All of the big moments from the 2023 local footy season

The 2023 local footy season was full of plenty of highs and lows which will go down in history. Here are the moments that shaped this year.

There has been plenty of big moments in local footy this season. We list the ones which shaped the year.

The 2023 local footy season broguht many highs and lows.

There were moments that will go down in history and others that will want to be quickly forgotten.

Here’s a look at some of the key moments that shaped the season that was 2023.

BUCKLEY’S RETURN UNDONE BY INJURY

A shake of the head. A look of frustration. Eight minutes into his return to football with Nilma Darnum in July, Nathan Buckley pinged his left hamstring. He’d led out from full forward and laid a tackle – and got up grabbing his left hammy. “Is he going off because of the rain?” A fan in the crowd yelled as Bucks gingerly headed for the interchange bench. Nearby, former AFL star Jonathan Brown, can in hand, saw the whole thing. “Oh no, he’s done his hammy,” Browny said. A big crowd turned up at Darnum, near Drouin, to see the Collingwood legend play his first match in 17 years. Looking fit, he didn’t miss a target in the warm-up and he moved well as Nilma Darnum attacked numerous times in the first five minutes.

Nathan Buckley on his return. (Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images for Bursty PR)

EX-AFL BIG MAN FELLED 

Former AFL big man Cameron Cloke announced his retirement from local football just days after he was struck by an opponent while playing for Templestowe in an Eastern league Division 2 match in May, declaring he can’t let his family see him “get hurt anymore”. Cloke fell to the ground after being struck by Boronia captain Harry Burgess, who later received an eight-match suspension. The hit landed the 38-year-old in hospital, but Cloke returned to action some months later for Templestowe in a preliminary final.

COUNTRY CAT GOES LARGE

Entering the last round of the season 20 majors behind in the East Gippsland under-17.5 goalkicking tally, Lindenow’s Peter Harrison filled his boots with a club-record 42 goals against Paynesville in the final home-and-away match to claim the medal. The 18-year-old’s 42.8 (260) rocketed him to 78 majors from 15 matches for the season – 18 clear of second spot – shattering the Cats’ previous club record for goals scored in a match, said to be 22.

TEENAGER DIES AFTER INJURY

The Bendigo Football Netball League was rocked earlier this year with the death of Castlemaine footballer Dallas Keogh-Frankling. The 17-year-old was playing an under-18 game against Kyneton when he was tackled in the final quarter and went off the field. His condition worsened and despite an ambulance taking him to the nearby Kyneton Hospital, he didn’t recover from his injury, which is believed to have been a ruptured spleen.

Dallas Keogh-Frankling.

MOYSTON WILLAURA’S BIG LOSS

Moyston Willaura, in the Mininera league, suffered the biggest loss of the season, losing by 384 points to rivals Wickliffe Lake Bolac. Wickliffe Lake Bolac had 20 of their 21 players kick a goal and kicked 21 goals in the final term. Moyston Willaura’s president Terry Keilar said a combination of injuries and having just 28 players to pick from with reserves and seniors had a major impact in the loss.

FIRST BID FAILS TO MOVE TO MORNINGTON

Then Southern league Division 1 reigning premiers Cranbourne was the first domino to fall in a string of clubs bidding to join the Mornington Peninsula league.

DOLDRUMS TO THE DIAS

Little over a decade ago Surrey Park was on its knees. Weathering a 67-game losing streak amid four winless seasons from Round 17, 2008 to Round 1, 2013, the club collected five consecutive wooden spoons from 2008-2012. A decade on and the club toasted its first-ever Eastern league premiership in 2023 with a 14.17 (101) to 6.9 (45) rout of Kilsyth in the Eastern league Division 4 decider.

KEILOR GOES PERFECT

Keilor has been a powerhouse of the Essendon District league for a long time now and Mick McGuane guided his side to a perfect season as premiers and champions in 2023. The Blues often brushed aside the teams before them which was capped off by a brilliant grand final win against Strathmore.

CELEBRATION TO TRAGEDY

Fish Creek won its 37th senior premiership as a club in the Mid Gippsland league, becoming the first team to beat Newborough all season to claim the flag. It was Fish Creek’s first premiership in the competitions after winning the other 36 in the Alberton (20) and other competitions from 1891 to 1953 (16). But a few weeks later the celebrations turned to tragedy as their clubrooms were burnt down. It’s believed to have been deliberately lit.

The Fish Creek Football Netball Club rooms.

FORMER CROWS’ STUNNING EFFORT

Former Adelaide Crow Myles Cook tore his ACL while playing for Cheltenham back in August but that didn’t stop him from playing a big part in success. He eventually played a key role in his side’s grand final win.

HAWKS RISE TO THE TOP 

Just 20 years ago Rowville competed in the Eastern league’s Division 4. This season it triumphed for its first top-division flag, defeating powerhouse Vermont following grand final heartbreak the previous year.

JESS KOOPMAN’S CELEBRATION HORROR

Yarrawonga’s Jess Koopman is expected to make a full recovery despite suffering a horror injury during celebration of his team’s premiership in the Ovens and Murray competition. Fireworks exploded in his face, causing severe burns and damage to his airways, which required him to be sent to hospital in Melbourne. Thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery despite being in a coma for a period of time.

EDFL’S WILD BRAWL

Hillside and St Albans players and supporters were involved in a wild brawl during the first game between the two sides this year. Footage emerged of the incident which forced the game to be abandoned at three-quarter-time.

COROWA-RUTHERGLEN’S ROLLERCOASTER

This year’s Ovens and Murray competition was down to nine teams after Corowa Rutherglen went into recess. The team was devastated by floods in October 2022 before a mass exodus of players sealed their fate and forced the club to sit on the sidelines. The club is now planning on returning next season and have signed more than 20 players as it ramps up coming back.

HEIDELBERG’S BACK-TO-BACK FLAGS

For the second season in a row Heidelberg was too good for Bundoora, clinching back-to-back NFNL Division 1 premierships with a 22-point victory, the club’s 30th senior premiership, 22nd in the NFNL’s top flight, and incredibly the 10th time it has won consecutive flags.

Heidelberg coach Vinny Dattoli and captain Sam Gilmore celebrate after winning the NFNL Division 1 grand final. Picture: Andy Brownbill

A POINTS BREACH ON THE PENINSULA

A Mornington Peninsula football league team’s quest for finals was turned on its head after being docked premiership points for breaching the player points system in July.

The Frankston Bombers were found to have exceeded the points cap with three players in its 52-point win over Sorrento in Round 4. AFL South East docked the Frankston Bombers four premiership points (and awarded those points to Sorrento) and stripped them of their percentage. Frankston Bombers recovered to make the finals.

ELTHAM HITS OUT

In a unprecedented move, mid-season rumours of bankruptcy and salary cap rorting forced eventual NFNL Division 2 premier Eltham to go public and explain its unique player payment structure.

ST JOHN’S BOOTED FROM THE GRAND

Division 4 VAFA club St John’s Old Collegians was booted from the reserves grand final just days out from the decider after it was found to have played an ineligible player in the prelim. The player in question was deemed to not be eligible after not playing the required four reserves games.

ANAKIE’S DROUGHT COMES TO AN END

Back in June, Anakie’s barren run in the Geelong and District Football League finally came to an end. The Roos secured a win over North Geelong was their first since round 17, 2019.

Anakie broke its drought.

A FAIRYTALE FOR THE VAMPIRES

It was a “fairytale” for coach Nick Jewell and his star-laden East Brighton side after the Vampires secured the Southern league Division 2 title.

TIGERS’ PREMIERSHIP UPSET

Halting the South Belgrave juggernaut seemed like Mission: Impossible for Eastern Division 1 clubs this season – but Mitcham did just that on grand final day, upsetting a previously-unbeaten Saints outfit to claim the flag and deny the star-studded minor premier a third consecutive crown. The triumph also marked a third premiership in eight years for the Tigers (six years if the two Covid-wiped seasons are discounted) – all under long serving coach Neil Winterton.

SICKENING OFF THE BALL HIT LANDS LIFE BAN

Thomastown reserve grade player Ashley Hood was suspended for 16 weeks, automatically triggering a life ban, after a sickening off the ball hit that left his Northcote Park opponent convulsing on the ground unconscious.

LAURIMAR’S STUNNING FINISH

A stunning late surge saw Laurimar snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and claim a dramatic NFNL Division 3 premiership, the club’s first senior flag in its six-year existence. Jacson Cecil was paid a highly contentious mark and the Power forward lived every kids dream has he nailed the winning goal with just seconds left on the clock.

WILD GRAND FINAL HIT

The Essendon District Football League’s Division 1 grand final made headlines for all the wrong reasons when West Coburg’s Jordan Gloury was sent off for elbowing a Deer Park opponent. He eventually received a major suspension for the incident where he struck Jake McKenzie, the brother of Port Adelaide defender Trent.

JENSEN’S BRILLIANT RETURN

Diggers Rest captain Mitch Jensen kicked six goals in his first game in four months to lift the Burras to a heart-stopping extra-time semi-final win over Wallan. The two teams couldn’t be separated at the end of the fourth quarter, 14.8 (92) apiece, and were locked level at 15.8 (98) after the first five minutes of extra-time before Marcus Calvaresi and Jaidyn Caruana goalled in the second half to seal a seven-point victory.

KYNETON CREATE HISTORY

Kyneton were crowned queens of the Riddell District after claiming the inaugural RDFNL Women’s premiership with a 23-point victory over Macedon at Gilbert Gordon Oval. The club lost just one game for the season as it stormed to a historic flag.

COLLINGWOOD RUCK PROSPECT’S BAN

Collingwood’s Senegalese ruck prospect Bassirou Faye was suspended by the Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League tribunal in May after a dramatic altercation while playing with Frankston YCW. The Collingwood international rookie scholarship holder was suspended for a total of three matches for striking by the tribunal after lashing out at several Mt Eliza players in the opening minutes of the Round 8 game and was red carded. He was making his senior debut for YCW.