To all teams chasing finals glory
History making finals victories
Grand Finals are such exciting occasions, with the Premiership Cup as the ultimate prize achieved by the heroic players at the end of a long season. But it is not achieved alone. The reward is only possible thanks to the selfless support, committed effort and valuable contribution from so many:
Firstly, the Club volunteers: the President, secretary, treasurer, committee, team managers, coaches, assistant coaches, runners, trainers, timekeepers, scoreboard operators, canteen and bar operators, event organisers, raffle and merchandise sellers, membership collectors, sponsorship drivers, and others. Without each of these roles being performed, the Club does not exist, and the team cannot play.
Added to that are the Mums and Dads, brothers and sisters, grandparents, partners, work and school friends, and lifelong mates, who provide the emotional support away from the Club. It is these family and friends who ride the highs and lows of emotions that players face throughout the season with changes in team performance, individual form, team selection, fitness and injuries.
And of course, there are the past players and administrators, life members and club legends, who offer the best intended advice and regale tales of historic victories, hoping to motivate the current day players to emulate their successful deeds.
Jason ReddickCEO
St Mary’s Salesian’s last senior flag was in 1996 in E South Division. In the 29 years since then, the senior team has agonisingly been a grand final bridesmaid six times. So, you can imagine the emotions on the siren as their 2025 senior team defeated Old Yarra Cobras in a thriller, claiming the Division 2 Senior Men’s flag by just three points. This victory ended a remarkable season for the Club, with their women also taking out the Division 3 title by 2 points over Ormond, whilst their Men’s Reserves and U19’s both played off in their respective grand finals.
As we turn our attention to this weekend’s finals, will there be another Cinderella story unfold?
AJAX have not won a senior men’s premiership since their last ‘C’ Grade victory in 2011. Having made the C Grade grand final from fourth position, they are certainly on a roll, so maybe the Jackas will taste senior success after a 14-year drought.
will there be another Cinderella
A premiership win is a reward for the time and effort put in throughout the year by all these people. Many a premiership player has commented that the greatest moments they recall from post-match celebrations, was seeing the joy on the faces of their supporters and how much that success meant to them.
story unfold?
Caulfield Grammarians, won their last game of the 2024 season and survived in B Grade by just a 2% percentage difference over Beaumaris. They have turned their fortunes around remarkably, and on Saturday they play Old Trinity in the B Grade Grand Final, hoping to repeat their last Premiership success (also in B grade) from six years ago in 2019. The Club also has their Women’s team’s contesting the William Buck Premier and Premier Reserves grand finals on the Sunday, so there could well be multiple reasons for the champagne corks to be popping back at Glenhuntly Oval come Sunday night.
The emotion of winning that exudes in the clubroom celebrations is a reflection of the hard work done throughout the year. Sometimes, that emotion has built up over several years, sometimes over a decade, and sometimes through the entire history of a club. VAFA Clubs have experienced each of these scenarios in the past few weeks.
Old Peninsula had the longest wait, having never won a senior premiership in their 45-year history as a VAFA Club until last Sunday at Box Hill City Oval. And didn’t the Pirates do it in an emphatic style, with a 74-point drubbing of the previously undefeated Ormond team in the Division 1 competition! No wonder there was news of the celebrations continuing on into Tuesday morning!
And finally Old Brighton Senior Men’s are sitting in the William Buck Premier grand final awaiting the outcome of this weekend’s preliminary final to see who their opponents will be in 2025. This will be the Tonners fourth A-Grade grand final appearance in their 104-year club history without yet having tasted success. What a fairytale finish to the 2025 year it would be if Captain Harry Hill was to hold aloft the Premiership Cup for his beloved Club to place beside their 2025 Premier B Women’s Premiership Cup!
To all the teams contesting the remaining VAFA finals this season, we wish you all well. Enjoy the experience and to the victors, enjoy the spoils of victory - no doubt it is well earned!
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER
Jason Bennett
Tonners into Grand Final, while Cards keep back-to-back dream alive
Old Brighton have progressed straight through to a second consecutive Premier Men’s Grand Final, while the team that defeated them last year are one win away from facing them again.
Here’s Semi-Final weekend of Premier Men’s in review:
1st SEMI FINAL – OLD SCOTCH 12.10 (82) d. ST KEVIN’S 8.11 (59) by 23 points
These two teams met in a sudden death final for a second straight year, and it was the Cardinals ending SKOB’s campaign once again.
St Kevin’s won 3 games more than Old Scotch in the home & away season, but the return of the Cards’ VFL-listed players has elevated them to the premiership contending line-up that dominated last September.
Old Scotch exploded out of the gates, booting 3 goals in the opening 10 minutes before SKOB started to get a foothold in the game. They managed to break even on the inside and racked up possession, particularly by hand, with Jack Mahony and Al Richards both finding plenty of the footy.
13 Inside 50s to 7 was the effect, but unfortunately 1.4 was the result and they still trailed by 10 points at quarter-time.
So when the Cards found the opening 2 goals of the second term (via Angus Jones and Alex Noblet) the margin was back out to 20 points and all that St Kevin’s territorial dominance was erased.
Ollie Gill pulled one back for the Skobbers with a tidy set shot from the pocket entering time-on, but Harry Stubbings responded with a precise set shot of his own two-and-a-half minutes later.
Back-to-back goals to Ben Mansfield and Billy Coates drew St Kevin’s back within 10 points at the half in a tight and gritty contest befitting a cut-throat final between two quality teams.
The third term proved to be the decisive one as the Cardinals showcased their forward potency.
General play remained relatively even, with 15 Inside 50s to 11 favouring Old Scotch, but their ability to convert their entries into score proved the difference, as they added 4.2 to 0.2 via an even and balanced spread of contributors, both around the ground and up forward.
Trailing by 34 points at the final change, St Kevin’s rolled up their sleeves as you’d expect, with Billy Coates and his midfield brigade cracking in to take inside control around stoppages.
However, it was Scotch spearhead James Tarrant who pulled down a huge grab to slot the opening goal of the final term, extending the margin to 39 points.
Full credit to the Skobbers, who refused to lie down and booted the next four goals of the game – Sam Critchley’s mark and goal closing the deficit to just 16 points entering time-on as the St Kevin’s faithful found full voice with hopes of a late comeback starting to build.
However, it was Tarrant who silenced the resistance once again. His strong contested pack mark at the top of the goalsquare sent Scotch fans into raptures, and he duly slotted the goal to extend the margin back out to 24 points.
That would prove to be the final major of the match – Old Scotch keeping their back-to-back premiership dream alive with a hard-earned 23-point win.
Disappointment for Anthony Lynch’s men, who arrived in September having won 7 of their last 8, but exit the premiership race at the Semi Final stage for the first time in their magnificent run of 7 successive finals campaigns.
Billy Coates battled bravely all afternoon, amassing 23 disposals, 11 clearances and 48 hit outs, while Tom Ferguson, Luke Winter and Liam Gunson were all superb in a tough result.
Angus Jones was voted the SKINS Player of the Day for his 14 disposals and 3 goals, while Harry Stubbings found plenty of the ball for the Cards all afternoon, finishing with 31 touches.
Charlie Cormack played his role with great effect down back as always, with 25 disposals, 8 marks and 5 Rebound 50s, as the rejuvenated Cardinals closed to within 2 victories of their first back-to-back premierships for the first time since 1934 (when they won their fourth on the trot).
Mark Gnatt (Old Scotch): “It was a really good game of footy, with both sides having their opportunities and share of the momentum.
“SKOB are the No.1 clearance team in the competition, and they are well drilled in their contest method. We knew we had to match them in this space and our pressure at the contest was very good across the four quarters.
“Our pressure early on was on point and enabled us to generate some quality inside 50s for our forwards to get to work.
“Angus Jones and Jack Polkinghorne started the match strongly with early goals to give us a good buffer. SKOB then had a bit more control later in the quarter, but our defence held up really well.
“Those ebbs and flows continued and then we were able to capitalise in the third with scoreboard pressure.
“There were a number of good performances with Jake Torney’s 12 tackles a highlight. The workrate of James Tarrant was also outstanding - often against multiple opponents - and he took some clutch marks in pivotal moments.
“The team is in good shape, and we approach this weekend with confidence and a strong belief in one another. Bring it on!!”
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S
Anthony Lynch (St Kevin’s): “Saturday was an incredibly disappointing way to finishing our season.
“We thought we were incredibly well prepared to stay alive longer into this finals series. The reality is we put in our worst performance for the year.
“We were totally outworked by Scotch for the full 4 quarters, and our basic fundamentals (which matter even more in finals) were not up to standard.
“All credit must go to Scotch who handled the pressure of the day in a much better manner than we did and that’s something we need to live with now.
“This one is going to sit in our guts for a while, whilst we will remain very united as a group, our challenge now is whether we can allow that disappointment to fuel us as players and coaches to be better in 2026.”
2nd SEMI FINAL – OLD BRIGHTON 13.15 (93) d. OLD XAVERIANS 9.6 (60) by 33 points
The top two teams clashed at Elsternwick Park to determine which would progress straight through to Grand Final Day and, for a second straight year, it was the Tonners taking the express route.
And whilst it ended up considerably more comfortable than last season’s one-goal nailbiter over St Kevin’s, it certainly didn’t look that way for three-and-a-half quarters.
Xavs got away to a fantastic start, booting the first 3 goals of the contest, with Julian Gangi running onto a brilliant knock-on from Charlie MacIsaac illustrating that the Red & Black were very much on the same page early.
The Tonners finally found their feet via a superb longrange Jamie Hope set shot from the boundary that settled the minor premiers, who were being picked off by the Xavs’ intercept game, both in the air and on the deck.
Old Brighton then effectively erased Xavs’ lightning start with two goals in three minutes deep into time-on. Luke Travers benefited from some excellent forward pressure to run into an open goal, before Harry Hill reduced their quarter-time deficit to a single point after sneaking forward unattended.
The second term was every bit as even, with the Tonners’ gaining a slight edge on the inside and ratcheting up their own intercept game. But it was Xavs who won a tight armwrestle of a quarter two goals to one, as the two highestranked defences in the competition demonstrated why.
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Marcus Stavrou was a welcome return from his ankle injury, getting up to speed in the second term as these two stacked midfields tested each other out, both inside and outside the contest.
Once again, it was Xavs with their nose in front when the bell rang, but the half-time margin of 5 points was a fair reflection of a Grand Final ticket hanging squarely in the balance.
Scoring opened up a little in the third term, but neither team could kick clear. Xavs struck first via a crumber’s goal to Denis Symeopoulos 90 seconds in to get back out to a 10-point lead, but Felix Flockart responded with a commanding pack mark in the goalsquare to draw the Tonners back within a kick 4 minutes later.
Ed Delaney’s mark and goal for Xavs at the 13-minute mark was cancelled out by Jamie Hope’s clever crumb 3 minutes later as the two teams went punch-for-punch.
The Tonners snatched the lead via Hope’s third goal at the 27-minute mark but, sure enough, Xavs responded 2 minutes later after Julian Gangi finished off a brilliant coast-to-coast goal from a kick-in, and just one point separated the teams at the final change.
Goals remained hard to come by for much of the last term – Tom Burnell was held at the top of the goalsquare to give the Tonners a 7-point lead one minute in, but it would take another 8 minutes for the second goal of the quarter.
Unfortunately for Xavs, it went Brighton’s way when Luca Macnab capitalised on a 50-metre penalty to slot a longrange bomb and hand the Tonners a 2-goal break.
But Xavs stayed in the fight, with Julian Gangi’s third goal on the burst reducing the deficit to 8 points and the game was well and truly alive with just 15 minutes gone.
However, it was virtually all Tonners from there. The minor premiers booted a further 4.3 to 0.2 to inflate the final margin to a somewhat misleading 33 points.
Nothing much had separated the teams in terms of ballwinning in the final quarter: the Tonners +7 Disposals, and dead level for both Contested Possessions and Clearances. But efficiency proved to be the difference.
Old Brighton had just 5 more Inside 50s for the quarter (17-12) but managed to convert those into 12 shots to 5 and 6.6 to 1.4.
Felix Flockart had become the most influential player on the ground in the third term and his dominance continued into the last. He was voted the SKINS Player of the Day for his outstanding 20 disposals (all contested), 8 marks, 37
hit-outs, 9 clearances, 6 Rebound 50s, 7 Inside 50s and 2 goals. The big man was everywhere, and his 11 Score Involvements highlighted his profound influence.
Louis Butler continued his fine season with another 22 disposals and 9 Rebound 50s, while Jamie Hope (4 goals) and Tom Burnell (3 goals) led the way at the attacking end as the Tonners earned the right to play in their fourth topflight Grand Final (and their third in four years).
Campbell Lane found plenty of the footy as per usual for Xavs, finishing with 30 disposals, 8 Rebound 50s, 4 Inside 50s and a goal in a typically hard-working performance, while the ever-dangerous Julian Gangi bobbed up for 3 goals as Xavs set sail for a blockbuster Preliminary Final against Old Scotch.
Marcel Bruin (Old Brighton): “Incredibly high-pressure final and everything you’d expect with the opportunity to go straight through to the Grand Final.
“Super proud of the group for playing 120 minutes, some of which wasn’t our best gear, but we knew if we continued to work and grind, opportunities would come.
“Xavier put immense pressure on our disposal throughout the entirety of the game - it was difficult at times to generate offence with their pressure at the ball carrier.
“Our defenders had a lot of work to do, particularly when Xavier was able to get some clean ball out the front of contest. But they were able to intercept some of the Inside 50’s and defend 1 v 1 effectively. A couple of their offensive chains were simply too good, and you can see why Nutsy’s group can score so quickly and so heavily.
“We felt as though there were some good matchups in our front half, however the ball into them sometimes made it difficult for them to impact. The forward group worked played a big role in starting our defence and were rewarded across the game with their forward pressure.
“I thought the most dominant player on the ground was Felix Flockart. He got his hands to a lot of footy and worked tirelessly to help the group. Tom Burnell looked dangerous every time the ball was Inside 50, either with his hands on it and scoring or generating pressure. Louis Butler did another stellar job down back with a huge role. We couldn’t be more excited for another opportunity on Grand Final Day in two weeks’ time.”
Dan Donati (Old Xaverians): “As far as spectacles goes, this one certainly lived up to it. I was proud of the way we approached the day, and we certainly started the game in great fashion, having more than our fair share of opportunities in the first half, in particular.
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S
St Kevin’s:
GOALS: St Kevin’s: S. Critchley 2, O. Gill 1, T. Ferguson 1, L. Winter 1, B. Mansfield 1, W. Coates 1, L. Gunson 1
GOALS: Old Scotch: A. Jones 3, J. Polkinghorne 2, A. Noblet 2, J. Tarrant 2, T. Farrer 1, J. Torney 1, H. Stubbings 1
BEST: St Kevin’s: T. Ferguson, L. Winter, L. Gunson, W. Coates, T. Jok, C. Hodges
BEST: Old Scotch: C. Cormack, A. Jones, R. Galvin, J. Torney, A. Noblet, S. Grant
Xaverians:
GOALS: Old Brighton: J. Hope 4, T. Burnell 3, F. Flockart 2, H. Dick 1, L. Travers 1, L. Macnab 1, H. Hill 1
GOALS: Old Xaverians:
BEST: Old Brighton: F. Flockart, L. Butler, T. Burnell, Q. Montanaro, J. Hope, A. Corke
BEST: Old Xaverians: A. Trigar, T. Dunne, C. Dunne, H. MacIsaac, J. Gangi, C. Knott
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S RESERVE
University Blues:
GOALS: University Blues: J. Paterson 2, A. Dowsley 1, A. Sinnott 1, J. Lloyd 1, J. Harrington 1, G. McCulloch 1, A. Bain 1, I. Dykes 1
GOALS: Old Brighton: B. Branson 3, S. Collins 3, Z. Bowen 2, R. Agg 1, D. Lynch 1, N. Freeman 1, M. Freeman 1, M. Karayannis 1, H. Hynes 1
BEST: University Blues: N. Evans, J. Fulton, T. Cossar, T. Ingram, J. Pring, J. Lloyd
BEST: Old Brighton: B. Branson, M. Ho, H. Hynes, M. Karayannis, M. Hofmann, M. Freeman
Kevin’s:
GOALS: Old Xaverians: H. Troiani 2, H. Bird 2, J. Lucas 2, J. Cumberlidge 2, E. Kennedy 2, D. Tuddenham 1, M. Exell 1, O. Duncan 1, J. Boyd 1
GOALS: St Kevin’s: W. Pearce 4, Z. Greenham 2, J. Ball 1, T. Burley 1, M. Canning 1
BEST: Old Xaverians: H. Troiani, S. Ralph, J. Cumberlidge, H. Bird, O. Duncan, W. Egan
BEST: St Kevin’s: C. Lynch, M. Canning, R. Larcher, W. Pearce, H. Reimers, J. Ball
“Credit has to go to Old Brighton in the end though. They were fantastic in defence, not allowing many easy scoring opportunities for us, and in the end, they finished the game stronger and took the key moments better than us to gain their place in the Grand Final.
“There were some fantastic matchups all over the ground, and for the main part, it was a tight and tough game played in great spirit by both teams.
“We have to move on pretty quickly now though, as a very experienced Old Scotch awaits us in the Prelim next week. I’m looking forward to seeing how my boys bounce back and respond as there is no tomorrow for one team.”
And so, it will be Old Xaverians facing Old Scotch for the right to take on Old Brighton on Grand Final Day.
What a game that promises to be, with two high-octane offences and high-class talent all over the park!
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S
Fields overcome St Kevin’s in a windy classic
Caulfield Grammarians booked their spot in the William Buck Premier Women’s Grand Final after grinding out a six-point victory over St Kevin’s in a physical, winddominated Preliminary Final at Elsternwick Park on Sunday.
In a low-scoring affair, Caulfield Grammarians prevailed 5.5 (35) to 4.5 (29) over St Kevin’s, sealing the result with two clutch final-quarter goals against a SKOB side that had fought bravely all afternoon.
Despite the Fields registering the first score of the game, the Saints quickly responded with a goal of their own to level the scores early. Their first quarter surge with the wind continued, heading into the first break with a 9-point advantage.
It was all silent at the Glen Huntly Road end once again with SKOB unable to register a score in the second, while Caulfield edged their way back on the scoreboard to come within a single point at the half.
Once again, it was St Kevin’s who burst out of the gates kicking with the breeze in the third quarter to put a couple of goals on the board and extend a lead.
At the half way mark of the third Caulfield flicked a switch to get the ball moving toward their forward arc. The point and then goal that followed was a massive shift in momentum in the context of the match, knowing the Fields would be coming home with the wind.
SKOB registered just one additional behind for the quarter and alas the match at the 17th minute mark of the third.
Caulfield overturned an 8-point deficit at three-quarter time to hold a one-goal lead at the find siren.
Isla Mottram and Jacinta Baxter starred for the Fields in the victory, whilst Zara Guss and Belinda Woolcock fought valiantly for St Kevin’s all day.
St Kevin’s coach Tom Purcell praised his players’ fight while acknowledging the decisive moments.
“Really proud of our girls and greatest respect for Caulfield in a classic Preliminary Final where neither team refused to surrender. It was physical contested football all day in the windy conditions.”
He admitted his side let opportunities slip in the third term.
“I thought we were controlling the play well in the third quarter but couldn’t capitalise on our forward entries. Credit to Caulfield’s defence… The goal against the wind near the end of the third quarter changed the momentum.”
Fields coach Danielle Di Stefano credited her side’s defensive resolve and ability to adapt to the conditions.
“The windy conditions were a huge factor, and the difference was who was able to defend well against the wind and capitalise in front of goal. I thought we defended the ground really well and our ability to limit the impact of their key forwards was critical in getting the job done.”
Di Stefano highlighted the midfield trio of Isla Mottram, Serena Kuo and Chloe O’Malley as pivotal in turning the tide.
While St Kevin’s fell agonisingly short, Purcell said the pride in his team’s performance outweighed the disappointment.
“Our girls showed enormous courage and bravery holding Caulfield out for most of the last quarter… Classic game. Proud of the team and great spectacle of football given the windy conditions.”
Cooper Watkins
FINALS RESULTS
The Fields now turn their attention to the Grand Final against Old Scotch, with Di Stefano confident her side can carry momentum into the season’s decider.
“We will be looking to use the strong finish in the prelim to set us up for a fast start. We really respect Old Scotch and know how damaging their stars can be, so the group are really excited and ready to go.”
Grand Final Preview
The 2025 VAFA Premier Women’s Grand Final is set up as a contest for the ages, with Old Scotch and Caulfield Grammarians meeting for the fourth time this season. Each clash has been a nail-biter, with margins never greater than six points.
In Round 7, the Fields edged out the Cardinals 5.4 (34) to 4.6 (30). Old Scotch hit back in Round 16 with a gritty 3.8 (26) to 3.5 (23) win, before prevailing again in the Semi Final, 7.5 (47) to 6.5 (41). With the ledger sitting at 2–1 in Old Scotch’s favour, the stage is set for a Grand Final where every contest will matter.
Old Scotch coach Dean Anderson said the rivalry has brought out the best in both clubs.
“It promises to be a fantastic grand final. We hold Caulfield in the highest of regards. They are a spirited and well-balanced team that pushes the boundaries of women’s football in terms of style of play. They are great to watch.”
Anderson emphasised the need for pressure and discipline if his side are to defend their crown.
“We need to be strong at contest and defend at our best to mitigate Caulfield’s run and carry. Our forward defensive pressure will be a key. We are proud and excited about this week. We have an opportunity to be great by winning backto-back premierships and we have an absolute determination to achieve a long-lasting legacy. We are more than ready.”
For Caulfield, belief is sky-high after grinding past St Kevin’s in a classic preliminary final. Coach Danielle Di Stefano said the team is eager to turn a strong finish into a fast start.
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S
Caulfield Grammarians:
St Kevin’s:
GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians: S. Kenny 1, E. Cleland 1, J. Baxter 1, I. Mottram 1, A. Fyfe 1
GOALS: St Kevin’s: B. Woolcock 1, K. Stanton 1, Z. Guss 1, B. Rees 1
BEST: Caulfield Grammarians: I. Mottram, J. Baxter, S. Kuo, I. Lehman, A. Fyfe, E. Baxter
BEST: St Kevin’s: Z. Guss, B. Woolcock, I. Stutt, S. Cameron, B. Doyle, M. Wilson
PREMIER WOMEN’S RESERVE
GOALS: Fitzroy: H. Fitzgerald 1, E. Boles 1, C. Bigwood 1
GOALS: Old Scotch: M. Fraser-Smith 1, A. Theodosi 1
BEST: Fitzroy: A. Lietz, K. O’Malley, S. Shaughnessy
BEST: Old Scotch: G. Kerr, Z. Carter, A. McCulloch, I. Griffin, M. Fraser-Smith, B. Holloway
“We will be looking to use the strong finish in the prelim to set us up for a fast start. We really respect Old Scotch and know how damaging their stars can be, so the group are really excited and ready to go!”
With both sides hardened by close contests and finals intensity, the premiership will be decided by which team can adapt under pressure, handle the momentum swings, and seize their chances in front of goal.
This contest promises to finish a fantastic 2025 season on a high. Good luck to both teams!
Cooper’s 3 Keys to the Game
Old Scotch
1. Forward pressure – Relentless tackling and harassing inside 50 to limit Caulfield’s rebound.
2. Control the contest – Win the clearances and stoppages to deny Caulfield their outside run.
3. Star Impact – The leaders of the Cardinals, Katie Hunter-Scott, Jade Wise and Mia Cowan to name a few, must lead from the front.
Caulfield Grammarians
1. Run and carry – Use speed and overlap to stretch Old Scotch’s defence.
2. Defensive resilience – Repeat efforts and structure behind the ball to absorb pressure and key in on stopping the Cardinals best users.
3. Midfield impact – Isla Mottram, Serena Kuo and Chloe O’Malley must set the tone early.
GRAND FINAL TIP
Caulfield by 2 points
Old Scotch v Caulfield Grammarians
PREMIER B MEN’S
Paddy Grindlay
Fields of glory: Caulfield Grammarians return to top flight
Relegation from top flight in 2022, a close shave with a further drop to Premier C in 2023 – Caulfield Grammarians has booked a ticket back to William Buck Premier by winning a preliminary final against the Premier B minor premiers, Old Ivanhoe.
By defeating Old Camberwell in the last home-and-away game of last year, the Fields survived relegation by 1.99% with just five wins. 12 months later, under the tutelage of Paul Satterley, they’re off to take on Old Trinity at Trevor Barker Beach Oval with the premiership cup on the line. It’s one of the most remarkable one-year turnarounds across the entire VAFA.
The Fields haven’t scraped through either. They’ve belted the door down, having beaten Old Carey by 50 points and the Hoers by 53 points in September action.
The signs were good from the start - Josh Hutchings and Joe McClelland saluting from set shots with three minutes down on the clock to the Cramer Street End, that part of Preston City Oval enjoying some use after the howling gales of semi-final weekend. It could, and perhaps should, have been three Fields goals before the Hoers could progress the ball beyond halfway - Hutchings rushing a roved snap and missing a chance to the left-hand side at the four-minute mark.
Jumped and 13 points down, the Hoers reset and were able to control possession of the football for the next few passages of play. Billy Murphy got his hands on the football and the in-form Charlie Naish bobbed up twice inside fifty - but missed two shots he’d usually take full advantage of. At the other end there were no such issues for Ollie Lowe, the damaging midfielder marking and goaling to make it an early 17-point Fields advantage.
Old Ivanhoe nerves were settled when Alex Mirkov was held in front of goal and kicked truly from the subsequent free kick, but there was a certain absence of fluidity and connection to the game of the minor premiers present that had been present earlier in the season. Patrick Naish forced the team out of its malaise, finding David Cuningham streaking forward through the corridor, eventually resulting in a Mal Mitris mark and goal. The veteran added a second with a spry step-and-snap on his left minutes later, cutting the margin to six points in the early minutes of time-on.
Time-on was played largely between the arcs. Fields forward Jack Atkinson was denied a goal through a brilliant defensive effort from Hoer Lucas Agrotis at centre-half-forward- Atkinson wasn’t to be denied later in the term though, rewarding a Dobosz contest and follow-up tackle with a running goal that gave the Fields a two-goal quarter time lead. Satterley’s team had recorded seven more inside 50s to the break and could argue the scoreboard didn’t reflect the fashion of the game to date.
But by the halfway point of the second, it certainly did. Goals to three of the Fields’ four Jacks - Atkinson’s second and firsts for Webster, then Ellwood, pushed the Fields clear by 24 points. Ominously, the Fields hadn’t dominated territory nor possession to that point. Jarrod Giechen’s concerns were allayed however when Charlie Naish was awarded a fifty-metre penalty from the centre throw-up immediately after Ellwood’s goal, duly kicking the goal. From the next restart, Charlie Opie combined with Rohan McKenzie wonderfully across half forward for another.
The Fields were suddenly under pressure. Of their impressive defensive group, Charlie Eerhard was particularly terrific under pressure, taking three intercept grabs for the term and grappling with a consistent Old Ivanhoe press. The Hoers looked to be back on track however, and went to the break seven points in arrears off the back of an opportunistic snap on goal from Alex Mirkov late in the term.
Old Ivanhoe would kick only three more goals for the remainder of the game. The Fields would kick 11.
Satterely’s side took control of the game in a three-goal burst early in the third. First, an unselfish Jack Ellwood lowered his eyes to find a leading Connor Cooke in front of goal, 25 metres out, from where he would convert. Ollie Lowe would kick off the chain responsible for the second of the three goals, intercepting an Old Ivanhoe forward foray 25 metres from his own goal-line, then getting involved in the sequence of disposals through centrehalf-back. It resulted in a well-weighted Jared Freeman pass to Hugh McKenzie, who marked and sent the ball through the centremost uprights. A key Sam McInerney tackle in midfield set the path for his Fields teammates to hit up Julian Dobosz - another goal, and a 25-point lead established with only eight minutes elapsed in the third.
The next goal was critical - and it went the Fields way.
Another Sam McInerney tackle in midfield, the loose ball sent inside 50 to an unmarked Hutchings, who was collected after he took an uncontested mark. His goal from the fifty-metrepenalty made it a 31-point game - to that point, the Fields had kicked 12.3.
The stars were in blue and white: Lowe at his creative best across half-forward and through the midfield; Oscar Roberts impassable at full-back; and Matt Clarkson weaving the Fields ever forward from the half-back line. The four-goal run was run aground by a 55-metre bomb from a loose Patrick Naish at left-half forward at the Bruce Street End - his goal answered with a true snap from Tom Williams’ left boot and another textbook set shot from Dobosz, his third goal of the day to reestablish Caulfield Grammarians command.
At six goals down and with five minutes to play, any move from the Hoers had to be swift - it came, but with four behinds when goals were the desperately required currency. 8.7 (55) played 14.3 (87) at the final break - a seven-goalto-one quarter placing the Fields on the precipice of a Grand Final and a return to top-flight football in 2026.
When veteran Will Edwards kicked the first of the last, the celebrations felt moments away. They began in earnest when Jack Atkinson ran in his third goal, pointing towards the sticks as he jogged to the line. His goal put the lead at an unassailable 45 points. His embrace of supporters behind the goal, combined with the disconsolate figures cut by his hunched-over Old Ivanhoe adversaries were indicators the contest was well and truly done.
There was time for the reality of a Grand Final and promotion to sink in as the clock ticked down - and time for Atkinson’s fourth goal, equalling his season-high tally. The 19.7 (121) to 10.8 (68) final score accurately reflected the Fields’ dominance, their ninth win from their last ten games.
Sam McInerney (34 disposals, 17 contested possessions), Ellwood (31 and a goal) and Lowe (30, 11 marks and a goal) were three of the six Fields to record 25 disposals or more, while Eerhard (11 marks, five of those intercept marks) and Noah Sutherland (27 disposals and nine marks) were outstanding down back.
Ryan Pietsch continued his strong September as four Fields players kicked multiple goals: Atkinson with four, Dobosz and Webster with three each, and Hutchings with two.
PREMIER B MEN’S
For Old Ivanhoe, Alex Mirkov combined his three goals with 24 disposals, 14 clearances and 49 hitouts as Patrick Naish (32 disposals) led all Hoers for touches.
The Fields have split the points with Old Trinity this year - responding to a five-point Round Eight loss with a 16-point Round 18 victory only three weekends ago. Satterley’s men go in with form on their side thoughtheir 53-point win over the Hoers in the preliminary final eclipsing the Ts’ 17-point win in the second semi final.
WHAT THEY SAID
Caulfield Grammarians coach Paul Satterley
On the playing group’s improvement over the course of the season
“My confidence in the lads has grown with every game we have played this season, our ability to adapt to the conditions, state of the game and maturity in-game far exceeds the age profile of our group.
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“We have found a way in tight games; I never talk about effort … this is ingrained in them.
On the second half dominance (the Fields outscoring the Hoers 70-24)
“We pride ourselves on the contested possession and intercept metrics. Our performance against Old Ivanhoe in (the) second half was outstanding and we didn’t expect such an emphatic win.”
On a stellar performance from his defensive unit
“We have been extremely lucky to have had the same back six or seven lads in defence all season and the connection they have is elite.
“They manage the tempo very well and talk to me as the game progresses.”
On how instructional Round 18’s win over the Ts will be
“I don’t read too much into our last game against Old Trinity as it was clear they rested a number of key players. ‘Macca’ [Old Trinity coach Donald McDonald] is an excellent coach and I loved playing for him back in the day.
“We will need to be at our best again this week and I have total belief in my boys.”
Old Ivanhoe coach Jarrod Gieschen
On his post-match address
“We were shattered. We had bigger hopes for 2025 … having the double-chance, the two cracks to get into the Grand Final, we were absolutely devastated not to take that opportunity.
“We said to the group, there were no words that would make anybody feel any better … (but) you look at our trajectory, it wasn’t that long ago that we were struggling to make finals in Premier C, and now we’re playing off to go to Premier A. We have come a long way as a group.
“We’ve got a pretty special and talented group that’s only going to get better with more time together … I think the club’s in really good shape, we’ll be better for the experience.”
On how the season ended
“If you look at our form in the last five or six weeks of the season, we did start to taper off after a brilliant start to the year, and the writing might have been on the wall even though we didn’t feel it within our four walls.
“It was a combination of Caulfield being exceptionalbringing great pressure and a really connected offensive game - but also us being pretty flat after having that opportunity to beat Old Trinity … we were right in the game, and probably should have put them away in that last quarter.
“Once the game was in the balance just after half time and we had to find something, we just couldn’t find it. That’s probably a combination of us being a very young group. I haven’t spoken about that much this year, because there’s always a lot of focus on our top-end talent. We had eight players 20-and-under playing on Saturday, they’ve been so good all year, but they probably started to fatigue over that last period, and it probably hit us all at once. We had a couple of boys limp in with pretty heavy injuries - Mal Mitris got himself up with an A/C joint (injury) which was pretty inspirational for the group, and David Cuningham played with a cracked rib.
FINALS RESULTS
PREMIER B MEN’S
Old Ivanhoe:
Caulfield Grammarians:
GOALS: Old Ivanhoe: A. Mirkov 3, R. McKenzie 2, M. Mitris 2, P. Naish 1, c. naish 1, T. Nagel 1
GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians: J. Atkinson 4, J. Webster 3, J. Dobosz 3, J. Hutchings 2, T. Williams 1, C. Cooke 1, W. Edwards 1, O. Lowe 1, J. Ellwood 1, h. mckenzie 1, J. Mcclelland 1
BEST: Old Ivanhoe: D. Cuningham, A. Mirkov, M. Mitris, N. Vacirca, R. Mantello, H. Frazer
BEST: Caulfield Grammarians: N. Sutherland, O. Lowe, R. Pietsch, J. Ellwood, C. Eerhard, J. Atkinson
PREMIER B MEN’S RESERVES
Old Ivanhoe:
GOALS: Old Ivanhoe: N. Sivakumar 1, M. Del Monte 1, L. Scuderi 1, D. Davies 1
GOALS: Fitzroy:
BEST: Old Ivanhoe: N. Sivakumar, A. Stratov, B. Gliddon, L. Bray, J. Dimoski, D. Davies
BEST: Fitzroy: L. Sekhon, A. Evans, W. Hodgman, R. Kelly, C. Johnstone, M. Davie
“We did whatever we could to get our best 22 together to give us a shot at Premier A. We just weren’t good enough on the day.”
On Caulfield Grammarians
“They were brilliant. I’ve had one eye on them for the whole back half of the year … once I saw them putting their best team together and getting momentum, I knew they’d be a challenger at the pointy end of the year.
“They’ve got consistency across all lines, and some really good top end talent as well.”
PREMIER C MEN’S
Harrison McIlwaine
Buzz’s boys vanquish Vultures
AJAX have come from fourth to qualify for the Premier C Grand Final by upsetting minor premiers Parkdale Vultures in the Preliminary Final, ensuring they will rise to Premier B next season.
These two teams met in the 1st Semi Final last year and it was the Vultures ending the Jackas’ season by 44 points and, since then, Parkdale had lost just three times in 20 matches.
One of those defeats was in the Second Semi Final to Beaumaris, who rocked the Vultures by 51 points and sent them into this sudden-death showdown with AJAX, who were rejuvenated by their gritty 5-point win over St Bedes/Mentone Tigers.
The Jackas came out firing and completely dominated territory with the breeze at their backs, racking up an incredible 26 Inside 50s to 3 in the opening term. The Vultures were working hard to win the contested ball (17 Hard Gets to 1), while AJAX were finding the footy in space (AJAX 22 Loose Gets to 6).
Three goals in 6 minutes late in time-on (including backto-back majors to Justin Vogel, who finished with 3 for the term) saw the Jackas head to the first change with an impressive 35-point lead.
This extended to 39 with an early goal to Joel Parasol in the second quarter, followed by another to Max Herzel entering time-on. The Vultures were peppering away with the breeze, but were unable to find the goals until Kai Day took a superb grab back with the flight and received a 50-metre penalty that marched him to the goal-line at the 26-minute mark.
But 1.7 to 2.1 for the term told the story – the Vultures left to rue a series of wasted opportunities to eat into the deficit, and they headed to the major break still 35 points in arrears.
The minor premiers needed to make inroads into the breeze in the third term to give themselves a chance of storming home with the wind at their backs in the last.
But it was the Jackas once again taking their chances. A snap from Vulture Mitch Brown hit the post at one end, and in the blink of an eye, AJAX went coast-to-coast with just 3 possessions as skipper Kane Nissenbaum – playing his 100th game for the Red, White & Black –stormed through 50 and slotted the long-range shot.
That 11-point swing in the space of 15 seconds set the tone for another dominant quarter with the breeze, as they rammed on 5 goals to 1 and headed to the final change with a commanding 59-point advantage.
The final term was Parkdale Vultures’ best, but the damage was well and truly done. They added 3.5 to 1.3 to win the quarter, but it was all academic as the Jackas reversed the September result of last season and ended the Vultures’ premiership hopes with an emphatic 45-point win that ensures their promotion to Premier B next season.
Jake Wrobel was adjudged best afield for AJAX for his hard-working performance in the ruck, which saw him amass 41 hitouts and 5 clearances against the formidable Jarrod Peake/Lewis Castle combination. Nick Pike found plenty of the footy, finishing with 26 disposals (12 contested), 5 tackles, 7 clearances and 5 Inside 50s.
Hudson Wright was best on ground for the Vultures, racking up 22 disposals (12 contested), 7 clearances and 4 Inside 50s, while Hunter Lynch and Matt Emmanouil were also busy in what turned out to be another disappointing afternoon for Parkdale Vultures, who finished the season as minor premiers only to bow out in straight sets.
For AJAX, opportunity knocks and they will ride their wave of momentum into a Grand Final against a team who is also riding high – Beaumaris, who will enter on a 16-game winning streak that stretches all the way back to April 26.
But after taking down the more-fancied Tigers and Vultures in the past fortnight, the Jackas will be asking
FINALS RESULTS
PREMIER C MEN’S
GOALS: Parkdale Vultures: T. O’Leary 3, K. Day 1, J. Cheep 1, J. Peake 1
GOALS: AJAX: J. Vogel 3, K. Nissenbaum 3, J. Parasol 2, J. Cohen 2, N. Lewis 1, R. Spicer 1, B. Nussbaum 1, M. Herzel 1
BEST: Parkdale Vultures: H. Wright, H. Lynch, M. Emmanouil, J. Peake, T. O’Leary, O. Green
BEST: AJAX: J. Wrobel, H. Davis, K. Nissenbaum, J. Vogel, E. Debinski, N. Lewis
PREMIER C MEN’S RESERVES
Beaumaris:
‘Why Not Us?’ as they chase their sixth senior premiership and their first since their C-Grade flag of 2011.
Lachie Buszard (AJAX): “Really proud of the group and the footy we are playing. Parkdale and Beauy have been the benchmark of the competition this year, and both sides are very well-coached with great depth.
“For us, to qualify for the Grand Final from 4th and to go up to B -Grade is a huge achievement for our Club and all involved, especially given the challenges we have faced this season!
“We have played 58 players in our Senior team, blooded 23 first gamers and still managed to qualify both the seniors and the reserves for finals, all whilst not having had one single player play every Senior game. We also don’t have any VFL listed players! Remarkable really, and assume that this would have to be some sort of VAFA record!
(85)
GOALS: Beaumaris: L. Daniels 3, J. Gorman 2, W. Skinner 2, N. Beveridge 1, J. Ward 1, M. Cartwright 1, J. Williams 1, A. Marcombe 1, M. Kornberg 1
GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: L. Carey 4, N. Hughes 2, N. Henricks 1
BEST: Beaumaris: O. Phillips, J. Gorman, S. gunasekera, A. Baruhas, J. Williams, A. Marcombe
BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: S. Barca, B. Berry, G. Kelly, N. Hughes, L. Ritter, E. Swain
“The result on the weekend is testament to the resilience of our group, the work our coaches put in and the work our physios have done to get our players back on the park! A huge thanks must also go to our supporters who turned up in big numbers to support the boys and who became our 19th player!
“We are now looking forward to the challenge ahead and testing ourselves against Bourkey and his team, who I rated the best team in C grade at the start of the year, given they are stacked with talent and coached very very well!”
Owen Lalor (Parkdale Vultures): “We were beaten by a very good side. They were terrific with their pressure, and we didn’t handle it well enough.
“Their contest work hurt us as they scored heavily from stoppages. Their speed at ground level also found us out.
“A really disappointing finals series for us after such a great home and away season. The boys are resilient - they will dust themselves off and aim to improve and challenge again next year - there’s no other choice!!!”
GRAND FINAL TIP
Photo: @yfrenkelphotography
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
VAFA Umpires selected for V/Line Cup
The VAFA is excited to announce the umpires selected for the upcoming V/Line Cup from 22nd – 24th September in Ballarat.
The V/Line Cup is Victoria’s Premier Under 15’s championship competition for country boys and girls footballers. This tournament also serves as the final selection games for umpires to be promoted to the VFL/State League competitions. This is an exciting opportunity for our developing umpires who aspire to officiate at the next level.
Congratulations to the following 14 VAFA umpires on their selection:
Field UmpiresBoundary UmpiresGoal Umpires
Jordan Gibson
Lucas Harrison
Gina Mondschein
Amelie O’Meara
Patrick Sexton
Joshua Stacey
Abbey Styan
Xavier Hendy
Hayden Shillito
Jesseca Styan
Zane White
Sullivan Hendrickson
Jesse Rawack
Nicholas Toohey
The VAFA is proud of its proven track record in developing talented umpires. We wish all the umpires the very best for their appointed games and look forward to tracking their performances.
Sip CASA this Finals Series
The VAFA is excited to welcome @sip.casa as the “Official RTD Drink Partner of the 2025 VAFA Finals Series”.
Raising the bar this Finals Series with CASA. Look out for vodka lemon, vodka raspberry, gin & tonic, and a whole lot more available at the bar at Elsternwick Park for the remainder of the 2025 VAFA Finals Series.
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
Grand Finals
The VAFA has crowned more Premiers as the Finals Series kicks on.
Congratulations to all teams who have won a Premiership and best of luck to all those yet to play in the 2025 VAFA Finals Series.
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
The Pass Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Lee Young from Beaumaris FC, who has been named The Pass Volunteer of the Month for August!
Lee was nominated by Club Secretary, Walter Tedde, in recognition of their incredible contribution to the club and strong alignment with the VAFA value of Community. For more than fifteen years, Lee has served the club in various capacities, consistently dedicating their time and energy to ensuring the club’s growth and long-term sustainability.
Carruthers Executive Community Coach of the Month
Congratulations to Sam Grose from Old Brighton FC who has been named the Carruthers Executive Community Coach of the Month!
Sam Grose was nominated by committee member Alex Karanicolas for their outstanding embodiment of the VAFA value of Community Sam has been a part of the club for over eight years in various capacities and has spent the past two years coaching. Their impact goes far beyond on-field results where they have played a key role in fostering a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who joins the club. Sam is the kind of leader who creates a space where players, volunteers, and the wider community look forward to being involved each week.
HOLMESGLEN U19’S REPORT
Callum Farquhar
Grand Final rematch set after Preliminary Final decided in extra time epic
The grand final stage is set – but it required more than four quarters to determine who would play Old Brighton in the decider.
St Kevin’s and University Blues have played out a thrilling extra time clash at Elsternwick Park to fight for the final spot in this season’s Holmesglen Under 19 Premier Men’s grand final, with a spirited fight back the catalyst for the additional periods of action.
St Kevin’s’ coach Paul Greenham admitted he was “surprised” by a changed Uni Blues line-up, which Blues coach Steve Boakes stated arose due to injuries in the elimination final against Old Scotch, plus the loss of ruckman Ryan Fowler in the warm-up.
Still despite the Blues’ undermanned side, Boakes was confident is his players’ ability to defeat a St Kevin’s team ready to “breathe fire” after its loss to the Tonners.
“We thought we could dial up the pressure with the twilight experience in our favour, so we went in with a degree of confidence,” Boakes said.
It was a back-and-forth first half affair, with the Blues holding a slim advantage over St Kevin’s at the quarter time break, before SKOB would pip the lead back in their favour at the half, leading a low-scoring battle 4.2 (26) to 3.4 (22).
With pristine conditions on the Saturday evening, outside ball use was key through the midfield, which Greenham conceded the Blues had done better than his men early on.
“From the outset it was a really contested game,” he said.
“The side that used the ball on the outside better was probably going to get more looks at scoring.
“University looked that side, especially early, so when we were able to tidy up their fat side ball use, we felt we were right in the contest.”
St Kevin’s exceeded just matching the Blues around the contest in the third term, ripping away to a 14-point lead, but the Blues wouldn’t die wondering.
A surging University outfit tore the game wide open again.
Enter Charlie Cotter.
6 points down, full time siren has sounded. Best on ground, Charlie Cotter takes a mark in the forward pocket at the Glen Huntly Road end. The roar of the crowd reaches a crescendo compounded by the blast of the fulltime siren. The field umpire races over to relay the rules, ensuring Cotter is aware he could snap the kick without playing on, but must kick truly over the man on the mark.
Right foot snap = goal. Cotter has clawed the Blues back into the game and locked up points after four quarters.
The twilight match was entering time on and with University Blues carrying all the momentum in the fourth, it was up to St Kevin’s to respond.
“To say we were on the ropes is an understatement,” Greenham said.
“A full momentum swing in play and a vocal Uni crowd against us, we had to find something.”
And St Kevin’s did.
A brain-fade 50 metre penalty handed SKOB a muchneeded stabilising goal to stem the bleeding from University’s onslaught, and it would pay dividends.
As the second siren of extra time rang, St Kevin’s had pulled through on top by the skin of its teeth, 14.7 (91) to 12.11 (83).
“Like we have done all year under extreme adversity, especially inside our four walls, the boys got up off the canvas to find it within themselves to get us across the line,” Greenham said.
“The resilience this group has shown all year I haven’t encountered before.
“The leaders were next level, and they found a way to give us a chance to take on the very best in the competition –Old Brighton.”
Boakes, with mixed emotions after defeat, was proud of his side but gutted after falling short following such a courageous fight back.
FINALS RESULTS
HOLMESGLEN U19 PREMIER MEN’S
St Kevin’s:
Blues:
GOALS: St Kevin’s: L. May 3, B. Cantwell 2, T. Conlan 2, N. Nankervis 2, B. Palmer 2, G. Saunders 1, D. Tomarchio 1, H. Noble 1
GOALS: University Blues: C. Cotter 4, S. Lucardie 2, C. Skipper 2, C. Summerfield 1, S. Lindsay 1, S. de Steiger 1, C. Ziebarth 1
BEST: St Kevin’s: L. Edwards, P. Harmon, G. Saunders, N. Nankervis, J. Kerr, E. Burley
BEST: University Blues: C. Cotter, W. Hawker, C. Skipper, W. Vavallo, S. Lindsay, C. Hogan
HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 1 MEN’S
“The extra time was certainly a different experience,” Boakes said.
“The message was to be composed and keep running but the 50 metre penalty that gifted SKOBS a goal made the task all the tougher.
“In the end we fell short despite the boys giving it everything they could.
“I am proud of the effort put in by this group and they should be proud to get this far.”
Now, the grand final rematch beckons.
The reigning premiers Old Brighton did it the hard way in 2024, losing its qualifying final to St Kevin’s before defeating the blue, green and gold in a four-point epic.
Much the same can be expected this time around.
Despite Old Brighton’s 32-point win in the qualifying final, just six points and 10 points have split the two sides in games this season.
Worryingly for St Kevin’s, they’ve never been on the right side of those results, and with potential heavy legs following its energy-draining preliminary final, Old Brighton will go in as favourites.
But with an insurmountable level of unwavering resilience and determination, it would be a rookie mistake to write off the minor premiers, who undoubtedly have the late-game experience in finals if the game comes down to the wire, which could be critical in the dying moments.
After an entire season of Under 19 Premier Men’s action, just two sides remain. The first bounce hits the turf at 5:00pm, Saturday, September 20 at Elsternwick Park. This is one you won’t want to miss!
Vultures:
GOALS: Beaumaris: J. Failla 2, T. Federici 1, G. Lewis 1
GOALS: Parkdale Vultures:
BEST: Beaumaris:
BEST: Parkdale Vultures: D. Kelson, L. Kinsella, r. bowles, F. Johnston, J. Burgess, L. Sullivan
HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 2 MEN’S
Old Ivanhoe:
Blacks:
GOALS: Old Ivanhoe: H. Price 2, K. Papanagiotou 2, J. Tragardh 2, R. Johns 1, B. Mierisch 1, W. Hanlon 1, F. Cleary 1, l. reukers 1, K. Home 1
GOALS: University Blacks: S. Litras 1, E. Vijayasekaran 1, O. Davies 1, C. Thornton 1
BEST: Old Ivanhoe: B. Carpenter, H. Price, I. Dugdale, J. Hopkins, A. Watson, L. Gilligan
BEST: University Blacks: A. Routson, E. Vijayasekaran, G. Ingram, E. Peucker, P. De Luca, O. Davies
GRAND FINAL TIP
Old Brightonv St Kevin’s
Old Brighton by 12 points.
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DIVISION 1 MEN’S
Raj Johnston
Old Peninsula thrash Ormond to claim Division 1 title
The Division 1 Men’s Grand Final saw Old Peninsula get the job done, defeating the previously unbeaten Ormond by a massive 74 points to claim the ultimate prize: premiership success.
Recent history from 2025 suggests that when these two sides meet, we were in for a close one. Ormond had won all three matchups prior to the Grand Final by 12 points, 4 points and 17 points respectively.
This is by no means a laurel to rest on but would’ve provided a small degree of optimism nonetheless to the Monders, knowing what is required to defeat this team.
Ormond got off to the right start with the first goal going to Ethan Hanley.
It was the Pirates who found the momentum throughout the middle stages of the quarter, booting four consecutive goals across eight minutes as they made their way through Ormond’s defenders and built up a healthy lead.
The Monders found a late goal by way of Samuel Bailey but will be ruing their inaccuracy in a quarter which they recorded two goals and seven behinds, missing their opportunities to get ahead.
QT: Ormond 2.7.19 trails Old Peninsula 4.1.25
The Pirates had a phenomenal second quarter, outworking Ormond across all lines and showing their hunger to win an elusive premiership.
Two of their five goals were spaced out in the first half of the quarter, before three consecutive late goals really put the pain into the Monders, leaving Ormond, the undefeated team and pace setters of the competition thus far, with some questions to ponder at the main break.
HT: Ormond 2.10.22 trails Old Peninsula 9.7.61
To Ormond’s credit, they came out wanting to respond in the third quarter and knew that any greater deficit to reduce would be a major mental barrier.
The Monders were still somewhat inaccurate in front of goal, but importantly still managed three majors to the Pirates two.
The Old Peninsula faithful at Box Hill City Oval could sense a premiership looming, but the job wasn’t done yet.
But as VAFA Media commentator Cal Cummins noted in the broadcast at three quarter-time, of all the quarters Ormond have lost this year - almost half have been fourth quarters alone.
3QT: Ormond 5.15.45 trails Old Peninsula 11.8.74
Early goals were going to be critical for Ormond to give them any chance, but that glimmer of hope quickly faded as the Pirates kicked three majors in the first ten minutes, two of those going to Nathan Jones.
Whilst Ormond managed one more goal soon after, it was too little too late for the Monders, who despite a terrific season up until this point, were just not good enough on Grand Final day.
The Pirates proceeded to pile on a further five goals, with the final goal of the day deservedly going to the son of Old Peninsula great Shaun Payze, and Big V representative player, Bailey Payze.
The siren sounded to finish proceedings as the Pirates players and supporters revelled in the celebrations. Old Peninsula were able to achieve a feat that no other had accomplished all season: beating the previously undefeated Ormond, and by an incredible 74 points no less.
FT: Ormond 6.17.53 defeated by Old Peninsula 19.13.127
Despite Old Peninsula’s dominance, both sides had standout performers. For Ormond, Jack Mason, Aaron Trusler and Aaron Taylor were amongst their best players. Trusler was also the leading goal-kicker for the Monders with two majors to his name.
As for the Pirates, Nathan Jones had a stellar day out with six goals, supported by George Fletcher and Bailey Payze with three majors each. Even taking out Jones’ six goals, Peninsula would still have won by an impressive margin.
In the post-game analysis on the broadcast, VAFA Media expert and former Elsternwick premiership coach, Hugo Higginbotham, said that “Peninsula came with a plan, and they executed it perfectly....they took away the time and space of Ormond”.
Both sides are to be commended for the way they carried themselves this season. Statistically, they lead the way onthe-field in most categories and metrics. They were both number 1 and number 2 in offense and defence.
Old Peninsula, in particular, produced an exciting, attacking brand of footy, reflected in their average score this season of 111 points per game.
Ormond have plenty of depth with many exciting young players coming through and are to be congratulated for winning the Division 1 Men’s Reserves premiership earlier in the day.
That brings to a close to another season of Division 1 footy. Ormond had an incredible season but couldn’t quite get it done on Grand Final day, outplayed by a well-drilled Old Peninsula outfit.
Both sides will be promoted to Premier C in 2026, whilst the two standout sides of Division 2, the Old Yarra Cobras and St Mary’s Salesian have earnt promotion to Division 1.
On the relegation side, Therry Penola and Elsternwick will move down to Division 2, whilst both Prahran and Parkside will make their return to Division 1 after tough seasons in Premier C.
2025 was a mixed bag in Division 1. Ormond and Old Peninsula lead the way as the best two sides, closely followed by Kew. The Preston Bullants and Oakleigh both played brilliantly and fought it out for fourth spot, whilst UHS-VU made a late surge and will be a team to watch next season. With four new teams entering this section next year, 2026 promises to be a fascinating year of Division 1 Men’s football.
DIVISION 2 MEN’S
Lincoln Tracy
St Mary’s achieve ultimate success after arm wrestle against Old Yarra
St Mary’s Salesian broke a 32-year premiership drought with a thrilling three-point win over Old Yarra Cobras.
The ninety-fourth and final game of the Division 2 Men’s season for 2025 saw St Mary’s Salesian triumph over Old Yarra Cobras in a nail-biting Grand Final at Dunshea Oval, the flag representing how far the club has come over the past three years.
St Mary’s returned to Division 2 in 2023 after going 0-18 in Division 1 the year before and avoided back-toback relegations despite finishing ninth due to changes in the VAFA’s divisional competition structure.
2024 was a slightly better year, with the Saints winning six games (plus a draw) – good enough for seventh on the ladder. But 2025 surpassed all internal expectations (back in March coach Clay Tait said that the goal was to play finals) as St Mary’s won nine of their first 10 games on their way to finishing second on the ladder and bouncing back from a one-point semi final loss to claim their fourth senior premiership.
“To our playing group – as a whole, not just the 22 today – the 40-plus that we used throughout the year, congratulations,” Tait said during the awards ceremony after the game. “It’s been a massive process over the last three or four years to get here from where we came from as a club, and it takes each and every one of you.
“Not just the 22 that played today, it includes the ones that played last year, the ones that pulled on the boots when they probably shouldn’t have, to get through those tough times to set us up. I love coaching you, I’d do anything for you as a group, and I just love the way you back everything you do.”
Joshua Salloum, named among the Saints’ best when these two sides played in Round 8 and again in the second semi-final two weeks ago, saved his greatest performance for last and was named best on ground.
“He’s just a fantastic player, and I’m so happy that he got best on because it’s good recognition for what’s been such a fantastic year for him.” Tait said after the game.
“I’ll be pushing for him to make the team of the year because [against] basically any team that has a [dangerous] goalkicker, we’re like, ‘alright, it’s your matchup’. He takes smalls, he takes talls, he takes wrestlers… and I reckon he hasn’t had more than three kicked on him at any point this year. I think he’s the best defender [in the comp].”
Old Yarra Cobras won the toss and elected to kick towards the Bulleen Road end, but it was St Mary’s Salesian who found themselves on top early. Nick Dekas registered the opening goal of the Grand Final with a long range shot in the first 45 seconds before Jacob McElroy kicked back-to-back goals, continuing the great form he had shown during the home and away season.
The Cobras’ first goal came through Jack Hall, who was back in the side after sustaining an injury in their Round 18 clash against MHSOB. Hall’s goal sparked a change in momentum, with the two Anthonys – Lamanna and Raso – both hitting the scoreboard to give Old Yarra their first lead of the day. But McElroy marked a high, swirling ball at the back of the pack before bagging this third for the quarter to give his side a six-point lead heading into the first change.
The early stages of the second quarter saw Raso kick his second and third for the day to put the Cobras back in front. However, their lead was short lived as St Mary’s Trent Ryan was paid a somewhat controversial free kick inside 50 before receiving a 50-metre penalty when Old Yarra failed to return the ball to him on the full. Ryan converted the easiest of kicks to restore his side’s lead in the 13th minute. The teams traded behinds for the remainder of the quarter and went into the main break with scores level.
FINALS RESULTS
DIVISION 2 MEN’S
DIVISION 2 MEN’S RESERVES West
Mary’s Salesian:
GOALS: West Brunswick: T. Cottrell 4, T. Christakis 1, L. Stringer 1
GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: L. Spinazzola 2, J. Barrie 1, N. Bainbridge 1, L. Turnbull 1
BEST: West Brunswick: T. Cottrell, D. McMahon, J. Parini, R. Blakers, D. Fitzpatrick, M. Benstead
BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: L. Mcandrew, N. Bainbridge, L. Turnbull, J. op’t Hoog, A. Circelli, N. Alexopoulos
Old Yarra struck first in the third quarter, with Raso kicking his fourth after getting on the end a chain of handballs as the Cobras pressed forward. Saints’ player-coach Clay Tait found the perfect time to kick his eleventh goal of the season a few minutes later following a stoppage in St Mary’s forward 50, splitting the middle after collecting the ball at the back of the pack.
Scores were level for nearly 10 minutes before Callum Copeland converted his long-range shot to give the Cobras the lead.
The arm wrestle continued for another 10 minutes, but it was Old Yarra who blinked first and conceded two crucial goals in the last five minutes of the quarter. Dekas soccered the ball through for his second after McElroy halved a contest in the 27th minute, before a late tackle on Jerry Xue a few minutes later saw Trent Ryan mark the resulting downfield free kick on the lead. Ryan cooly slotted his second for the day from about 40 metres, and St Mary’s took a six-point lead into three-quarter time.
Old Yarra’s Tom Bell played like a man possessed in the final quarter, winning a free kick early after catching his opponent in a crunching tackle. Bell’s shot at goal fell short, but the Cobras’ veteran maintained a strong physical presence around the contest for the remainder of the quarter, forcing his side forward at every opportunity as they desperately tried to find an avenue to goal and take back the lead.
But the minor premiers were unable to convert despite repeat entries inside 50, finishing with five behinds for the term.
Angus Moulden brought the ball back into play after Old Yarra’s final minor score in the 24th minute of the quarter with a trademark booming kick that found Hamish Macmillan near the middle of the ground. The Saints then used a series of shorter kicks to milk precious seconds off the clock as they made their way inside 50, and although Old Yarra were able to eventually clear the ball from their defensive 50, they couldn’t find a mark on the near wing late in the quarter.
Elliot Brandon-Jones and Bell combined for one final push forward that went to ground, allowing St Mary’s to clear. The ball found its way to the near wing, and St Mary’s did well to run out the clock by forcing repeat stoppages, earning them a hard-fought three-point win.
Bell was named among his teams’ best in what was his final game of senior football, and coach Nathan Monaco was gutted he couldn’t deliver the club stalwart a premiership in his last hurrah. “He’s given me everything, [and] I’m so disappointed and upset that we couldn’t get him a premiership to go out on,” Monaco said after the game.
“It’s going to sting us for a while… It’s been a super three years since the [two] clubs merged [and] I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved. But until you get that reward for effort it’s a pretty hollow feeling. Credit to St Mary’s [though], they stuck fat and got the job done.”
Cobras skipper Nicholas Zappala echoed Monaco’s words during the post-match awards ceremony. “We’ve had some great battles with [St Mary’s] all year… and we’re looking forward to seeing you again next year. And to our boys –don’t let today define you. You have been unbelievable all year. Even though we didn’t get the result today, you should be proud of the work we’ve done this year.”
And that’s all she wrote, with another season of football inscribed in the history books for the VAFA Division 2 Men’s competition. Congratulations to 2025 Premiers St Mary’s Salesian and to all ten clubs that fought valiantly in an exciting season of community football.
DIVISION 3 MEN’S
Nick Quinlan
Power House claim their throne to Division 3 supremacy
The stage was set at Preston City Oval last Sunday afternoon for Power House and North Brunswick to battle it out to see who would be crowned the Division 3 Men’s Senior Premiers for 2025.
Coming into the match, Power House, who had led the competition for every round bar one and had the week off heading into the Grand Final having won the Semi Final, were the favourites to win as they have been all season.
But with the Bulls having beaten them before in the regular season, anything was possible.
North Brunswick would get off to a better start as they were able to generate the first inside 50 for the match and had the first shots at goal, which fell wide and short of the mark.
From those chances, the ladder leaders were able to transition the ball outside of their defensive 50 with ease, which saw Matt Auchettl convert the opening goal in Power House’s favour.
Auchettl followed up his previous work with another shortranged effort to double the lead, while Matthew Chisari extended it out to 18 points, helping reinforce the tone that Nick Cox’s men wanted to set for this clash.
Power House continued to generate scoring opportunities with the ball remaining in the forward half for the remainder of the quarter.
But after not being able to miss for their first three scores, they kicked eight consecutive behinds to lead by 26 points.
Having been unable to score from the momentum they had at the start of the match, the Bulls, for only the second time in their previous 80 quarters of football this season, were left scoreless.
In all the imagined scenarios for the match, there would have been very few that had the Bulls scoreless in the first quarter. But now, finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, North Brunswick needed to find a way to get back in the game.
The second quarter started with Power House kicking a behind as they extended their streak to nine in a row.
However, following that, it became a defensive battle, with neither side able to score on the other for the majority of the quarter.
That deadlock was then broken in the 17th minute by the Bulls, who had finally managed to hit the scoreboard with a point of their own. And like Power House, their score would also double within the space of a couple of minutes.
Before the half was finished, the boys in green, white and black would match the Bulls to lead by 27 points going into the main break.
While they had scored only two points for the half, North Brunswick was very much in the game but would need a great start to help cut the margin in the third.
Unfortunately, it would not be the case with Power House securing the game by kicking six goals with their first seven scoring shots of the third to push the lead out of reach and all but secure the premiership.
The fourth quarter would be more even with the Bulls scoring their first goal for the entire game, but it was not enough to turn over their lead as Power House claimed their first premiership since 2006.
Co-captain Benjamin Circosta would be named best on ground for his performance in what has been a stellar season in the midfield.
Having been the best team all season, Power House are now able to claim a deserved win in arguably their best performance all season, having kept the Bulls to their lowest score all season.
While North Brunswick will be disappointed with the way they finished, there is still some positive news for them; they will be promoted to Division 2 next season alongside Power House, with both teams keen on maintaining that status beyond 2026.
SHARPSHOOTERS
SHARPSHOOTERS
Bailey
Jack
David
THIS ROUND’S GAMES
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – PRELIMINARY & GRAND FINALS
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S – GRAND FINALS
HOLMESGLEN U19 PREMIER MEN’S – GRAND FINAL
Knee
Knee problems
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
MILESTONES
Matt Harms (Beaumaris)
At just 50 games into his career, Matt Harms has already stamped himself as one of the competition’s most dangerous and unpredictable players. Much like Toby Greene and interestingly one of his assistant coaches Stephen Milne, Matt thrives on chaos, using sharp footy instincts and lightning speed to create scoring opportunities from seemingly nothing. Harmsy, as he is affectionately known, combines natural goal sense with fierce competitive instincts. Rarely beaten in a contest despite his size, his ability to draw opponents, apply relentless forward pressure, and hit the scoreboard makes him invaluable asset in tight matches. With flair for the spectacular – whether through clever snaps, contested marks, or bold tackling, Matt keeps defenders constantly on edge. While at times aggressive and combustible, that edge is also what fuels his brilliance. With 72 career goals already and a reputation for delivering in clutch moments, he looms as one of this weekend’s wild cards.
Lucy Morley (Old Scotch)
Lucy Morley made history as the first-ever women’s player to reach 100 games for Old Scotch last weekend. A key figure in the Stars and Cardinals connection, Morls’ infectious attitude and bubbly personality brings the club together. A woman built for the big stage is ready to face off in a Grand Final this weekend and hopefully achieve the ultimate success to compound her personal milestone achievement. Congratulations Luce!
Elliot Debinski (AJAX)
Elliot Debinski brings his 100th game up for AJAX this week in a massive game for the club playing in the Premier C grand final. The ultimate competitor and arguably one of the best pound-for-pound defenders in the VAFA. His strong work ethic and determination, anchored by his freakish natural aerobic capacity has enabled him to climb the ranks within the 4 walls of the club to be considered one of their most reliable and enjoyable teammates to have on the team. From his early days playing in the Sunday Thirds team to being a top 3 seniors best and fairest in past years, Elliot’s rise and ability to get the most out of himself as a player has been inspirational for all who have been on the journey with him. Elliot’s ‘will to win’ attitude is a testament to his game and character. Fittingly if the team can have that same mindset approach in the grand final on the weekend to win their one-on-one contest or at the very least not be beaten, it will go a long way to AJAX capping off their 2025 campaign with a triumphant premiership. Congratulations on this incredible milestone!
100
Callum Heath (Beaumaris)
It is fitting that Cal Heath plays his 150th game in this week’s Season decider. Cal’s elite ruck craft and marking prowess has seen him grow into one of the most influential players across the VAFA. A Big V Representative in 2024, “Choppers” presence at stoppages is commanding, using his considerable reach and timing to give his midfield first use of the ball. Cal’s ability to cover the ground, whilst also dominating aerially makes him one of Premier C’s most influential figures. His leadership is equally defining; teammates draw energy from his composure, his tactical brilliance and willingness to shoulder responsibility in crucial moments. Beyond the ruck contests, he drifts back to intercept, pushes forward to impact the scoreboard, and consistently sets the tone with his relentless work rate. As he enters the second half of his career, Cal Heath, already a two time Best & Fairest winner is well-poised to finish as one of Beaumaris’ modern-day greats.
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER
PREMIER B MEN’S
181260048112.42
Carey 181170044110.28
Williamstown CYMS 181080040120.22
Old Camberwell 181080040111.66
Old Geelong 18 99003699.58
Old Melburnians 187110028102.33 Fitzroy 18315001274.54
Hampton Rovers
181710068173.58
181620064216.28
Bedes/Mentone 181350052125.21 AJAX 181260048147.25 PEGS 181080040100.23
Glen Eira /
McKinnon 18711002883.18 Marcellin 18711002874.97 Mazenod 18414001676.14 Parkside 18414001657.85 Prahran 1801800048.23
PREMIER B MEN’S RESERVES
181170044116.87
18711002897.49
18611002473.06
18513002067.81
DIVISION 1
1811700455.28
188100032100.93
18512002077.84
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S
Caulfield Grammarians 171520160292.22
Scotch 161420256327.09
161330252170.08
Kew 16 880232 115.46
West Brunswick 16 880232 103.23
Fitzroy 17710012873.08 Old Geelong 16511022071.97
Williamstown CYMS 17512012051.26
Beaumaris 1741211446.75
B WOMEN’S
15510012077.4
150150109.08
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S RESERVES
2 WOMEN’S
1611502425.82
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
