA operator take this side even further next year, with another pre-season’s worth of learning his system, under his charge’s proverbial belt.

This week’s fixtures see all top four commodities face off, with AJAX hosting Beaumaris, and Owen Lalor’s Parkdale Vultures hosting his former side, in St Bedes/Mentone Tigers. Elsewhere, there’s a northern suburbs derby when PEGS travel to Bulleen to face Marcellin, Prahran travel to Mazenod, and Parkside head to Carnegie, where a test against Glen Eira/Old McKinnon awaits.

ROUND 17 TIPS

AJAX v Beaumaris

Glen Eira/Old McKinnon v Parkside

Marcellinv PEGS

Mazenodv Prahran

Parkdale Vulturesv St Bedes/Mentone Tigers

ROUND 16 RESULTS

PREMIER C MEN’S

Prahran:

Glen Eira / Old McKinnon:

(74)

(107)

GOALS: Prahran: M. Clifford 4, T. Giles 2, R. Brodie 2, M. Mayne 1, O. Burke 1, J. Simonetta 1

GOALS: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: B. Reid 4, R. Weidemann 4, j. hattingh 3, J. Chilcott 1, J. Carey 1, S. Cockle 1, J. Maxfield 1, S. Bass 1

BEST: Prahran: P. Marks, R. Brodie, R. Hogan, M. Clifford, T. Loomes, J. Stent powell

BEST: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: R. Weidemann, M. Day, D. McDonald, J. Maxfield, B. Reid, J. Chilcott

Marcellin:

St Bedes/Mentone:

GOALS: Marcellin: J. Daniel 3, M. Perazzola 3, J. McArdle 2, A. Tomaro 2, S. Tyquin 1, L. Rush 1

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: J. Behnk 2, L. Hanson 1, L. Bowles 1, B. Murphy 1

BEST: Marcellin: A. Tomaro, S. Tyquin, M. Gigliotti, H. Greenwood, M. Capetola, P. Bourke

(84)

(39)

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: L. Ritter, D. Goodman, J. Ryder, J. Behnk, B. Murphy, K. Hutchinson

GOALS: Parkside:

GOALS: Mazenod: H. Boyce 4, J. Murdock 1, S. Lovell 1, J. Raffa 1

BEST: Parkside: L. Logozzo, C. Lawson, T. Hakins, M. Holden, Y. Stecki, L. Daniels

BEST: Mazenod: H. Boyce, M. D’Angelo, S. Lovell, J. Murdock, T. Riley, B. Wales

Vultures:

GOALS: AJAX: J. Vogel 2, N. Lewis 1, T. Sheezel 1, M. Herzel 1, J. Cohen 1, R. Spicer 1

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures: M. Brown 3, N. Sullivan 2, H. Wright 2, M. Emmanouil 1, J. Peake 1, L. Bailey 1, T. O’Leary 1, M. Phillips 1

BEST: AJAX: J. Vogel, N. Lewis, T. Sheezel, E. Debinski, N. Pike, T. Lipton

BEST: Parkdale Vultures: L. Marshall, L. Castle, O. Green, M. Emmanouil, J. Barden, N. Sullivan

Beaumaris:

PEGS:

(131)

4.5 (29)

GOALS: Beaumaris: J. Trew 10, J. Haeata 2, J. Cusack 1, A. Marcombe 1, O. Phillips 1, H. Backman 1, P. Pecer 1, R. Virtue 1, A. McCarthy 1, C. Heath 1

GOALS: PEGS: J. Young 2, l. leeds 1, J. Fenner 1

BEST: Beaumaris: J. Trew, R. Virtue, L. Hayes, J. Taylor, C. Linehan, M. Davidson

BEST: PEGS: R. Simmons, R. Stathis, J. Fenner, M. Baker-West, B. Roach, M. Barake

PREMIER C MEN’S RESERVES

Beaumaris:

PEGS:

(181)

(2)

GOALS: Beaumaris: N. Beveridge 4, M. Kornberg 4, S. gunasekera 3, J. Rabak 2, J. Williams 2, J. Ward 2, C. Tedde 2, T. Murray 2, J. Whitehouse 1, C. Reynolds 1, J. Weightman 1, L. Tedde 1, S. McLennan 1, M. Cartwright 1

GOALS: PEGS:

BEST: Beaumaris: J. Gorman, T. Murray, J. Ward, M. Kornberg, J. Rabak, N. Beveridge

BEST: PEGS: K. Burke, Z. De Petro, J. Rizzo, D. Callanan, L. Flaherty, J. Latter-Gauci

Prahran:

Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: 3.3

GOALS: Prahran: J. Stefanutti 5, J. Elwin 3, J. Partridge 1, A. Amalfi 1

GOALS: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: T. Obrien 5, A. Chilcott 1, N. Johnston 1, L. Taffe 1, W. Mcgowan 1

BEST: Prahran: M. Woods, A. Perez, M. Hughes, N. Phimister, g. torney, A. Morschel

(72)

(60)

BEST: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: T. Obrien, S. O’Brien, T. Williamson, M. Dickins, E. Tran, A. Chilcott

AJAX:

(44) Parkdale Vultures:

GOALS: AJAX: J. Berkowitz 2, J. Tonkin 2, O. Tobias 1, T. Southwick 1, M. Lincoln 1

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures: J. Hesline 6, L. Farnbach 2, J. Noske 1, C. Dillon 1, C. Williamson 1

BEST: AJAX: R. Light, L. Mitsel, J. Nirens, B. Efron, J. Berkowitz, C. Zielinski

BEST: Parkdale Vultures: T. Long, B. Macdermid, T. Jenkins, J. Duckham, J. Hesline, C. Williamson

GOALS: Parkside:

(24)

GOALS: Mazenod: E. Sherlock 4, J. McCluskey 2, L. McKenna 1, K. Russell 1, C. Mastos 1, M. Cappiello 1, C. Fisher 1

BEST: Parkside: L. Triscari, S. Bushell, A. Balassone, M. Doyle, L. Grist, H. Manthorpe

BEST: Mazenod: J. Hendricks, E. Sherlock, L. McKenna, J. Smith, S. Quirk, A. Palleschi

(9) St Bedes/Mentone:

GOALS: Marcellin: A. Newell 1

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: T. Aughterson 4,

S. Beasley 4, T. Grech 3, J. Cain 2, K. Chandler 2, B. Berry 1, W. Pearson 1, B. Goodchild 1, M. Ford 1

BEST: Marcellin: L. Atherton, Z. Williams, N. Watty, W. Campitelli, O. Butterworth, L. Perrone

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: J. Cain, F. Chandler, T. Meakins, J. Pratt, K. Chandler, K. Thomson

Send

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Save the Date – VAFA Awards Night

The VAFA’s night of nights is fast approaching… Diarise Wednesday 8th October for the VAFA Awards Night to celebrate the Best and Fairests across all competitions, leading goal kickers, Premiership success, as well as VAFA Life Member inductees.

It is a night of reflection and celebration at the culmination of another massive season of Amateur Football.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Will Young breaks SKOB club record

Will Young (son of ex-Bombers/Hawks AFL player Barry Young) kicked a club record 17 goals on the weekend for St Kevin’s Under 19 Division 2 Men’s side in their 160-point demolition of Collegians on the weekend. Will broke the previous mark of 16 goals set by current senior coach, Anthony “Plugger” Lynch. Safe to say that Plugger is not happy!!

This haul sees Will also claim the Holmesglen Under 19 Division 2 Men’s leading goalkicker title in 2025, pipping Uni Blacks rival Sam Litras at the post by two goals to finish on 56 majors for the season.

Whitefriars U19’s claim first win

Whitefriars Football Club’s Under 19’s side claimed their first win in the last round of the home and away season. The Holmesglen Under 19 Division 3 Men’s team showed grit and resilience to stick out a tough season and were finally rewarded for their effort in a 121-point victory over UHS-VU.

Coach Nick Hee said: “It was a fantastic day and so happy to see the lads get some reward for all the hard work they put in over the year, they’ve come a long way and can’t wait to see them continue to improve over the next few years”.

Therry great hangs up the boots

Jarrod “Eggy” Egglestone will play his final game for the Therry Penola Lions this Saturday. What the club said: “Eggy embodies everything we strive for at Therry - loyalty, honesty, bravery, selflessness. Along with Jarrod’s serious wrap sheet, Eggy has epitomised leadership, captaincy and helped to inspire those around him. Long before he was appointed Senior Captain at barely 20 years of age Eggy had set the standards for our football club, both on and off the field, and continues to do so to this day.

“Respected and no-doubt feared by opponents, Egg’s outstanding skill, determination and will to win have seen him inspire us to many a victory over the years and we can’t wait to see a bumper crowd cheer the boys on this Saturday away to Elsternwick.”

Tackle Your Feelings

The 2025 Tackle Your Feelings (TYF) program wrapped up last week, marking another successful season for the VAFA community. In partnership with TYF, the VAFA proudly engaged more than 900 coaches, players, and volunteers from 24 clubs, delivering 26 sessions over the past four months.

These sessions created meaningful opportunities for open discussions around mental health, with participants working together to foster safe, supportive, and inclusive club environments. Many VAFA clubs have since taken positive steps to build stronger wellbeing frameworks for their players, demonstrating the long-term impact of the program.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Lucy Doyle (MCC FC)

Women’s Rising Star Nominee

The VAFA congratulates Lucy Doyle from MCC FC, who has been nominated as the Week 17 Anytime Fitness Women’s Rising Star. Lucy has pieced together an impressive body of work in her first season of senior football. Her strong form in the run home has seen her earn a spot in the best as a key component of the MCC Women’s side in the final four rounds.

What the club said:

Lucy joined our club this season, and we are incredibly lucky to have her. From day one, she brought her smile and positive energy, instantly uplifting the club. Her youthful exuberance and love for the game are infectious within the playing group. Lucy has been involved in football from a young age and is a shining example of the growth in women’s football. She was the first girl to win Auskicker of the Year at her junior club and also played in the inaugural junior girls’ team there.

I’ve been so impressed with how quickly Lucy has adapted to senior women’s football. She kicked three goals in a win on her debut and hasn’t looked back since. Lucy has developed excellent skills, progressing from Auskick to senior football.

She has become a talented and hardworking footballer. Her composure, creativity, and toughness make her a damaging and consistent midfielder in our side. I can’t wait to watch Lucy’s development over the coming years. I hope she gains a lot of belief from this well-deserved recognition.

Owen Bater (Hampton Rovers)

Men’s Rising Star Nominee

The VAFA congratulates Owen Bater from Hampton Rovers Football Club, who has been nominated as the Week 17 Anytime Fitness Men’s Rising Star. Owen was the fifth highest ranked player across the Premier B Men’s competition on the weekend, with 31 disposals, 13 intercept possessions and racked up 156 ranking points. Owen has been named in the best in all but two matches he has played for the Rovers’ Senior side this season.

What the club said:

Owen Bater has been a bright light for the Hampton Rovers Football Club in 2025, being new to the club and fitting in perfectly in defence. He has a hard exterior, which is complemented with a team-first personality on the inside.

He is one of the toughest young players going around in Premier B this season and has grown a lot during the season against some more mature opponents. He has featured in the best players in eight of his 10 performances this season and his efforts were rewarded with selection in the VAFA U19 Representative Team against the BFNL in Bendigo where he had another exceptional game in defence. All the boys walk taller with him out there on the ground.

2025 VAFA FINALS SERIES

PREMIER B WOMEN’S –

DIVISIONAL

HOLMESGLEN U19’S REPORT

Callum Farquhar

Insane last-minute boundary line winner seals Old Scotch comeback thriller

The Cardinals’ season was arguably on the line on Saturday, and they proved they belong in September in enthralling fashion.

Old Scotch hosted Old Brighton in a huge top four battle in Round 16 of the Holmesglen Under 19 Premier Men’s season and the contest did not disappoint.

Scotch jetted off to an early two goal advantage but that was quickly reined in by the Tonners to make it a three-point deficit at halftime.

The Old Scotch kicking woes continued in front of goal for a third straight week as the club stared down the barrel of another loss to their record, potentially leaving their top four spot in jeopardy. At three quarter time, Scotch had a scoreline of 4.10 (34) and trailed Old Brighton by 10 points despite having equal scoring shots to their name.

However, the Cardinals embraced the tight contest and forged their way back to within a goal in a tense final term.

Trailing by four points with less than a minute to play, Old Brighton looked set to clear a defensive 50 stoppage before Nick Baring hunted and smothered the kick, picking up the contested ground ball and snapping around his body as he was tackled over the boundary line to kick one of the all-time matching winning goals.

The 7.12 (54) to 7.10 (52) win places Old Scotch six points clear of De La Salle in the race for finals, while Old Brighton now fall a game behind ladder-leaders St Kevin’s in the hunt for the minor premiership.

Old Xaverians may be out of the finals hunt, but they could be peaking at the right time to be the season spoilers.

Old Xavs defeated De La Salle in a huge blow to De La’s finals chances, with the seven-point nailbiter nearly the killer knockout to the club’s late season charge.

An inaccurate first half from both sides saw the scores level at the main break before a five-goal third term saw Xavs leap away to an advantage of 12 points.

Further inaccuracy from the red and black kept De La alive in the final term, but they were never able to close the gap further than the final result of 7.10 (52) to 8.11 (59).

Xavier Austin once again found himself amongst the Xavs’ best, while Hugo Sheedy did all he could to help De La’s case for victory.

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers’ hopes of avoiding relegation took a hit in their affair with St Kevin’s, as the home side romped to a landslide victory.

SKOB piled on the pain early and never looked back, albeit a spirited third term by the Tigers aided in the result not extending into triple figures, with the final result 18.13 (121) to 6.3 (39).

Lucas May unsurprisingly found plenty of the football inside forward 50 and kicked another bag of four, while Johnathon Gambaro also contributed the same tally.

Jai Pugsley continues to heave SBMT upon his shoulders with three majors to his name despite his side’s lowly scoring output, placing him second in the competition’s goalkicking tally.

Benjamin Palmer has become a familiar name in the best this season and continued that on Saturday, while Angus Shepherdson was deemed best on for the losing side.

Caulfield Grammarians have given University Blues a scare in a seven-point defeat that if falling in their favour would have altered the trajectory of the finals relegation race.

However, the Blues held their nerve to maintain their position in third on the Under 19’s Premier ladder and almost certainly book their ticket to September.

The Blues trailed by a point at quarter time but clawed back a seven-point advantage at the main break.

ROUND 16 RESULTS

HOLMESGLEN U19 PREMIER MEN’S

St Kevin’s:

St Bedes/Mentone:

GOALS: St Kevin’s: B. Palmer 6, L. May 4, J. Gambaro 4, F. Noble 1, J. Kerr 1, M. Curtain 1, D. Tomarchio 1

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: J. Pugsley 3, L. Hecker 1, O. Etienne 1, A. Shepherdson 1

BEST: St Kevin’s: B. Palmer, T. Bromhead, H. Noble, F. Noble, J. Morice, J. Kerr

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: A. Shepherdson, L. Napier, C. Donnellan, O. Etienne, J. Matthews, J. McCormack

Caulfield Grammarians: 2.3 5.4 6.5 9.7 (61)

University Blues: 2.2 6.5 8.11 9.14 (68)

A struggle-some term from the Fields saw the margin extend to 18 at three quarter time, but Caulfield, who have pushed and beaten some of the top teams this season, were never going to back down.

The Blues were held to just nine points in the final term as the Fields kicked three majors, but ultimately it was not enough to produce the upset victory.

Sitting eight premiership points and a wealth of percentage ahead of fifth, the Blues are set to play in finals for consecutive seasons, along with other locked in rivals Old Brighton and St Kevin’s.

Round 17 presents as the round that could officially end top four speculation, with Old Scotch (4th ) hosting De La Salle (5th ). A De La Salle win will leave their finals hunt alive, but a loss or draw will spell the end of their campaign for September action.

Old Xaverians host St Bedes/Mentone and should SBMT lose this match they will be unable to get out of the relegation zone, however a win could mean even the Xavs face wooden spoon contention.

Caulfield plays Old Brighton in another chance to produce a boilover after falling short last weekend, while a top-four battle between University and St Kevin’s will highlight the credentials each club has for premiership success.

GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians: H. Lane 2, z. ross 2, H. Martino 1, A. Tamaressis 1, E. Gibb 1

GOALS: University Blues: D. Shier 4, S. de Steiger 2, C. Skipper 1, S. Lucardie 1, W. Furphy 1

BEST: Caulfield Grammarians: E. Walker, H. Lane, N. Will, H. Martino, A. Ioannidis, B. Perry

BEST: University Blues: W. Hawker, D. Shier, W. Furphy, S. de Steiger, H. Correll, T. Hill

De La Salle:

ROUND 17 TIPS

Old Scotch v De La Salle

Old Xaverians v St Bedes/Mentone Tigers

Caulfield v Old Brighton University Blues v St Kevin’s

(52) Old Xaverians:

(59)

GOALS: De La Salle: Z. Chapman 2, B. Rossney 2, A. Margerison 1, J. Cripps 1, E. Sawade 1

GOALS: Old Xaverians: h. warfe 2, X. Austin 1, T. Trist 1, C. Anderson 1, T. Hansen 1, C. Landrigan 1, T. Scalzo 1

BEST: De La Salle: H. Sheedy, E. Ganas, L. Breguet, A. Margerison, A. Glover, L. Mahimarajan

BEST: Old Xaverians: X. Austin, G. Forrest, H. Lasscock, T. Trist, T. Hansen, J. Godde

GOALS: Old Scotch: N. Baring 1, K. Greville 1, N. Macmillan 1, E. McCorkell 1, G. Simmons 1, D. Swan 1, G. Coldwell 1

GOALS: Old Brighton: l. robinson 4, K. Vivian 1, G. Hill 1, O. Newstead 1

BEST: Old Scotch: C. Hume, N. Macmillan, L. Macneil, K. Greville, F. Wild, Z. Phillips

BEST: Old Brighton: H. Lewis, C. Tyler, O. Newstead, M. Szonyi, l. robinson, G. Hill

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DIVISION 1 MEN’S

Raj Johnston

Ormond win a back-and-forth nailbiter and Oakleigh keep their finals hopes alive

Round 17 of Division 1 Men’s produced what was undoubtedly the match of the season as ladder leaders Ormond survived a scare from Kew in a goal for goal final quarter, whilst Oakleigh are still in the hunt for finals after an impressive victory against second-placed Old Peninsula.

Kew’s top two hopes have significantly diminished after going down to Ormond by 4 points in a truly exciting game of footy at E.E. Gunn Reserve.

The Bears had their opportunities in the first quarter but couldn’t always convert in front of goal. Nonetheless, Kew led by 8-points at quarter-time but had their momentum halted in the second term as Ormond worked the footy inside 50 and played efficiently along all lines of the ground.

Kew trailed by a very gettable 11-points at half-time and came out firing in the third term with two early goals. The rest of the quarter played out with alternating goals between the two sides as not very much separated the teams on both the scoreboard and key performance indicators, ultimately giving Ormond a narrow 3-point lead going into the final term.

In what transpired to be a must-watch fourth quarter, this game continued to be one of goal for goal footy with each side quickly finding the goals after the other side scored. Despite some last-ditch efforts from Kew, it was the Monders who successfully navigated the dying stages to continue their undefeated streak in season 2025.

Sam Thomson was an important player for Kew with four goals going his way, whilst Aaron Taylor, Kai Seeto-Grossi and Harrison Ross were amongst the best players for the victorious Ormond.

It was not so close at Brens Oval where UHS-VU recorded a massive 94-point win over Therry Penola.

The first quarter was relatively low-scoring as neither side managed to grip a major hold of the game, with a late goal to Therry Penola’s Jarrod Egglestone keeping the Lions firmly in this contest as the Vultures led by just 12-points at quarter-time.

Unfortunately for the Lions, that was all she wrote as the Vultures put their foot down and piled on the pain from there. The Vultures lead blew out to 33 and 85 points at half-time and three quarter-time, respectively, as the Vultures time and time again transitioned the footy with ease as they found plenty of scoring opportunities.

UHS got over the line comfortably to claim their eighth win of 2025 and send a warning to the rest of the competition that their best footy can compete with the top sides in 2026 as they look to return to finals after a slow start this year. Brandon Jackson once again starred for UHS with five goals to his name.

Oakleigh’s top four hopes are alive and thriving after a somewhat unexpected 45-point victory over Old Peninsula. Whilst the Pirates are higher on the ladder, an Oakleigh win was always on the cards given they had a top four spot on the line.

The first half was incredibly competitive with both sides showing their intent to do damage and claim the four points. It was hard to get a read of which side was further ahead.

It was in the third quarter that the game opened up as the Krushers dominated the middle part of that quarter to be leading by a valuable 18-points at three-quarter time. Ultimately, it was the Krushers who sustained a four-quarter effort as the home side booted another five goals in the fourth and restricted the Pirates to just one goal.

This win is crucial for Oakleigh who can still qualify for finals. If the Krushers win next week and fourth-placed Preston Bullants lose, then Oakleigh will make it. But should Preston win, then it will be season over for Oakleigh regardless of how they perform.

Rogan Kitts and Luke Ashen were pivotal in Oakleigh’s success with six and four goals, respectively.

The Monash Blues have locked up their Division 1 spot next season with a convincing 58-point victory over Elsternwick

It was all the Blues in the first term with ten scoring opportunities to two, but inaccuracy cost Monash who could’ve been much further ahead, but nonetheless would be pleased with a 23-point buffer at quarter-time.

Elsternwick improved in the second quarter to bring the margin back to 15-points but were put away in the third term as the Blues were too strong across all areas of the ground, and ultimately, the Wicks 38-point deficit at three quarter-time was too much to reduce.

Oliver Armstrong starred with three goals for the Blues, whilst Damien Hookway, Dylan Jones and Paul Sanderson were some of Elsternwick’s best players.

The Preston Bullants got back on the winners list with a strong 48-point victory over Brunswick.

Brunswick set the pace early with two quick goals to start proceedings, but it was all Preston from there who dominated the rest of the first term with their midfielders and forwards linking up efficiently time and time again to give them a 19-point lead at quarter-time, but like a lot of games this weekend, could’ve been much further ahead with inaccuracy being costly.

The second quarter was similar with Brunswick having ad hoc periods of success but again being outplayed by Preston who were fighting to secure their finals spot.

The Bullants lead increased to 31-points at half-time, then to a massive 58-points at three quarter-time, by which stage it became clear that it would take a miracle for Brunswick to turn around. Whilst Brunswick deserve credit for winning the last term and not letting the margin blow out further, the Bullants were the better side and claimed the four points.

Preston’s Alex Johnston led from the front with five goals to his name, well supported by Adrian Gonnella with four of his own.

Round 17 answered a few questions about the future, with results from the weekend confirming that Therry Penola and Elsternwick will be relegated to Division 2 in 2026, whilst the results of Preston and Oakleigh’s Round 18 clashes will determine who gets fourth spot on the ladder.

Three games in Round 18 are of critical importance to the make-up of the ladder, the first being Kew (3rd) hosting Old Peninsula (2nd). Kew are one game and percentage behind the Pirates so require a significant percentage boosting win to take second spot and give themselves the double chance.

The Preston Bullants (4th) host UHS-VU (6th). The Vultures have been flying in the second half of the season and will be confident they have what it takes to knock off the Bullants. Preston’s finals hopes are in their hands - win, and they are in.

Oakleigh (5th) will meet the Monash Blues (8th). If the Krushers win, they will be relying on a Preston loss to give them a finals berth.

Elsewhere, Ormond (1st) will be looking to go through the home and away season undefeated when they play Brunswick (7th), and the two bottom sides Elsternwick (10th) and Therry Penola (9th) will look to finish their season on a positive note.

ROUND 18 TIPS

Ormondv Brunswick

Kew v Old Peninsula

Preston Bullantsv UHS-VU

Oakleighv Monash Blues

Elsternwickv Therry Penola

ROUND 17 RESULTS

DIVISION 1 MEN’S

Old Peninsula:

GOALS: Oakleigh: R. Kitts 6, L. Ashen 4, A. Bernardo 2, O. Thomson 2, N. Clifton 1, J. Rossington 1, P. Ioannidis 1

GOALS: Old Peninsula: W. Crowder 3, K. Dalais 2, B. Payze 2, J. Lovett 2, K. Thiele 1

BEST: Oakleigh: N. Torpey, R. Kitts, L. Gillard, L. Heverin, T. Gillard, T. Scott

BEST: Old Peninsula: K. Doyle, K. Thiele, K. Dalais, J. Lovett, H. Peacock, B. Williamson

Monash Blues:

Elsternwick:

GOALS: Monash Blues: O. Armstrong 3, J. Baring 2, H. Wrigglesworth 2, F. Bennett 2, O. Widdicombe 1, J. Hooper 1, B. Fellows 1, M. King 1, F. Thompson 1, J. Walker 1, J. Flett 1

(111)

GOALS: Elsternwick: C. Marinis 2, J. Harris 1, D. Convery 1, P. Sanderson 1, Q. De Luca 1, H. Wardlaw 1

BEST: Monash Blues: J. Baring, J. Walker, F. Thompson, J. Hooper, J. Flett, R. Lord

BEST: Elsternwick: D. Hookway, D. Jones, P. Sanderson, R. Jones-Pritchard, R. Meehan, W. Easton

Ormond:

GOALS: Ormond: J. Hille 3, A. Trusler 2, S. Bailey 2, S. Gunning 2, J. Werbik 1, S. Stait 1, L. Crnogorac 1

(83)

(79)

GOALS: Kew: S. Thomson 4, D. Jardine 3, R. Smith 3, O. Kerford 1, J. Seaton-NICHOL 1

BEST: Ormond: A. Taylor, K. Seeto-Grossi, H. Ross, S. Stait, F. O’Toole, B. Williams

BEST: Kew: S. Thomson, M. Salvatore, R. Smith, D. Jardine, M. Holland, T. Johnstone UHS-VU:

Therry Penola: 1.1 1.2

GOALS: UHS-VU: B. Jackson 5, N. Couper-Johnston 3, T. Howard 2, J. Hunt 2, H. Kennedy 1, B. Dimattina 1, F. Urie 1

(11)

GOALS: Therry Penola: J. Egglestone 1

BEST: UHS-VU: J. Healey, P. Brookes, S. Adams, D. Beer, B. Jackson, F. Urie

BEST: Therry Penola: J. Ivers, F. Harvey, C. Combridge, A. De Saint Leger-Allison, P. Carracher, r. gauci

Bullants:

GOALS: Brunswick: P. Scamporlino 2, T. Wilson 2, O. Watt 1, W. Kempt 1

GOALS: Preston Bullants: A. Johnston 5, A. Gonnella 4, A. Cincotta 2, T. Hill 2

BEST: Brunswick: R. Hogenbirk, B. Wilson, J. Browne, J. Gale, F. Banfield, L. Allman

(47)

(95)

BEST: Preston Bullants: D. Douglas, L. Green, D. Calcedo, A. Johnston, A. Gonnella, T. Beck

DIVISION 1 MEN’S RESERVES

GOALS: Brunswick: e. dwyer 3, D. Heenan 2, B. Daly 2, C. Watts 1, S. Hijazi 1, A. Pollock 1

GOALS: Preston Bullants: B. Morgan 2, J. King 1, A. Green 1, D. Delle-Vergini 1

BEST: Brunswick: S. Hijazi, J. Noonan, e. dwyer, T. Lloyd, M. BalaamGunderson, B. Griffin

BEST: Preston Bullants: N. Douglas, S. Mariani, H. Stratford-Browne, N. Savvidis, D. Zou, A. Green

Ormond:

Kew:

(72)

(60)

GOALS: Ormond: H. Penhall 2, E. Hanley 2, H. Burt 2, L. Natsikas 2, T. Natsikas 1, B. Pfeiffer 1

GOALS: Kew: J. Davis 3, T. Lowe 2, P. Coe 1, J. Hurst 1, B. Paech 1, T. Harbrow 1, D. Allen 1

BEST: Ormond: L. Beaves, H. Burt, L. Yaksich, C. Roach, B. Pfeiffer

BEST: Kew: T. Harbrow, C. Byrne, B. Healey, T. Lowe, A. Lawrence, J. Davis

UHS-VU:

Therry Penola:

(75)

4.5 (29)

GOALS: UHS-VU: A. Skerget 3, X. Ellingham 3, D. Baker 1, L. Trinh 1, A. Frazer 1, R. Hajj 1, m. sykes 1

GOALS: Therry Penola: C. Edwards 3, C. Matthews 1, R. Borg 1

BEST: UHS-VU: M. Walsh, A. Skerget, T. Cracknell, L. Trinh, m. sykes, X. Ellingham

BEST: Therry Penola: J. Piccione, J. Lewis, J. Doodie, N. Mckay, B. Szczygielski, A. Mudgway

(100)

(48)

GOALS: Monash Blues: A. Hussaini 5, D. O’Brien 2, L. Davis 2, R. Phillips 2, C. McNearney 1, T. Mew 1, Z. Watson 1

GOALS: Elsternwick: N. Antonie 3, N. Zuker 2, B. Dolan 1

BEST: Monash Blues: A. Hubbard, T. Mew, C. McNearney, D. O’Brien, A. Hussaini, A. Ritchie

BEST: Elsternwick: M. Quint, B. Wallace, M. McGuirk, L. Keating, N. Antonie, B. Dolan

Peninsula:

GOALS: Oakleigh: L. Sfrantzis-Hallak 3, W. Holton 2, C. Athans 2, P. Kasimis 2, B. May 1, J. Hunt 1, J. Greenaway 1, S. Fortune 1, N. Seel 1

GOALS: Old Peninsula: B. Stewart 2, B. Goates 1

BEST: Oakleigh: z. thiessens, R. Powell, L. Sfrantzis-Hallak, J. Hunt, C. Gillard, W. Holton

BEST: Old Peninsula: J. McLean, N. Holland, C. Denton, B. Schuurman, T. Davis, B. Stewart

(93)

(22)

DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S

Annie Ireland

Finals race decided, and Old Haileybury finish strong

The VAFA Division 1 Women’s competition is all set for finals, with the top four locked in and ready for their tilt at the premiership. However, there is one key team missing, with the Rovers suffering heartbreak after their slide across the back half of the season.

Monash Blues defeated Power House by 42 points to lock in their finals spot and loom as a big threat to the remainder of the top four. Power House were held to two behinds for the game, as the Blues piled on 6.1 in the second half.

Monash had the ascendency for much of the game and proved why they are one’s to watch as the competition heads to finals.Emily Conroy was best on ground with two goals for the Blues, whilst Anna Purtill and Zara Le Roux were also strong.

Power House narrowly missed out on a top four spot, finishing in fifth and will no doubt be ready to attack once again next season.

In a low scoring affair, we were lucky enough to be treated to a preview of the first final with Oakleigh defeating Whitefriars by six points.

Whitefriars were first to hit the scoreboard with a goal coming off the boot of Bella Giannangelo. With scores level at the main break, it was anyone’s game in the second half and Oakleigh too their chances to get their nose in front in the third, taking a 4-point advantage.

In a low scoring contest with scoring opportunities hard to come by and majors at an all-time minimum, this was just the buffer the Krushers needed to run away with the four points, and a massive confidence boost ahead of next week’s elimination final.

The Friars will be looking to the likes of Anika Mills and Hollie McCormack who were best on to deliver once again when they face a familiar opponent in Oakleigh for the second week in a row.

Oakleigh captain Ruby Ford was named amongst the best once again to cap off an impressive home and away season, having only missed being in the best once this year. Sienna Bernardo is another one who impressed

for Oakleigh and has been named in the best for 16 consecutive weeks. Bernardo and Ford will be crucial in Oakleigh’s quest for the premiership.

Both teams will meet again on the weekend in what looms as an exciting final. Having just played in a tight tussle, they will be looking to learn from each other’s strengths and find a vantage point, with their upcoming encounter a do-or-die elimination battle.

Richmond Central wrapped up their season on a high with an upset win over Therry Penola. The Lions had plenty of chances to win the game, kicking two goals, nine behinds however could not kick truly to convert into maximum points on the scoreboard.

Abbey Duggan kicked both majors for the Lions, finishing her season with an impressive 26-goals and taking home the competition’s leading goal kicker award for the second consecutive season. Co-captains Gemma Macgregor and Eliza German were standouts, sharing best-on-ground honours. For Richmond, Devina Lai and Erin Eldon each slotted two goals, whilst Louise Allen was their best, helping steer Richmond to victory.

Both teams finished with 24 points each in seventh and eighth on the ladder. With neither team qualifying for finals, they’ll shift their focus to the off-season and look to reset and return stronger in season 2026.

After a hard fought first win of the season in Round 15, the Parkdale Vultures were overrun by a mighty Glen Eira/Old McKinnon. The Gryphons finished the home and away season with their impeccable record intact, having not dropped a game in 2025. The reigning premiers are chasing back-to-back premiership success as they make their bid for the flag.

Parkdale were held to just one behind for the game as the Gryphs’ piled on the pain. Aleesha Whittle was best on ground, kicking a game high three goals for Glen Eira. Sarah Fitzpatrick and Cecilia Macintosh were also strong. On a tough day for the Vultures, captain Breanna Allen led from the front as she has done on many occasions this season. The Vultures will be looking to have a strong off-season to attack next season in better form.

ROUND 16 RESULTS

DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S

Power House:

Monash Blues:

GOALS: Power House:

GOALS: Monash Blues: E. Conroy 2, G. Cowin 2, H. Konstanty 1, T. Jericho 1, G. Thomas 1

BEST: Power House: G. Read, E. Doorley, O. Allen, J. Down, G. Bosisto, J. Waterhouse

BEST: Monash Blues: E. Conroy, A. Purtill, Z. Le Roux, S. Rose, A. McGinty, J. Dallas

Therry Penola:

Richmond Central:

GOALS: Therry Penola: A. Duggan 2

GOALS: Richmond Central: E. Eldon 2, D. Lai 2, G. Harris 1

BEST: Therry Penola: E. German, G. Macgregor, S. Hallo, R. O’Halloran, A. Duggan, C. Brown

In the final game of the home and away season, Old Haileybury caused a big upset to dash any chance of the Hampton Rovers securing a finals spot. It was only Old Haileybury’s third win of the season, but perhaps the most important of them all.

The Rovers’ form across the back half of the season had their finals hopes hanging by a thread, with Round 16 no exception. Haileybury got the jump early, but the Rovers stuck with them creating a good contest. Despite their being just 2 points separating the two sides at the half, it was the Bloods that wanted it more in the third, putting their foot on the gas to gain ascendency in the match.

Haileybury fought tooth and nail in a four-quarter effort they should be so proud of and can take some confidence into their off-season from their growth over the 16 rounds. Alas, this 13-point loss has stunted Hampton’s run and sees them conclude the season in sixth.

Pulli Gardiyawasam kicked a game high three goals for Old Haileybury, whilst Leesa Guastella and Claire SchafterJacoby were also strong. Meanwhile, Hollie Brodribb kicked a goal and was the Rovers’ best along with captain Shae Raywood.

The first round of finals in Division 1 Women’s is shaping up to be a blockbuster. Moorleigh Reserve will host the first and second Semi Finals. A re-match of this round between Oakleigh and Whitefriars will kick things off at 11:40 am, while the headline act will be Glen Eira/Old McKinnon coming up against Monash Blues at 2:00 pm with the winner securing their spot in the Grand Final.

BEST: Richmond Central: L. Allen, D. Lai, S. Kerins, G. Harris, E. Eldon, G. Hobill

GOALS: Old Haileybury: P. Gardiyawasam 3, g. folwell 2, Z. Clavarino 1

GOALS: Hampton Rovers: M. Pearson 1, M. Miller 1, A. Price 1, H. Brodribb 1

BEST: Old Haileybury: L. Guastella, C. Schafter-Jacoby, P. Gardiyawasam, S. Vudiniabola, g. folwell, N. Nowlan

BEST: Hampton Rovers: H. Brodribb, S. Raywood, M. Miller, B. Arnold, O. Muller, G. Bracken

GOALS: Whitefriars: B. Giannangelo 1

GOALS: Oakleigh: M. Sullivan 1, E. Heverin 1

BEST: Whitefriars: A. Mills, H. McCormack, R. Sterry, S. Smith, A. Webber, K. Mason

BEST: Oakleigh: M. Little, R. Ford, S. Bernardo, R. Douglas, J. Francis, E. Cashman Glen Eira / Old McKinnon:

Parkdale Vultures:

(1)

GOALS: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: A. Whittle 3, C. McIntosh 1, L. Fitzpatrick 1, S. Wilson 1, S. Fitzpatrick 1, S. Harris 1, A. Wolfenden 1

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures:

BEST: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: A. Whittle, S. Fitzpatrick, C. McIntosh, L. Fitzpatrick, A. Wolfenden, E. Nicholls

BEST: Parkdale Vultures: B. Allen, S. Symons, L. Burgess, H. McCorquodale, G. Collinson, B. Di-Giovambattista

DIVISION 2 MEN’S

Lincoln Tracy

Magpies, Friars duke it out in epic clash

as two sides remain in race for last finals spot

Three big questions remain heading into the last round of the Division 2 Men’s home and away season – who will finish on top, who will finish fourth, and who will avoid the wooden spoon?

West Brunswick and Whitefriars played out a thriller at Whitefriars College Oval, with the Magpies holding off a late Friars charge to win by just two points. The Friars had it all to play for coming into the game – needing a win to keep their slim chance of playing finals alive – and had the better of their opponents early, taking an 11-point lead into quarter time courtesy of back-to-back goals from Liam Stanborough (who had four for the day). But the visitors got going in the second quarter, kicking four goals to one to hold an eight-point advantage at the main break.

The Magpies continued to push ahead with three of the first four goals in the second half, extending their lead to 22 points, before three goals in four minutes from the Friars got them back within four points. West Brunswick snuck one back on the death of three-quarter time and kicked the first of the final quarter, but there were still plenty of twists and turns to come. Three consecutive goals to the home side gave them the lead at the halfway mark of the final quarter, but shutdown back-turned-forward Tom Laity put the Magpies back in front with two quick goals of his own. Laity’s efforts meant the visitors were able to hold on for the remaining time and record a nail-biting two-point win.

“It was a cracking game. We were good in the contest but unfortunately couldn’t get over the line. We dropped off our pressure by about 10% in the second quarter and they took advantage of it,” said Whitefriars coach Lucas Matthews. Magpies coach Regan Tait agreed that both sides put up a good fight, saying his side struggled to contain Tim Angus, who finished with five goals. “He’s a fantastic forward – he presents really well and definitely gave our backline a bit of a headache,” Tait said of Angus.

South Melbourne Districts snuffed out Canterbury’s chances of playing finals with a hard-fought 22-point win at home. Both teams had five scoring shots in the first quarter, but the Cobras made the most of their chances early (4.1 to South Melbourne’s 1.4) and took a 15-point lead into the first break. The Bloods cut Canterbury’s lead to 10 points at half time and adjusted better to the wet conditions in the second half, after rain began to fall late in the second quarter. “For that hour period [during the rain],

they were all over us,” said Canterbury coach Steve Brown. “We couldn’t move the footy the way we wanted, and it became a slower type of game. But South Melbourne were very good.”

Bloods coach Nick Abbott acknowledged that his side failed to take advantage of their early pressure, but felt his side showed a sense of maturity as the game went on. “In the past we would have gone into our shell because we hadn’t capitalised when we’ve had the opportunities. But we held true and knew that the pressure [we were applying] and what we were doing was working. We just needed to get reward for that effort.”

MHSOB kept their finals hopes alive with a 57-point win over St John’s at Melbourne High School, handing the visitors their eighth loss in the past nine games. Matthew Pereira had a day out up forward for MHSOB, finishing with seven goals, his fourth game this year kicking five or more goals. JOC’s coach Tim Edwards said his young side started well but were unable to capitalise on some of the opportunities they were presented with. “They play their ground well and ultimately got on top of us after half-time,” he said. Edwards praised the efforts of Daniel Clarke and Indiana Anderson in their second and third senior games for 2025, with Edwards deeming the former to have been best on for the JOC’s. St John’s had five individual goalscorers, including skipper Corey Ely and Bahaa Khoweiss.

Old Yarra Cobras crushed Hawthorn by 148 points at Koonung Reserve, kicking 25 goals to two in the largest win by any team in Division 2 Men’s this season. Ten Old Yarra players registered a goal in the one-sided affair, headlined by Jack Hall backing up last week’s six goal haul with seven and David Tokatliyan bagging a season-high six. Stephen Dicintio and James Smith kicked one each for Hawthorn.

Cobras coach Nathan Monaco was understandably pleased with the result but was more focused on improve aspects of his side’s game ahead of finals. Monaco highlighted the performance of third gamer Zach McLeod: “Zach played down back against Canterbury [last week] as it’s a tough midfield to break into, but this week we gave him Tom Bell’s role and he was among the best players for us, which is a great result,” Monaco said. Hawks coach Mark Murray conceded his side took a couple of steps back over the weekend and didn’t bring the effort and attitude he had seen in recent games. However, Murray was pleased by the

performance of 18-year-old ruckman Jonathan Isner – who he described as having a standout game despite the heavy loss.

St Mary’s Salesian overcame a slow start to defeat Aquinas by 71 points at Aquinas College. The two teams kicked just three goals between them in the first quarter as the visitors took a four-point lead into quarter time. But the ladder leaders began to exert their dominance after the first break, kicking eight consecutive goals across the next two quarters to stretch their lead to 54 points before James McMahon registered his first for the day in the thirteenth minute of the third. McMahon, Aquinas’ only multiple goal scorer, kicked four second-half goals – including the last of the third quarter and the first two of the last.

Saints coach Clay Tait said Aquinas brought their contested game early and were able to get on top around the stoppages. But Tait was proud of how his players responded to the challenge during the quarter. “Once we adjusted and lifted in that area, we took control of the game,” he said. Jacob McElroy was among St Mary’s best for the fourth consecutive week after finishing with six goals. McElroy (59 for the season) sits just one goal behind Old Yarra’s Jack Hall on the goalkicking table going into the last game of the season.

The final round of the home and away games features an enticing top four clash between West Brunswick and St Mary’s Salesian at Ransford Oval. A loss or a draw for the Saints could see them concede top spot on the ladder depending on other results, while the Magpies will remain in third on the ladder regardless of the outcome. Hawthorn host Aquinas in a game that will see the loser claim the wooden spoon and be relegated to Division 3 next season, while the winner will remain in Division 2 as only the bottom side will drop due to St John’s exiting the VAFA at the conclusion of the season.

Despite not qualifying for finals themselves, the JOC’s can still help shape the top four – a home victory against South Melbourne Districts would open the door for MHSOB to swoop in and claim fourth position should they emerge victorious in their clash with Old Yarra. Meanwhile, Canterbury and Whitefriars will be playing for pride when the Friars travel to the Canterbury Sports Ground, with both teams safe from dropping down a division but also unable to make finals. The Cobras will be out for revenge, with Whitefriars winning the Round 3 clash by just five points.

ROUND 18 TIPS

St John’s v South Melb Districts

Hawthorn v Aquinas

Canterburyv Whitefriars

MHSOB v Old Yarra

West Brunswick vSt Mary’s

ROUND 17 RESULTS

DIVISION 2 MEN’S

Old Yarra Cobras:

Hawthorn:

GOALS: Old Yarra Cobras: J. Hall 7, D. Tokatliyan 6, B. Makowski 3, A. Raso 2, E. BrandonJones 2, A. Goldsmith 1, A. Lamanna 1, D. Lea 1, E. Hanrahan 1, J. King 1

GOALS: Hawthorn: J. Smith 1, S. Dicintio 1

BEST: Old Yarra Cobras: E. Brandon-Jones, J. Hall, Z. MCLEOD, R. Chipman, A. Lamanna, R. Pollard

BEST: Hawthorn: O. Knight, W. Fleming, T. Ktenas, J. Iser, E. Avery, S. Poole

South Melbourne:

Canterbury:

(89)

(67)

GOALS: South Melbourne: A. Murphy 3, Z. Howson 3, H. Mcintyre 2, H. Twigg 1, Z. Smith 1, T. Foley 1, J. Corke 1, C. Jacoby 1

GOALS: Canterbury: R. Daffy 4, J. Boarotto 2, M. Fotia 2, C. Deacon 1, M. Topp 1

BEST: South Melbourne: H. Mcintyre, J. Cotton, J. Tims, A. Murphy, A. Stamatelatos, C. Jacoby

BEST: Canterbury: R. Daffy, S. Gotch, T. Robinson, M. Topp, M. Fotia, B. Jose

Aquinas:

(48) St Mary’s Salesian:

GOALS: Aquinas: J. McMahon 4, G. Box 1, T. Box 1, L. Robb 1

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: J. McElroy 6, L. Moulday 3, Z. Gucciardo 3, C. Tait 2, N. Catherwood 1, E. Bourke 1, T. Ryan 1

BEST: Aquinas: J. McMahon, J. Costello, T. Box, T. Love, R. O’Brien, T. Hogg

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: H. Ryan, A. Molden, N. Catherwood, D. Grant, J. McElroy, Z. Gucciardo

Whitefriars:

GOALS: Whitefriars: T. Angus 5, L. Stanborough 4, T. Jacotine 1, D. Jacotine 1, J. Perrin 1, F. Ward 1

GOALS: West Brunswick: H. Fithall 4, T. Laity 3, H. McKendry 2, B. Ablett 2, W. Dillon 1, B. Irving 1

BEST: Whitefriars: T. Baker, . , T. Angus, B. Ostermeyer, T. Jacotine, M. Warrick

BEST: West Brunswick: B. Ward, B. Ablett, W. Dillon, D. Ferrier, H. McKendry, J. Krauss MHSOB: 6.5

John’s:

GOALS: MHSOB: M. Pereira 7, S. Hayes 3, W. Hellier 2, N. McKinnon 1, D. Clarke 1

GOALS: St John’s: A. Unger 1, J. Mourant 1, B. Khoweiss 1, C. Ely 1, H. Emery 1

BEST: MHSOB: A. Clarke, W. Cardwell, Z. Smooker, M. Pereira, W. Hellier, Z. Comley-Burns

BEST: St John’s: B. Ash, D. Clark, H. Emery, I. Anderson, J. Day, B. Khoweiss

DIVISION 2 MEN’S RESERVES

Old Yarra Cobras:

Hawthorn:

GOALS: Old Yarra Cobras: A. Papatheodorou 3, T. Endicott 3, M. Tsalikis 2, S. Hooper 1, J. Fensome 1, D. Esdaile 1, W. Ponsford 1

(91)

GOALS: Hawthorn: L. Mercorillo 2, W. Molloy 1, M. Zavarella 1, D. Boules 1

BEST: Old Yarra Cobras: C. Arthurton, D. Esdaile, J. O’Neill, W. Ponsford, M. Tsalikis, W. Morrison

BEST: Hawthorn: D. Carroll-Hughes, L. Mercorillo, M. Zavarella, R. Linford, S. Eqbal, M. Lacey

Whitefriars:

West Brunswick:

GOALS: Whitefriars: B. Jury 1, D. Smith 1

(19)

GOALS: West Brunswick: M. Hofstein 3, L. Stringer 3, J. Beer 2, J. Coltish 1, M. Meadows 1, P. Foley 1, S. Pritchard 1, D. McMahon 1

BEST: Whitefriars: M. Hardman, L. Galtieri, A. McGrath, D. Smith, C. Spurr, L. McLean

BEST: West Brunswick: T. Langmaid, D. Fitzpatrick, M. Holmes, L. Stringer, J. Coltish, G. Makabory

South Melbourne:

Canterbury:

(127)

4.3 (27)

GOALS: South Melbourne: T. Bouwman 4, J. Paxton 2, M. Capp 2, M. Plunkett 2, D. Carston 1, M. Heathcote 1, H. Watson-Hann 1, T. Seccombe 1, C. Brugeaud 1, J. Bradley 1, N. Thomas 1, M. Bambino 1, A. Elkington 1

GOALS: Canterbury: B. Thomas 2, F. Castle 1, D. Duggan 1

BEST: South Melbourne: N. Thomas, T. Bouwman, J. Bradley, M. Capp, D. Carston, T. Doyle

BEST: Canterbury: O. Millward, P. Robertson, N. Walden, Y. Warrender, M. Bailey, B. Thomas

Mary’s Salesian:

GOALS: Aquinas: J. Wright 1, L. Cellante 1, T. Kinghorn 1

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: A. Howell 4, T. Coyle 2, L. Turner 2, J. Barrie 1, N. Bainbridge 1, B. Mcnally 1

BEST: Aquinas: N. Wright, P. O’Donnell, J. Wright, M. Allwood, H. Oehlmann, K. Brash

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: N. Bainbridge, L. Mcandrew, J. Ryan, A. Howell, M. Flora, J. Reeve

(160) St John’s:

(46)

GOALS: MHSOB: B. Gunn 8, N. Anaan 6, A. Stikoltzik 3, R. Rae 2, M. Fenwick 2, A. Tran 1, M. Fennessy-Kent 1, N. Campbell 1

GOALS: St John’s: K. Newland 3, R. Mclean 1, J. Coutts 1, J. Proctor 1, J. St mart 1

BEST: MHSOB: N. Anaan, A. Kuang, T. Bulmer, A. Rogers, A. Stikoltzik, B. Gunn

BEST: St John’s: R. Mclean, k. haynes, J. Mitchell, D. Allan, D. Perawiti, K. Newland

DIVISION 2 WOMEN’S

Lachie Moir

Parkside surges, UHS-VU holds nerve in week one finals

The first week of finals footy for the Division 2 Women’s competition has seen UHS-VU and Parkside progress to qualifying finals next week. The wins now set up an exciting second week of finals action, where the stakes continue to rise and every contest becomes a season-defining battle. With UHS-VU and Parkside carrying momentum into Finals week 2, all eyes will be on them to see how they measure up against quality oppositions like Old Carey and La Trobe University.

UHS-VU etched a victory against a brave Box Hill North outfit to see them play on in season 2025. The contest was always set to be a tight one from the offset, with the sides being very evenly matched throughout the regular season.

No goals were kicked in the first quarter, with both sides getting a feel for finals football in the early stages. UHS-VU gained ascendancy in the second quarter, kicking two goals and taking a 6-point lead heading into halftime. Box Hill kept on fighting throughout the third term, booting the first goal of the quarter and keeping themselves in it. However, class soon prevailed as UHS-VU finished off the quarter strongly, with a goal and three points being enough to extend the lead narrowly heading into the final term. A cagey finish to the game saw UHS-VU run out 9-point winners, holding their nerve when the pressure was at its highest.

Emma Boeck put in a stellar performance for the home side, kicking two goals, applying relentless forward pressure, and handling the intensity of finals footy extremely well . Box Hill North have competed extremely gamely this season and it will be a shame to see it come to an end, as their effort, resilience, and spirit have been unquestionable across the campaign.

On the other side of the bracket, the form team of the competition Parkside did what they needed to do, but it didn’t come without an early scare. La Trobe University came out of the blocks hot, kicking two first-quarter goals to jump the Devils and lead by seven points at the first change.

Their pressure around the ball and willingness to take the game on looked like it might rattle Parkside early. However, once the contest settled, Parkside’s dynamic duo of Martina Zeevaarder and Ella Smallcombe quickly found their rhythm. The pair combined for six goals between them, swinging the momentum sharply in the Devils’ favour. From there, Parkside began to dictate terms, moving the ball with fluency and making life extremely difficult for La Trobe’s defence. Their ability to score efficiently whenever they went forward became the difference, as the Devils’ midfield began to dominate clearances and control possession.

The game was well and truly put to bed in the final quarter, when Parkside unleashed a goal blitz, piling on three late majors to seal the result and send their supporters home buzzing about what 2025 might hold. The victory not only highlighted their attacking firepower but also underlined their status as genuine premiership contenders. For La Trobe, while the defeat was disappointing after such a promising start, their double chance ensures the season isn’t over yet.

They will regroup quickly and now face UHS-VU next weekend in a do-or-die clash, where both sides will be fighting to keep their premiership hopes alive.

SEMI FINAL TIPS

La Trobe University v UHS-VU

Old Carey v Parkside

ROUND 16 RESULTS

DIVISION 2 WOMEN’S

UHS-VU:

Box Hill North:

GOALS: UHS-VU: E. Boeck 2, S. Winsor 1

GOALS: Box Hill North: J. Pope 1, L. Griffiths 1

BEST: UHS-VU: A. Mills, A. Gilchrist, E. Boeck, H. Cowmeadow, E. Brereton, B. Schnioffsky

(24)

(15)

BEST: Box Hill North: A. Nic a Bhaird, L. Griffiths, A. Toscano, N. Halford, S. Pikos, G. Krienke

Parkside:

La Trobe University:

GOALS: Parkside: M. Zeevaarder 3, E. Smallacombe 3, D. Cornish 2, E. Keen 1

GOALS: La Trobe University: I. Hart 3, N. Cappelletti 1, M. Andrews 1

BEST: Parkside: A. Crisp, H. Baird, M. Welsh, G. Wood, G. Warncken, C. Zuccala

BEST: La Trobe University: S. Castagnini, I. Hart, K. Bond, E. Lauritsen, M. Wilson, M. Andrews

(32)

DIVISION 3 MEN’S

Nick Quinlan

Power House dominates as competition gears up for the final round

Power House had a percentage-boosting win over Eley Park as they go into the final round of Division 3 Men’s on top of the table. It was a dominant performance against the under-strength Sharks, with the ladder leaders scoring at will which has seen their percentage rise to 250 per cent.

The ladder-leaders managed to boot 59 goals across the four quarters while holding the Sharks scoreless. It was a strong team performance with 13 players hitting the scoreboard for Power House as they gear up for their finals campaign. Harry Officer led the way on the goal-kicking front for the side, kicking 18 goals in the match, with Luke Stubbs also managing to get into double digits.

With this win, Power House (barring a minor miracle) appears set to play in the qualifying semi-final, as they would have to lose and drop at least 35% from their current percentage for any team to be in reach.

Wattle Park and North Brunswick played a tightly contested affair with the Animals being 10-point victors to retain their top two spot. There was plenty on the line for this clash, with both teams needing this win to put them in the box seat for a top two finish in the final round.

As the game started, both teams were able to defend each other’s attacking opportunities, resulting in a low-scoring first quarter with the Animals only leading by five points. The second quarter would flip in the Bulls’ favour with North Brunswick leading by a point. Only for the Animals to lead at three-quarters time by eight points.

The fourth and final quarter was no different to the previous three, with both teams tied at 59 apiece during the 15th minute mark of the final quarter, with the game definitively in the balance. And with this balance, the Animals took control of the game, kicking a decisive goal at the 19th minute to lead, which was followed by four consecutive points to close out the match.

A loss was indeed the worst result for the Bulls as this sees them a game behind Richmond Central on the ladder on equal percentage. While for the Animals, they are now a game clear of Richmond Central in 2nd place with a game to go.

Box Hill North have managed to reach double-digit wins for the year as they defeated La Trobe University by 13 points. The Trobers would be the ones to start off the

match well, as they generated the majority of the scoring opportunities in the first quarter to lead by 13 points. Despite their strong start, La Trobe would let Box Hill North back into the game.

Although it would take them a little bit to take the lead, as they scored five points in a row before then kicking four consecutive goals to lead by nine points at halftime. From there, the Demons were able to hold out for the remainder of the second half, with the Razorbacks only able to get within two points during the fourth quarter. With a win over the Trobers, Box Hill North now go into 5th place, which is the first time that they have reached the position since Round 8. In La Trobe’s case, it just further confirms their 7th placed spot on the ladder with a week to go.

Swinburne University has broken a five-game losing streak with a 39-point win against Chadstone. Both teams heading into the match had the possibility of finishing 8th following the Synners’ win against Albert Park last week, seeing both teams tied on three wins.

And having been highly motivated from last week’s result, Chadstone would continue their wave of momentum to get themselves to a five-point lead at quarter time and looked like they were on their way to three straight wins.

But following the quarter-time break, the Razorbacks demonstrated their quality. They would take the lead during the second quarter and refused to give it up, following that, restricting the Synners to scoring just 28 points between the second and fourth quarter. To put that into context, Chadstone scored 26 points in the first period. While on the scoring end, captain Simon Heather would once again lead the way as he booted seven of Swinburne’s 14 goals for the match.

As a result of this win, it keeps Swinburne’s record of beating teams below them at a perfect 4-0 from four games, which will secure them an 8th placed finish. While for Chadstone, they are now set to finish 9th, which is a step up from their 11th-place finish in their return to senior men’s divisional football from last year.

Richmond Central have moved from 4th place for the first time since Round 12 in large part to their 32-point win against Albert Park. In their first home game for the month, the Snakes made their opportunities count in the first quarter, managing to get out to a five-point lead despite

having the same amount of scoring shots as Albert Park.

From there, Richmond Central managed to slightly increase their lead at each quarter break to an eventually unassailable lead to win the match. It is now their 5th win in a row for the Snakes, having appeared to have timed their run just right, with their still being a possibility they can finish in the top two as they now sit 3rd, thanks to North Brunswick losing to Wattle Park. And for the Falcons, it is their fourth loss in a row after having gone on a seven-match win streak before this. They also now move down to 6th place after having sat in 5th place since Round 9.

For the final round of the home and away season, we will get a sneak peek at what finals will look like as North Brunswick plays Richmond Central at Kevin Bartlett Reserve. Both teams sit 4th and 3rd respectively, which means we could see a repeat the following week in the elimination semi-final. The Bulls, regardless of the result, will be there as they can only climb as high as 3rd with a win. The Snakes are still a chance of a top two finish should they win, and Wattle Park loses.

For that to happen, it requires Swinburne to pull off a huge upset against the Animals at Bennettswood Reserve. With the Razorbacks confined to 8th on the ladder, they will still want to finish the year on a high and finally beat a side that is above them on the ladder. While the equation for Animals remains simple. Win and a top two spot is theirs.

Power House can secure the minor premiership with a win over La Trobe at Tony Sheehan Oval, with their percentage boost from their Round 17 match. On paper, they look set to win. But in their Round 10 clash, the Trobers were able to keep up with Power House for at least the first half, showing that it should be a competitive matchup.

Box Hill North will finish out their season at their home ground of Elgar Park against Chadstone. The Demons will be looking to extend their win-loss record to 11-7 to top off what has already been an extraordinary season since their return to senior men’s divisional football back in 2018. While the Synners will want to claim a 4th win for the season, which would see them double their win count from last season.

Eley Park is heading into their clash against Albert Park at Bob Woodfull Oval, hoping to desperately avoid finishing this season with zero wins. Albert Park, in the meantime, is hoping to get back into 5th place to finish the season, which they can do should Box Hill North lose their clash against Chadstone.

ROUND 18 TIPS

Box Hill Northv Chadstone

Albert Parkv Eley Park

Richmond Central v North Brunswick

La Trobe University v Power House

Wattle Parkv Swinburne University

ROUND 17 RESULTS

DIVISION 3 MEN’S

Richmond Central:

Albert Park:

(88)

(56)

GOALS: Richmond Central: B. Young 3, T. Forster 2, F. Muscara 2, J. Bilson 2, B. Foster 1, B. Browning-Briese 1, T. McMahon 1, J. HIGGINS 1

Albert Park: J. Lee 3, W. Zaghis 2, C. Doherty 1, T. Wilson 1, A. Lupo 1

BEST: Richmond Central: B. Robertson, T. Forster, T. McMahon, B. Young, T. Tulett, B. Browning-Briese

Albert Park: C. Doherty, H. Miller, H. West, D. Harmer, D. Pearman, J. Lee

La Trobe University:

Box Hill North:

GOALS: La Trobe University: T. Herbert 2, I. Fan 2, J. Randall 1, R. Cole 1, T. Spiteri 1

Box Hill North: J. Chivers 4, M. Lorkin 2, B. Williams 1, J. Tommasoni 1, C. Christopoulos 1

BEST: La Trobe University: J. Miller, I. Williamson, C. McCredden, J. Randall, C. Marcroft, J. Horder

Box Hill North: R. Keane, J. Chivers, S. Donovan, L. Stevens, C. Christopoulos, M. Newman

Wattle Park:

GOALS: North Brunswick: E. Manne 2, Z. Dicianni 2, A. Rae 2, M. David 2, M. Iannuzzi 1

Wattle Park: C. Xipolitos 2, D. Hill 1, H. Davis 1, L. Virgo 1, J. Rippon 1, T. Clarke 1, H. Yaxley 1

BEST: North Brunswick: E. Manne, R. Crabtree, H. Vear, A. Rae, M. Iannuzzi, N. Trewhella

Wattle Park: H. Davis, Z. Durrant, N. Bird, J. Moran, S. McCarney, T. Wales

Eley Park:

GOALS: Power House: H. Officer 18, L. Stubbs 10, S. Scotland 5, B. Circosta 4, S. Shier 4, M. Chisari 4, C. Doherty 3, T. Scotland 3, J. Chapman 2, K. Mangan 2, D. Fogarty 2, G. Stack 1, B. Scotland 1

(0)

Eley Park:

BEST: Power House: H. Officer, L. Stubbs, B. Circosta, S. Shier, S. Scotland, M. Chisari

Eley Park: J. Mcgarvie, J. Dowling, Z. Hayes, O. Robinson, T. Draffin, A. Penkethman

Swinburne University: 3.3 8.6

GOALS: Chadstone: E. Hoyne 3, S. Oxley 1, t. clarke 1, c. hopcraft 1, Z. Pintaudi 1, B. Loh 1

(54)

(93)

Swinburne University: S. Heather 7, J. Priestly 2, R. Boyd 2, S. Hodges 1, B. Dalgleish 1

BEST: Chadstone: E. Hoyne, S. Oxley, H. Millaras, L. Stott, J. Schelling, A. Smith

Swinburne University: J. Priestly, C. Hibbert, B. Dalgleish, O. Mitchell, S. Heather

DIVISION 3 MEN’S RESERVES

Power House:

Eley Park:

GOALS: Power House: J. Robinson 6, I. Taylor 4, D. Cameron 4, J. Stewart 2, P. Flood 2, K. Byrne 2, H. Miller 1, A. McCartan 1, M. Nicholson 1, D. Sexton 1, S. Sheldrick 1, H. Terry 1

(175)

Eley Park: C. Roberts 1, Z. Hayes 1

BEST: Power House: J. O’Sullivan, S. Madsen, A. McCartan, J. Robinson, D. Cameron, H. Terry

Eley Park: S. Roberts, C. Roberts, A. Rainey, X. Bacash, R. Tegg, L. Alford

La Trobe University:

Box Hill North:

(106)

(19)

GOALS: La Trobe University: C. Randell 3, T. Hillman 3, M. Collins 2, R. Cottee 1, M. Wallace 1, A. Bennett 1, B. Morse 1, K. Brizzi 1, B. Grech 1

Box Hill North: B. Cameron 1, H. Cunningham 1

BEST: La Trobe University: R. Cottee, B. McDermott, M. Wallace, T. Hillman, E. Stevenson, M. O’Brien

Box Hill North: P. Sanderson, H. Cunningham, B. Truong, B. Stratton, J. Clare, L. Johnson

Chadstone:

Swinburne University: 2.5

GOALS: Chadstone: J. Gomo 2, W. Mendes 1, D. Marandola 1

Swinburne University: T. Roberts 5, N. Coad 4, B. Ferguson 4, C. Barton 1, J. Terlich 1, L. Smith 1, J. Farmilo 1, O. Sowden 1

BEST: Chadstone: B. Dennison, J. Speechley, J. Gomo, C. Ridgway, J. Baldassa, L. White

(25)

(128)

Swinburne University: O. Sowden, M. Nolan, K. Nguyen, B. Ferguson, P. Oakman, C. Barton

North Brunswick:

Wattle Park:

(62)

(36)

GOALS: North Brunswick: J. Horwood 1, L. Brouwer 1, H. Tippett 1, S. Bennett 1, J. Ryan 1, T. Hobbs 1, A. Zahra 1

Wattle Park: A. Smith 3, F. Cooper 1, J. Greaves 1

BEST: North Brunswick: R. Mehlstaubler, A. Abou-Eid, B. Lukies, K. Yamasaki, H. Tippett, S. Bennett

Wattle Park: Z. Kearns, N. Nunis, Z. Amyn, J. Goldsmid, J. Sibley, J. Greaves

Richmond Central:

Albert Park:

GOALS: Richmond Central: A. Fraser 4, J. Dillon 4, B. Dillon 3, A. Pini 3, D. Pratt 2, N.

Albert Park: Z. Freeman 1

Wagland 1, J. Guest 1, R. Luehman 1, J. Guest 1, S. Bugeja 1

BEST: Richmond Central: J. Guest, J. Kovacic, P. McCormack, O. Kelly, S. Bugeja, D. Martin

Albert Park: C. Gebert, B. Aggiss, H. Solomon, K. MCKAY, J. Bartley, Z. Freeman

DIVISION 3 WOMEN’S

Elly Kirlis

Falcons lock in finals spot, St Mary’s minor premiers, and road to glory starts

With the home and away season in the books the road to glory begins in Division 3 Women’s, but not before Round 16 provided some thrilling encounters. Albert Park locked in an important victory to secure their finals spot, St Mary’s Salesian put on a show once again to claim the minor premiership grinded a grind out victory to seal the minor premiership, whilst Old Camberwell and Ormond produced confidence-boosting performances ahead of their finals campaigns.

Albert Park locked in their finals berth, with their tenth victory, this time over Prahran by 68 points, as well as a healthy percentage, enough to secure fourth spot on the ladder after the home and away season.

This was the third time these two sides have gone headto-head in 2025, with the Falcons coming up trumps on all three occasions. The weekend’s contest was arguably the biggest win of the three for Albert Park, with their defensive effort just as strong as their attacking prowess holding Prahran scoreless for the match.

Albert Park shared the load with 6 individual goal scorers and Caroline Ma, Bridget Turner, and Ashlea Wilson contributing two each. Ashlea was deemed best afield by the coach alongside vice-captain Emma Sullivan and their skipper Jessica Newitt.

Prahran had not submitted their best players at the time of writing.

St Mary’s Salesian locked in the minor premiership for 2025 after a dominant season in Division 3 Women’s. Their final scalp was that of Wattle Park claiming victory by 21 points, 5.5 (35) to 2.2 (14) on the road at Bennettswood Reserve.

Things were all tied up at the first break at a goal apiece. St Mary’s added three behinds in the second to take a narrow lead at half time, but credit must be paid to the Animals defenders with good pressure applied to minimize clean entries to goal.

The Saints got their skates on in the third adding three majors to their tally, whilst Wattle Park were able to claw the margin back ever so slightly with a late goal of their own.

Holding a 14-point buffer heading into the final change, St Mary’s looked in control, but Georgia Cropley was not done yet! The Cropley show took with every score for the quarter for the Saints coming off her boot to end the match, and home and away season no less in fine fashion.

For Wattle Park, Lucy Eales and Ailini Vaihi played their best for the home side, kicking one goal each. Whilst Sophie Tsakonas stood out for the visitors.

Mazenod finished their season with a win defeating a resilient South Melbourne Districts side by 9 points, 2.3 (15) to 1.3 (9). The visitors had an eight-point lead at quarter time, before the Bloods hit back on the scoreboard with a goal to Keisha White, reducing Mazenod’s lead to one-point at half time. Mazenod kicked one goal in the third quarter to extend the margin to seven points.

The scoring dried up in the fourth term in a hard-fought contested battle, keeping the match as a low scoring encounter. Kiesha White played her role brilliantly for South Melbourne, whilst Ella Camerotto and Erin Hopkins led the charge for the Nodders.

Mazenod have once again put together a comprehensive season with 10 wins, 6 losses, but unfortunately miss out on a final’s appearance by the narrowest of circumstance with percentage being the ultimate decider.

Old Camberwell round out their season with a thirdplaced finish after defeating North Brunswick by 29 points, 4.5 (29) to 0.0 (0) in the last round of the home and away season.

Old Camberwell came out firing in the first quarter, booting three majors. Their ascendency continued from there, extending their lead at every break. Their backline applied defensive pressure and held the Bulls scoreless for the match.

Bridget Facey continued her fantastic form, kicking three goals in front of the sticks. Olivia Willie played a great role kicking the one goal.

Ormond finished their season in impressive fashion, defeating Elsternwick by 121 points and claiming second spot on the ladder.

ROUND 16 RESULTS

DIVISION 3 WOMEN’S

Ormond:

Elsternwick:

GOALS: Ormond: I. Harrison 8, L. Skinner 4, H. Foran 2, b. fox 2, E. Balassis 1

GOALS: Elsternwick:

BEST: Ormond: I. Harrison, L. Skinner, H. Foran, b. fox, M. Di Lecce, E. Balassis

BEST: Elsternwick: L. Leary, S. Elphick, K. James, E. Higginbotham, A. Chait, M. Riddle

Prahran:

Albert Park:

GOALS: Prahran:

GOALS: Albert Park: C. Ma 2, B. Turner 2, A. Wilson 2, K. Hopkins 1, M. Donaldson 1, Z. Dragoi 1

BEST: Prahran:

The home side came out of the blocks firing, kicking three goals in the first quarter. Ormond kicked four second-quarter goals, six third quarter goals and four fourth-quarter goals to finish off a massive day out.

It was a festival of goals, with five goal kickers hitting the score sheet. Indiana Harrison was superb with 8 majors to her name. Lily Skinner booted four goals, Bo Fox and Hannah Foran finished with two and Eleni Balassis slotted just the one goal.

Heading into the first week of finals, Division 3 Women’s has some strong contenders all vying for that ultimate success. Kicking things off, third-placed Old Camberwell will take on fourth-placed Albert Park in an Elimination Final at Moorleigh Reserve on Saturday morning in the early time slot. They are one-apiece in their previous encounters this season and the stage is set for an enticing contest.

Full credit to Old Camberwell who as a club have worked hard to revive their women’s program and are now seeing their hard work pay off and translate into on field success. To make a final the year after they had to combine their women’s team with another club is no small feat.

Rounding out the weekend, in the top of the table clash, St Mary’s Salesian will go head-to-head with Ormond in a Semi Final to earn that illustrious spot straight through to the big dance, while the loser will be afforded that all important second chance in the Prelim. This clash will take place on Sunday morning, 9:20 am at the home of the VAFA, Elsternwick Park.

The recent history between these two opponents is also one win each way. With everything to play for this is sure to be an exciting game of football and one not to be missed.

SEMI FINALS TIPS

Old Camberwellv Albert Park

St Mary’s Salesianv Ormond

BEST: Albert Park: A. Wilson, E. Sullivan, J. Newitt, C. Houston, C. Ma, B. Grining

North Brunswick:

North Brunswick:

GOALS: Old Camberwell: B. Facey 3, O. Willie 1

BEST: North Brunswick: S. Ulcoq, D. Estrada, M. Bentley, E. Ryan, C. Muscat, M. Ntalianis

BEST: Old Camberwell: O. Willie, J. Humphries, B. Facey, G. Bianco, B. Kertes, B. Mellor

GOALS: South Melbourne: K. White 1

GOALS: Mazenod:

BEST: South Melbourne: L. McRostie, A. Ryan, C. Samms, K. White, S. Eccles, H. Singleton

BEST: Mazenod: E. Camerotto, E. Hopkins, L. Gartland, i. skantzos, G. Di Petta, L. Giannetti

GOALS: Wattle Park: L. Eales 1, A. Vaihu 1

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: E. Wedrien 2, G. Cropley 2, E. Wallace 1

BEST: Wattle Park: L. Eales, P. Hill, T. Sutharsan, T. Murphy, E. Severin, G. Dillon

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: S. Tsakonas, A. Jones, L. Dobbyn, E. Wedrien, E. Wallace, A. Kerr

(0)

DIVISION 4 WOMEN’S

Sebastian Tehan

Cobras strike, Fitzroy fight to keep finals dream’s alive…

The first Elimination final lived up to the billing as Fitzroy edged out the Port Melbourne Chargers by 21 points at Moorleigh Reserve, 3.6 (24) to 6.9 (45).

Only separated by percentage coming into the clash, both sides played out a finals-like intensity in the first term registering 3 scoring shots each to be level 8-all at quarter time.

The second quarter deadlock was broken at the 14th minute mark with Fitzroy kicking the opening score of the term with a behind. The Chargers responded with a point of their own soon after, but it was late in the quarter that Fitzroy goaled truly to give them a 7-point advantage at the main break.

Port Melbourne, not to be outdone, responded after half time with their third (and final) major of the afternoon to kick themselves within a point of the visitors. But from that point onwards, Fitzroy turned on the afterburners to boot back-to-back goals to widen their buffer on the home-side by 14 points late in the third term.

Fitzroy were well on their way to booking a semifinal date with the Caufield Grammarians when they converted the first two goals of the final term leaving the home-side an insurmountable task to keep their season alive.

Among the Chargers’ best in the losing cause were Charlie Pritchard (1 goal), Jemima Ross (1 goal), Mili Ledgerwood, Lisa Gooding, and Ginger Cornish-Treloar. Instrumental in Fitzroy’s victory was Pippi Aucur, Alice Becker-Scott, Jessica Calvert, Thea-Wilkinson-Shore, Cleo Bigwood, and Catherine Turnbull.

The 21-point winners will have the week ahead to reset and shift their focus to a bruised Caufield Grammarians side in Saturday’s first semi-final.

Old Yarra Cobras have signaled their intentions as a premiership contender with a 9-point victory over Caufield Grammarians in a low-scoring qualifying final.

Caufield started the game positively booting two majors in a hurry. This early advantage was wiped away quickly by the visitors who responded with two of their own, leaving the Grammarians lead at just two points at the first break.

The game’s free-scoring nature was briefly ceased as neither side kicked a goal for the second term. Caufield had their opportunities in front of goal but misfired three times to lead by 5-points at the main change.

The Grammarians’ failure to goal with the wind behind their backs proved costly in the third term as Old Yarra goaled early in the third term to level the scoring. A fourth consecutive behind kicked by the hosts to even the ledger at three-quarter-time meant we were in for a thrilling final term.

Cobras’ vice-captain April Jones and forward Debra Loughnan got busy in the final term when their team needed it the most. Their pressure in the contest was critical in converting the game’s most decisive goal to break the deadlock. The Grammarians’ ability to move the ball at-will, was stifled in the last quarter to the extent that they were kept scoreless.

Jacqui Morton, Sonyna San, Carly Jevric, Bianca Lawrence, Bree Pascoe, and Kimberly Lyth all had key roles in shifting the momentum the Cobras’ way in the last quarter. The ability to stand-up under pressure in their most important quarter of the year was particularly admirable, holding them in good stead to properly contend for the flag in Season 2025.

Their 9-point nail-biter means the Cobras will face the minor premiers in Westbourne Grammarians in the semifinal.

Final’s football in Division 4 Women’s is heating up and the race is wide open for a spot in the Grand Final. Looking ahead to semifinal weekend, this is how the two contests are shaping up:

ROUND 16 RESULTS

DIVISION 4 WOMEN’S

GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians 3: H. Buur 2

GOALS: Old Yarra Cobras 2: H. Donelan 2, A. Jones 1, D. Loughnan 1

BEST: Caulfield Grammarians 3: R. Neil, R. Hong, E. Robinson, J. Dunne, A. Randall, A. Herington

BEST: Old Yarra Cobras 2: J. Morton, S. San, C. Jevric, B. Lawrence, B. Pascoe, K. Lyth Port Melbourne Chargers 2:

3:

GOALS: Port Melbourne Chargers 2: . 1, J. Ross 1, C. Pritchard 1

GOALS: Fitzroy 3: G. Sands 2, L. Reupana 1, K. Peake 1, J. Calvert 1, C. Poole 1

Semi Final 1 sees Caulfield Grammarians come up against a plucky Fitzroy for only their second encounter this season. These two sides met back in Round 5 with the Roys coming away with a 20-point victory over their counterpart. Their second match up that was scheduled for Round 12 was a non-event with Fitzroy forfeiting the match. With little match history, this game is quite up in the air and is anyone’s for the taking to secure a spot in the Prelim Final, with the risk of a final’s elimination on the line.

Similarly, the two sides taking the field in Semi Final 2 have only one game against each other in their 2025 match history with the Cobras getting the job done over Westbourne back in Round 11 in a low scoring affair. The come from behind victory for Old Yarra should give them some confidence coming up against the ladder leaders in a final. The winner of this match up will secure the first spot in this year’s Division 4 Women’s Grand Final, with the losing side set to face the winner of the first Semi in a Preliminary Final.

BEST: Port Melbourne Chargers 2: J. Ross, G. Cornish-Treloar, . , M. Ledgerwood, L. Gooding, C. Pritchard

BEST: Fitzroy 3: P. Aucar, A. Becker-Scott, J. Calvert, T. Wilkinson-Shore, C. Bigwood, C. Turnbull

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HOLMESGLEN U19 RESULTS

HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 1 MEN’S

Old Haileybury:

Beaumaris: 1.3

GOALS: Old Haileybury: L. Burfurd 3, J. Paitaridis 2, A. Russell 2, t. antonis 2, K. Mountford 1

(78)

(29)

Beaumaris: H. Jongen 1, D. Collins 1, N. Whitehouse 1, J. Mathews 1

BEST: Old Haileybury: t. antonis, L. Giliam, A. Russell, L. Hornblower, W. Gordon, Z. Nosiara

Beaumaris: N. Bodi, A. Bowd, M. Newman-Morris, H. Jongen, C. Galvin, J. Appel

Old Brighton 2:

Old Trinity:

GOALS: Old Brighton 2: H. Zerna 3, N. Williams 2, W. Crocker 1, H. George 1, X. Mitchell 1, T. Breen 1

(66)

(69)

Old Trinity: O. Collinson 3, J. Hogeland 2, W. Comer 2, F. McDonald 1, L. Miritis 1

BEST: Old Brighton 2: N. Williams, J. Macnab, J. Finkelstein, B. Mcdougall, W. Crocker, H. Zerna

Old Trinity: F. McDonald, W. Comer, L. Miritis, N. Phillips, S. Hood, O. Collinson

Old Carey: 1.3 2.7 5.9 8.10 (58)

St Bernards: 5.1 7.4 8.6 11.10 (76)

GOALS: Old Carey: J. Wirth 2, J. Pezzimenti 2, J. Sharrock 1, K. Ingram 1, B. Hilton 1, R. Demir 1

St Bernards: J. Restuccia 2, A. Alessio 2, H. Coombs 2, J. Costa 1, D. Healy 1, K. Hughes 1, M. Momesso 1, A. Momesso 1

BEST: Old Carey: W. Taylor, R. Demir, F. Deacon, J. Zimmermann, J. Trevorah, J. Pezzimenti

St Bernards: B. Foley, K. Hughes, A. Alessio, C. Gilmour, B. Sauro, J. Costa

Old Melburnians: 6-11-47

Parkdale Vultures: 5-7-37

GOALS: Old Melburnians: L. Reid 3, F. McIntyre 1, A. Nicholls 1, S. Bayley 1 Parkdale Vultures: W. Finch 2, B. Lamble 2, A. Valastro 1

BEST: Old Melburnians: O. Tyrer, T. Kellock, F. McIntyre, H. Williams, A. Whitehead, S. Bayley

Parkdale Vultures: C. Sells, A. Eales, J. White, W. Kingston, B. Lamble, D. Jackson

Williamstown CYMS: 18-14-122

Fitzroy: 8-6-54

GOALS: Williamstown CYMS: M. Patel 6, A. Baker 4, J. Taylor 2, G. Pinkney 2, E. Nyembo 1, J. Daley 1, C. Refardt 1, W. Yiannis 1

Fitzroy: T. Cameron 2, K. Scott 2, A. Dunning 1, F. Cozzo 1, S. Kennedy 1, B. Payne 1

BEST: Williamstown CYMS: A. Baker, M. Patel, A. Martinez, J. Taylor, L. Taylor, C. Refardt

Fitzroy: K. Scott, D. Carr, W. Kaye, L. Hamilton, F. Culham, W. Aldridge

Old Camberwell: 1.2 2.2 2.5

University Blues 2: 3.6

GOALS: Old Camberwell: J. Day 2, A. Mcneill 1

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(98)

University Blues 2: Z. Spencer 3, J. Handbury 2, n. anglin 2, A. Gough 1, L. Freeman 1, S. Knights 1, m. scanlon 1, J. Jamieson 1, A. Davis 1

BEST: Old Camberwell: A. Goodale, B. Gale, A. Mcneill, W. Joy, J. Day, D. Albert

University Blues 2: A. Watson, A. Davis, L. Gill, Z. Spencer, m. scanlon, A. Gough

HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 2 MEN’S

Old Xaverians 2: 8-5-53

University Blacks: 25-20-170

GOALS: Old Xaverians 2:

University Blacks: S. Litras 14, O. Davies 2, A. Routson 1, F. Watson 1, J. Enticott 1, J. Thomson 1, H. Thornton 1, C. Craig 1, A. Newman 1, F. Japp 1, G. Evans 1

BEST: Old Xaverians 2: D. Scalisi, C. Hummerston, M. Lightbody, N. Klimidis, t. senyard, B. Nixon

University Blacks: S. Litras, J. Thomson, S. McNamara, A. Routson, S. Ale, O. Davies

St Kevin’s 2: 8.6 18.10 21.15 27.18 (180)

Collegians: 0.1 0.1 1.2 3.2 (20)

GOALS: St Kevin’s 2: W. Young 17, J. Hunt 3, J. Noonan 2, L. Lyons 1, L. Hoffman 1, L. Arthur 1, D. Deguara 1, T. Lewis 1

Collegians:

BEST: St Kevin’s 2: W. Young, N. Spiteri, D. Deguara, L. Arthur, F. Mancini, J. Noonan

Collegians: J. Hyde, H. Isaacs, J. Turner, B. Budlender, G. Bowes, H. Robbins

Hampton Rovers:

Parkside: 3.1

De La Salle 2:

(124)

(57)

GOALS: De La Salle 2: W. Bird 4, X. Campbell 3, M. Boyce 2, J. Gurrie 2, B. Marinelli 2, X. Burns 2, C. Cursio 1, B. Kakarantzas 1, W. Apted 1, M. Velona 1

Ormond: H. Brady 2, R. Hayward 2, F. Pacak 1, T. Whitney 1, R. Deledio 1, j. howells 1, J. Boag 1

BEST: De La Salle 2: X. Burns, C. Fitzsimmons, C. Cursio, W. Bird, M. Boyce, J. Gurrie

Ormond: J. Boag, a. moalem, N. Fato, o. karamihos, M. Bogue, R. Hayward

Preston Bullants:

GOALS: Preston Bullants: G. Brooks 3, T. D’Alessandri Weis 1, B. Saccone 1, W. Saccone 1, N. Mu 1

Kew: R. Meeuw 2, O. Evans 2, D. Webb 1, J. Thornely Wright 1, J. Stewart 1, N. Murphy 1, M. Hand 1

BEST: Preston Bullants: L. O’Brien, B. Saccone, C. Furman, J. Wajntraub, B. Olarenshaw, P. Di Berardino

Kew: P. Kwok, R. Meeuw, O. Evans, D. Webb, S. Joseph, N. Murphy Old Ivanhoe:

GOALS: Old Ivanhoe: F. Cleary 4, I. Dugdale 4, R. Black 4, H. Price 2, T. Scardamaglia 2, K. Papanagiotou 2, J. Tragardh 1, J. Rogers 1

Oakleigh: L. Mckenzie 1, S. Iverson 1

BEST: Old Ivanhoe: H. Price, M. Walling, A. Watson, B. Mierisch, L. UKOVIC, W. Hanlon

Oakleigh: E. Manaras, J. Casuscelli, A. Lewis, P. Manaras, S. Gruevski, J. Leopold

HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 3 MEN’S

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: A. Kenny 4, J. Tuszynski 4, M. Skinner 2, N. Shinnick 2, Z. Dunphy 1, T. Voller 1, J. Claydon 1

Parkdale Vultures 2: L. Maclean 2, W. Reeves 2, J. Deng 1, H. Mellow 1, B. Pearce 1

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: K. Peck, W. Hearn, T. Voller, N. Shinnick, L. Greening, A. Kenny

Parkdale Vultures 2: L. Maclean, T. Scurrah, M. Sugden, A. Simonelli, W. Watson, W. Reeves

St Bedes/Mentone 2:

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone 2: N. Mccolough 4, M. Kitto 2, R. Francis 2, R. Jewitt O’Reilly 1, S. Taylor 1, H. Turner 1

Caulfield Grammarians 2: J. Malone 3, B. Ford 2, O. Field 1, J. McVean 1, T. Martino 1, Z. Coplestone 1

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone 2: W. Zakic, N. Mccolough, M. Weir, J. Strom, M. Kitto, B. Sloan

Caulfield Grammarians 2: K. NTIMIH, J. McInerney, C. Arendsen, J. Malone, T. Martino, L. Lettas

CYMS 2:

GOALS: Monash Blues: H. Richardson 2, C. Dwyer 1, S. Cook 1, D. Blinco 1, S. Rush 1, W. O’Connor 1, D. Noonan 1, L. Mckern 1

Williamstown CYMS 2: A. Currie 4, J. Ryan 2, A. Cranage 1, D. Phemister 1, W. Mitchell 1

BEST: Monash Blues: X. Bull, W. Bowles, S. McKay, j. upton, E. Mckay, W. Broom

Williamstown CYMS 2: J. Ryan, W. Mitchell, C. Eaton, H. Paull, O. Azzopardi, O. Dowling

UHS-VU:

Whitefriars:

GOALS: UHS-VU: S. Posar 2, J. Shears 1, M. Tobin 1

Whitefriars: L. Bourne 5, M. Paten 4, J. Semenow 2, J. Lynch-Wolst 2, D. Anastasiou 2, O. Bor 2, D. Rowland 2, J. Dorrat-Sims 1, L. Semenow 1, J. Apostolopoulos 1, S. Parker 1

BEST: UHS-VU: M. Tobin, F. Baber, S. Posar, M. Page, J. Vlachos, M. Papandrea

Whitefriars: M. Paten, L. Bourne, D. Anastasiou, H. Ryan, O. Bor, J. Lynch-Wolst

De La Salle 3:

Beaumaris 2:

(100)

(62)

GOALS: Hampton Rovers: A. Zufic 4, N. Karamitos 2, S. Hawkins 2, G. Ziesing 2, S. Somogyi 1, L. Civitarese 1, H. Ockerby 1, C. Steen 1, H. McConkey 1

Parkside: M. Youssef 2, T. Kenny 2, J. Stojanoski 1, J. Mikedis 1, H. Ford 1, T. Delaney 1

BEST: Hampton Rovers: H. Ockerby, G. Ziesing, S. Somogyi, C. Steen, S. Hawkins

Parkside: J. Mikedis, X. Garita, H. Wallace, L. Talalla, J. Stojanoski, O. Neil

(30)

(39)

(91)

GOALS: De La Salle 3: M. Signorelli 2, O. Miller 2, J. Wall 1, S. Motyl-Coverdale 1 Beaumaris 2: J. Mier 3, A. Tezay 2, H. Sims 2, J. Stewart 1, H. Hurlston 1, O. Lazzari 1, J. Towns 1, A. Malaeb 1, Z. Oldham 1

BEST: De La Salle 3: H. Docherty, T. Eyles, J. Wall, S. Gleeson, C. Howard, L. Cromer

Beaumaris 2: H. Risvanis, B. Whyte, D. Hoang, J. Mier, J. McCall, Z. Oldham

THIRDS RESULTS

THIRDS PREMIER MEN’S

Old Xaverians:

AJAX:

(103)

(67)

GOALS: Old Xaverians: W. MacIsaac 5, W. Exell 3, S. Asdagi 2, O. Britten-Jones 2, T. Bourne 1, T. Curtain 1, H. Barry 1, A. Scally 1

GOALS: AJAX: A. Meyerowitz 5, J. Parasol 2, G. Jotkowitz 2, Z. Aron 1

BEST: Old Xaverians: N. Honeyman, A. Scally, W. MacIsaac, C. Bourne, S. Asdagi, J. Hansen

BEST: AJAX: L. Smart, E. Potash, Z. Aron, Y. Jedwab, Z. Maidenberg, B. Goldhirsch

Old Xaverians 2:

THIRDS DIVISION 3 MEN’S

Caulfield Grammarians:

St Bedes/Mentone:

GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians: J. Davis 1, D. Dickson 1

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone:

BEST: Caulfield Grammarians: T. Sherman, J. Small, N. van der Linden, N. Cunningham, F. Long, D. Dickson

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: J. Vicendese, M. Valenzuela, S. Mayne, J. Bolton, O. Grasso, J. Wynd

(21)

(81)

(45) St Bernards:

GOALS: Old Xaverians 2: J. Lyon 3, N. Harries 2, E. Chiodo 1

GOALS: St Bernards: L. Armstrong 2, D. Pollock 1, L. Salter 1, H. Thorpe 1, M. Bafunno 1, J. Maddox 1

(54)

BEST: Old Xaverians 2:

BEST: St Bernards: C. Brock, L. Salter, L. Gibson, P. Doyle, A. Mantello, H. Thorpe

THIRDS DIVISION 1 MEN’S

Old Xaverians 4:

St Kevin’s 3:

St Bernards 2:

GOALS: St Kevin’s 3: R. Smythe 4, B. Griffin 2, l. groves 2, P. Jones 1, T. Batchelor 1, J. Bayley 1

GOALS: St Bernards 2: J. Madden 3, l. chillemi 2, C. Barrett 1

BEST: St Kevin’s 3: A. Smale, l. groves, R. Smythe, L. Hepburn, A. Smith, J. Bayley

BEST: St Bernards 2: C. Barrett, M. Johnston, E. Kett, F. Saade, C. Thorley, P. O’Sullivan

THIRDS DIVISION 4 MEN’S

(75)

(87) Old Trinity:

GOALS: Old Xaverians 4: F. O’Callaghan 6, c. briscoe 1, J. Forde 1, O. Sheehan 1, J. Shirley 1, W. Troy 1, O. Smart 1

GOALS: Old Trinity: T. Mitchell 3, H. TAYLOR 2, J. Cooper 2, C. Simondson 2, Z. Sparg 1

BEST: Old Xaverians 4: c. briscoe, S. Casserly, F. O’Callaghan, W. Troy, S. Noonan, E. Logan

BEST: Old Trinity: T. Mitchell, W. Curtin, C. Simondson, H. TAYLOR, M. Scott, K. Lennon

Old Xaverians 3:

St Kevin’s 2:

GOALS: Old Xaverians 3: C. McLean 2, R. Calvert 1, W. Mantesso 1, W. Honan 1, T. Beaton 1

GOALS: St Kevin’s 2: X. Dietze 3, T. Briggs 1, M. Augerinos 1, F. Evans 1

BEST: Old Xaverians 3: K. Ellis, J. Kenny, T. Paul, C. McLean, X. Romanin-Green, T. Beaton

BEST: St Kevin’s 2: L. Haig, Z. Close, F. Evans, O. Phillips, O. Trail, N. Montague

THIRDS DIVISION 2 MEN’S

Old Carey:

Old Geelong:

(47)

(49)

West Brunswick:

GOALS: West Brunswick: T. Salinger 3, R. Johnson 1, K. Joyner 1

GOALS: Collegians: S. Peterson 4, Z. Fleisher 3, H. Nankin 2, R. Fogarty 2, R. Seidler 1, C. Collins 1, T. O’Donnell 1

BEST: West Brunswick:

BEST: Collegians: J. Cox, T. O’Donnell, Z. Fleisher, B. Hyland, R. Seidler, S. Peterson

GOALS: Old Melburnians: D. Dowling 3, G. Cleary 2, S. Craven 2, j. mcfarlane 1, R. Crawford 1, M. Grimwade 1, M. Grosso 1

GOALS: Marcellin: L. Furci 3, N. James 2, L. Wyatt 2

BEST: Old Melburnians: T. Landrigan, A. Psalidas, D. Dowling, W. Tolhurst, L. Bridger, J. Hurley

BEST: Marcellin: B. Rodwell, M. Avramopoulos, J. Tascone, L. Baggio, L. Furci, J. Barbuto

THIRDS DIVISION 5 MEN’S

(122)

(66)

GOALS: Old Carey: J. Helmot 5, H. Barker 4, D. Maurice 4, a. wyer 1, J. Hunt 1, J. Virgona 1, L. Jenkin 1, L. Nicholas 1

GOALS: Old Geelong: C. Fox 4, S. Richardson 2, D. Gist 1, L. Smart 1, W. Matthews 1, C. Crosby 1

BEST: Old Carey: F. Esler, A. Peck, J. Gates, B. Hewitt, M. Shuttleworth, L. Jenkin

BEST: Old Geelong: C. Fox, T. Brotchie, L. Rowbury, H. Penfold, E. Hoare, W. Clerk

Old Xaverians 5: 1.1

Fitzroy 2: 0.0

GOALS: Old Xaverians 5: B. Sherman 2, C. Spears 1, C. O’Brien 1, P. Gilmour 1

GOALS: Fitzroy 2: D. O’Connor 1, O. Salvatore 1, M. Gaite 1, L. Henderson 1, T. Butler 1

(36)

(34)

BEST: Old Xaverians 5: S. Landrigan, J. Mccarthy, B. Sherman, W. Beattie, L. Fares, N. Tyrrell

BEST: Fitzroy 2: E. Janetzki, L. Oconnor, T. Butler, o. hornung, C. Harrison, S. O Brien

GOALS: AJAX 3: J. Goldfarb 3, Y. Rosenbaum 2, M. Gestetner 1, A. Rosenwax 1

GOALS: Hawthorn: D. Tremewen 2, D. Pritchard 1, T. Atchison 1, J. Murray 1, D. Bye 1, N. Anderson 1, T. Chapman 1

BEST: AJAX 3:

BEST: Hawthorn: T. Atchison, A. Downie, K. Pargeter, W. Sadler, J. Petering, P. Venables

MHSOB 2: ABANDONED

Wattle Park: ABANDONED

MILESTONES

Trent McManus (Old Ivanhoe)

50

100

VAFA congratulates the following players on reaching these incredible milestones. Well done!

This weekend, Trent McManus will celebrate a significant milestone when he runs out for his 50th Senior game with Old Ivanhoe. Remarkably, Trent is still eligible for the Under 19s, only set to turn 20 after the conclusion of the 2025 season. In 2023, he played five matches in the Under 19s, where he showcased his talent and consistency, earning the VAFA Under 19 Best and Fairest. That same year, he was also part of Old Ivanhoe’s unforgettable Senior Premiership triumph, a rare achievement for such a young player. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Trent consolidated his place in the Seniors, adding 19 games to his tally and continuing to develop into a reliable and impactful player. Beyond his on-field performances, Trent has quickly built a reputation as a strong leader both on and off the field, embodying the values of the club despite his youth. Congratulations, Trent, on reaching 50 Senior games—a milestone that reflects talent, resilience, and dedication. The best is yet to come.

Hilary Donelan (Old Yarra Cobras)

Hilary Donelan reaches 100 games this week for the Cobs and is just the third female player to do so! Hilary is one of the pillars of the Old Yarra Cobras Football Club women’s program, having been a foundation player in 2017 and a key contributor to the club’s rapid rise and the 2019 Premiership victory in Premier C. Renowned for her leadership both on and off the field, she has served as Senior Captain, guided younger players, and consistently set high standards for commitment and performance. As a player she can go back or forward, backing in her elite hands & marking ability, either intercepting or inside 50. Hilary’s voice and team communication are up there with the best at organizing each line. Hilary’s blend of on-field skill, off-field service, and unwavering commitment makes her not only one of the Cobras’ most decorated players, but also one of its most respected and valued club figures.

150 Joel Ernest (University Blacks)

Stalwart of the University Blacks senior side, Joel Ernest this week plays his 150th game for the club. Joel is a much loved and respected member of the Blacks family and played in the Blacks 2014 A-Grade premiership. Congratulations Joel on this incredible milestone!

Henry Simon (Ormond)

200

Hank began his football for the Ormond Juniors in Auskick. He then progressed to the senior club where he won a senior Best and Fairest in 2012. He played in the senior premiership in 2018 and played in senior grand finals in 2013 and 2015. He was awarded life membership in 2024 and becomes Ormond’s 39 th player to play 200 games. Congratulations from everyone at Ormond on reaching this milestone.

SHARPSHOOTERS

SHARPSHOOTERS

William Buck Premier Men’s

Old Brighton vCollegians

St Bernard’s vOld Haileybury

Old Xaverians vUniversity Blues

St Kevin’s vDe La Salle

University BlacksvOld Scotch

William Buck Premier Men’s Reserves

Old Brighton vCollegians

St Bernard’s vOld Haileybury

Old Xaverians vUniversity Blues

St Kevin’s vDe La Salle University BlacksvOld Scotch

Premier B Men’s

Caulfield Grammarians vHampton Rovers

Old Geelong vOld Camberwell

Old Trinity vOld Ivanhoe

Williamstown CYMS vOld Melburnians

Old CareyvFitzroy

Premier B Men’s Reserves

Caulfield Grammarians vHampton Rovers

Old Geelong vOld Camberwell

Old Trinity vOld Ivanhoe

Williamstown CYMS vOld Melburnians Old CareyvFitzroy

Premier C Men’s

Mazenod vPrahran

AJAX vBeaumaris

Glen Eira / Old McKinnon vParkside

Marcellin vPEGS

Parkdale VulturesvSt Bedes/Mentone

Premier C Men’s Reserves

Mazenod vPrahran

AJAX vBeaumaris

Glen Eira / Old McKinnon vParkside

Marcellin vPEGS

Parkdale VulturesvSt Bedes/Mentone

Division 1 Men’s

Ormond vBrunswick

Kew vOld Peninsula

Preston Bullants vUHS-VU

Oakleigh vMonash Blues ElsternwickvTherry Penola

Division 1 Men’s Reserves

Ormond vBrunswick

Kew vOld Peninsula

Preston Bullants vUHS-VU

Oakleigh vMonash Blues

THIS ROUND’S GAMES

Division 3 Men’s

Box Hill North vChadstone

Albert Park vEley Park

Richmond Central vNorth Brunswick

La Trobe University vPower House

Wattle ParkvSwinburne University

Division 3 Men’s Reserves

Box Hill North vChadstone

Albert Park vEley Park

Richmond Central vNorth Brunswick

La Trobe University vPower House

Wattle ParkvSwinburne University

Old Scotch vWest Brunswick

St Kevin’s vWilliamstown CYMS KewvOld Geelong

Old Scotch vWest Brunswick

St Kevin’s vWilliamstown CYMS KewvOld Geelong

St John’s vSouth

Hawthorn vAquinas Canterbury vWhitefriars

MHSOB vOld Yarra Cobras West

William Buck Premier Women’s Fitzroy vCaulfield Grammarians

William Buck Premier Women’s Reserve Fitzroy vCaulfield Grammarians

Knee problems

Knee

Hip problems

Hip

Shoulder problems

Shoulder

Foot & ankle problems

Foot & ankle

Sports injuries

Arthritis surgery

Arthritis surgery

Trauma & limb reconstruction

Trauma & reconstruction

Hand, wrist & elbow surgery

Hand, wrist & elbow surgery

Fractures & broken bones

Fractures &

Joint replacement surgery

Joint

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER

St

PREMIER B MEN’S

16510102273.03

PREMIER B MEN’S RESERVES

161510060172.45

161420056214.14

161240048168.28

Bedes/Mentone 161240048127.36 PEGS 16 97003698.81 Glen Eira / Old McKinnon 16610002481.39

16511002068.56

16412001658.38

16313001271.24 Prahran 1601600049.15

16412001652.05

1611500446.97

171700068155.82

171340052153.98

171250048141.17

171070040115.84

17 890032 106.05

17611002492.2

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S

Caulfield Grammarians 151320152274.8

Scotch 141220248305.83 St Kevin’s 151230148140.97

West Brunswick 14 860232 124.87

Kew 14 770228 114.85

Fitzroy 15 69012473.98

Old Geelong 14 59022078.54

Williamstown CYMS 15411011655.82 Beaumaris 1641101447.3

PREMIER B WOMEN’S

15510012077.4

150150109.08

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S RESERVES

2 WOMEN’S

1321102833.51

1401402019.6

Beaumaris 161330052226.99

Vultures 161240048180.84

Melburnians 161240048164.1 Old Haileybury 161150044131.11

Old Carey 161060040108.09

St Bernards 161060040100.83

Williamstown CYMS 16 880032 159.79

Old Trinity 16 880032 106.17

Old Brighton 2166100024141.82 University Blues 216 69002490.29 Fitzroy 16412001668.71

THIRDS

NEXT ROUND’S GAMES

William Buck Premier Men’s University Blues vOld Brighton

Collegians vDe La Salle

St Bernard’s vSt Kevin’s Old Haileybury vOld Scotch Old XaveriansvUniversity Blacks

William Buck Premier Men’s Reserves University Blues vOld Brighton Collegians vDe La Salle

St Bernard’s vSt Kevin’s Old Haileybury vOld Scotch Old XaveriansvUniversity Blacks

Premier B Men’s

Caulfield Grammarians vOld Trinity Old Camberwell vWilliamstown CYMS

Hampton Rovers vOld Ivanhoe Old Carey vOld Geelong FitzroyvOld Melburnians

Premier B Men’s Reserves

Caulfield Grammarians vOld Trinity Old Camberwell vWilliamstown CYMS

Hampton Rovers vOld Ivanhoe Old Carey vOld Geelong FitzroyvOld Melburnians

Premier C Men’s

Marcellin vPrahran

PEGS vAJAX

Parkdale Vultures vMazenod

Beaumaris vGlen Eira / Old McKinnon

St Bedes/MentonevParkside

Premier C Men’s Reserves

Marcellin vPrahran

PEGS vAJAX

Parkdale Vultures vMazenod

Beaumaris vGlen Eira / Old McKinnon

St Bedes/MentonevParkside

William Buck Premier Women’s Fitzroy vBeaumaris

Old Geelong vWilliamstown CYMS

Kew vOld Scotch

Caulfield GrammariansvWest Brunswick

William Buck Premier Women’s Reserve Fitzroy vBeaumaris

Old Geelong vWilliamstown CYMS

Kew vOld Scotch

Caulfield GrammariansvWest Brunswick