Some of local and country footy’s most important moments of 2023

The local footy home-and-away season had plenty of ups and downs in 2023. These are the moments that mattered most.

The local footy home-and-away season was nothing short of a rollercoaster.

From the highs of ending long losing runs to the lows of on-field violence, there have been countless moments that have mattered in 2023.

Here’s a look at some of the most significant.

COACH STOOD DOWN FOR UMPIRE ABUSE

Kangaroo Flat made the remarkable decision to sack coach Nathan Johns after he was suspended for umpire abuse. Johns was handed a four-match ban by the Bendigo Football League tribunal after abusing an umpire during a game against Sandhurst in June.

SKYE’S YOUNGEST DEBUTANT THRIVES

Skye unveiled its youngest debutant in club history when it handed 15-year-old Jake Robinson his senior cap. His debut couldn’t have gone better, the Bombers won the match and he kicked a team-lifting goal.

Cameron Cloke was forced to retire. Picture: David Geraghty

CLOKE FORCED TO RETIRE

Former AFL player Cameron Cloke was forced to retire after he was punched while playing for Templestowe in the Eastern league. Cloke was struck by Boronia captain Harry Burgess, who was later given an eight-week, ban for the incident. On the advice of specialist, Cloke gave the game away.

MILESTONE MEN SALUTE

Three different players across country footy brought up their 100th goal of the season on August 5. Brandyn Grenfell (Marong), Dominic Dare (Alvie) and Ethan Redcliffe (Mitta United) all managed to get the job down with Grenfell the first to reach the mark.

ROCHESTER TAKES OUT CLUB OF THE YEAR

After floods devastated the northern Victorian town of Rochester last year, it was a special moment when the club returned to the footy field in the Goulburn Valley League. While they didn’t win that day against Kyabram it was still a special moment. The club received a further boost last month when it was named the National AFL Community Club of the Year.

JOJO’S HEALTH BATTLE

Keysborough forward Jojo Amaah suffered a cardiac arrest during a match with Skye in April. He was resuscitated by two top trainers. The following months would see a host of stories, beginning with the Southern Football Netball League conducting an investigation, which concluded with no evidence of malice. This was contested by Amaah, who claims to have been struck off the ball. After heavy divide between the local football community, the second match between the two sides to be played in July was consequently abandoned due to concerns over crowd violence.

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

THE CARLTON DRAFT

There were plenty of moments that made clubs and their supporters smile during the Carlton Draft this season. Nathan Buckley’s return to local footy was undone by a hamstring injury while he played for Nilma Darnum after just eight minutes. It still rated better than Kane Cornes, who only had a handful of possessions. Then there were the likes of David Mundy and Bernie Vince who put on a show for their respective clubs.

MOE END LOCAL FOOTY’S LONGEST WINNING STREAK

Moe pulled off a Gippsland League stunner earlier in the season when it got the better of Leongatha to end the Parrots’ 34-game unbeaten run. The Lions are currently in a battle to win their first senior premiership since 1967.

VIOLENCE MARS EDFL SENIOR CLASH

In May, the Essendon District Football League Division 1 clash between Hillside and St Albans at Kings Park was abandoned after a brawl broke out and involved spectators and players. The clubs were eventually handed down heavy fines as police handed down sanctions to three people involved in the brawl. The incident was among the reasons for new measures being introduced by EDFL officials including spectators being banned from the coach’s huddle at breaks.

ST KILDA CITY’S MID-SEASON EXODUS

Southern league club St Kilda City wore the brunt of an avalanche of clearances before the June 30 player transfer deadline. The proud club out of the Peanut Farm had players walking left, right and centre in the final week before the clearance closure and were left reaching for players.

Gary Ablett. (Photo by Josh Chadwick)

ABLETT’S RETURN

Gary Ablett Jr delved into his bag of tricks to inspire Creswick to a memorable win in his first local footy game in Victoria since retiring. The Geelong great kicked the first and last goal of the day as the Saints got the better of Ballan.

JUNIOR FORWARD’S MONSTER DAY IN FRONT OF GOAL

Lindenow’s Peter Harrison filled his boots with an almighty 42 goals in the East Gippsland league’s under-17.5 competition in August. The 18-year-old filled his boots in a 43.9 (267) to 0.1 (1) victory over Paynesville shattering the club record for goals kicked in a match – said to be 22. Harrison eventually finished the season with 78 goals.

Harley Reid. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

HARLEY REID’S TONGALA FAREWELL?

Expected to be the number one pick in this year’s AFL Draft, Harley Reid gave Tongala one lasting memory with a stunning display against Echuca United. Reid had over 30 touches and booted three goals in his side’s victory, being named as the Blues’ best player.

ULTIMA’S REMARKABLE TURNAROUND

In 2022, Ultima finished bottom of the Golden Rivers league. And now they’ll play in a second semi-final for a place in the grand final. Ultima finished as minor premier after losing one game during the home-and-away season.

SON’S DEBUT OUTSHINES DAD

Airport West youngster Harrison Rogers enjoyed a special day when he outshone his legendary father Clayton on debut for Airport West in the EDFL. Harry was named among the better players as the Eagles recorded a win over Avondale Heights. Clayton celebrated his 400th game earlier in the year.

ANAKIE BREAKS THROUGH

Geelong and District Football League outfit Anakie broke through for its first win in four years with “happy tears” pouring down the face of supporters. The Roos stunned North Geelong to secure a victory after a losing run that extended to 39 matches.

BOOMER’S BAD BREAK

North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey was rushed to hospital after suffering a badly broken leg in North Heidelberg’s season opener against Heidelberg. In a seemingly innocuous incident, Harvey – who played 432 AFL games between 1996 and 2016 – won the ball in a contest before going to ground awkwardly. The game was stopped for several minutes while the Australian football Hall of Famer was stabilised and carried off. Harvey had to wait until halftime for an ambulance to arrive and take him to Epworth Hospital.

COLLINGWOOD PROSPECT’S HEFTY BAN

Collingwood ruck prospect Bassirou Faye was given a three-match ban for striking while playing for Frankston YCW in May. During his senior debut, Faye struck an opposition player. His coach, Paul Goonan, said the player was “very apologetic” after what happened.