MPFNL: VAFA medal winner Matt Emmanouil signs at Red Hill
Red Hill has landed a VAFA league best and fairest winner to spearhead its Division 2 revival in MPFNL. Here’s why he’s the perfect fit for the Hillmen...
Red Hill has secured one of metropolitan football’s rising stars, with 21-year-old Matt Emmanouil joining from Parkdale Vultures.
His impressive footy resume screams quality and longevity.
Emmanouil’s credentials are undeniable. At just 19, he claimed Parkdale’s club best and fairest in 2023.
This year, he went to another level — winning both the league and club best and fairest, serving as vice captain, and earning selection in the VAFA C Team of the Year.
The powerful inside midfielder polled votes in 16 of 19 games in 2025, highlighting the remarkable consistency that caught the eye of new Red Hill coach Ben Murphy.
“We’ve got a young list, so we wanted to add to that with some young blokes who are going to be there for a while, not just a flash in the pan,” Murphy said.
“He’s 21 and has a couple of club best and fairests and was club vice captain and made team of the year and then obviously the league medal. He’s a tough inside midfielder, runs both ways.”
Murphy said Emmanouil’s statistical profile was exactly what the Hillmen needed to bolster their midfield depth.
“I was looking at some of his stats, he’s a high contested possession and clearance winner and also a good tackler, so that’s what we were after,’’ he said.
The signing came about through Murphy’s network in the amateur leagues.
“I just had some mates who’d been watching him in the ammos and put me onto him and then I reached out to him,’’ he said.
“I got a number through a mate and I just thought, you know, it’s just a perfect sort of profile for what we’re after.”
Murphy said Red Hill was taking a measured approach to list management following relegation from Division 1, resisting the temptation to overhaul the playing group.
“We’ve basically maintained most of our list, so we don’t see that we need to go and turn the list over or anything like that,’’ he said.
“Probably some midfield depth is what we’re after, and we’ve probably got room for one or two more.
“We are trying to keep the balance right. We still want to really give the young Red Hill guys opportunities as well rather than going and bringing in seven players from outside the club.”
Emmanouil fits perfectly into Red Hill’s youth-focused strategy, with most of the list under 25 years of age.
“We just want to target the right sort of people, which we think Matt is, he fits that age profile,’’ Murphy said.
“Most of our players are under 25, so he fits in with that.”
A hard-at-it midfielder who combines strength and pace with a strong defensive edge, Emmanouil shapes as a valuable addition to Red Hill’s engine room and a perfect cultural fit for the club’s rebuild.
RED HILL 2026
Coach: Ben Murphy
IN:
Matt Presutto (Ivanhoe)
Composed ball winner with exceptional skills off half-back and penetrating midfield presence.
Matt Emmanouil (Parkdale Vultures)
The 21-year-old powerful midfielder won league and club best and fairest, served as vice captain, and earned VAFA C Team of the Year selection.
Corey Trigger
The 199cm big-bodied defender returns from basketball, eager to dominate at centre half-back after a two-year break from footy.
OUT: Michael Mock (North Brunswick), Dylan Atkins (Sorrento)
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