The best 20 players from the AFL Yarra Ranges and YVMDFL from 2000 to 2018
The AFL Yarra Ranges and Yarra Valley Mountain District footy leagues are no more, but some great players graced the game over the years. David Turner has a shot at naming the best 20 since 2000, but did he get it right? Vote in our poll.
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When it joined forces with the South East Football Netball League to form the AFL Outer East in 2019, AFL Yarra Ranges — the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League to many — departed into the pages of history.
But before that amalgamation, there was some great footy played in the Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges and today we look at 20 of the very best players of the last two decades of the league.
Over that time there’s been a healthy number of players who've graduated from the league to the ranks of the AFL or, when their big league careers had finished, played some great footy back in the Yarra Valley or the Dandenong Ranges.
Players like Damian Monkhorst at Woori Yallock, Gary Moorcroft at Silvan and Brookers greats Michael Firrito and Andrew Ship have all been stars in the AFL Yarra Ranges and the YVMDFL.
But all had their best years in the AFL ranks and, in an effort to “keep it local”, we’ll move them to one side.
So here’s 20 of the finest players from the last two decades of the AFL Yarra Ranges/YVMDFL, an A-Z (well a B-W) of the best of the best.
DID WE GET IT RIGHT? SCROLL DOWN TO VOTE IN OUR POLL.
Liam Barnard (Warburton Millgrove)
A real nuggety, in-and-under halfback possessing a good kick, great balance and the ability to run hard all day.
Barnard won the league best-and-fairest award, the Ramage Medal, in 2013 and was an interleague rep.
Last year, after almost a decade of top-shelf service, Barnard was still one of the competition's best, earning nomination for the AFL Outer East Division 1 team of the year.
Barnard continues to be a great servant of the club, coach Brendon Murphy joking in December, “one of our former skippers, Liam Barnard, and his partner, Victoria, just had their first baby — a boy to go father/son in 18 years!”
Jarrod Bayliss (Wandin)
Bayliss was a classy, long-kicking centreman, capable of chipping in a few goals when needed.
Silky-skilled, he could play forward or back, but was most prominent as an attacking midfielder.
After coaching the Bulldogs from 2010-14, he handed the reins to Brett Fisher and captained the Bulldogs to their unbeaten clean sweep in 2015.
He then coached again in 2016 before heading to Park Orchards in the EFL and coaching the Sharks to a flag.
A Ramage Medallist in 2014, Bayliss was also an interleague coach and captain.
Craig Clarke (Gembrook Cockatoo)
The towering Brookers ruckman won the Division 2 best-and-fairest award, the Wandin Medal, in 2004 and led the Brookers to a Division 2 grand final win over Kinglake in 2016. He later coached Gembrook Cockatoo.
Clarke spent time in the VFA with Springvale and Frankston and was rookie drafted to Carlton after Springvale’s 1999 VFA premiership win.
The imposing Clarke was a great tap ruckman who carried the league’s ruck stocks at rep level for many years and earned All-Australian selection.
He was still playing vets footy last season, a member of the Brookers side that lost the AFL Outer East grand final to Healesville.
Vincent Dunstan (Monbulk)
The epitome of a blue-collar worker, Dunstan was a tough in-and-under player who captained the Hawks to their flag-winning double of 2005-06.
Always reliable, always hard-at-it — in the ilk of a Joel Selwood — there were few if any hardworking midfielders like him.
Dunstan was a co-winner of the 2007 Ramage Medal and an interleague representative.
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Sam Gooley (Upwey Tecoma)
Just an all-round class act on the wing. Tall for a winger, he could run all day and was an interleague rep.
He won the VCFL medal as best afield in Upwey Tecoma’s 2011 grand final win over Gembrook Cockatoo.
Tom Hedge (Upwey Tecoma)
Another of the league’s great ruckmen.
He was arguably more dangerous as a forward and, at 200cm, was a constant threat when close to goal.
Took a lot of marks and kicked a bag of goals and was a co-winner of the Ramage Medal in 2007.
Hedge was rookie drafted by Carlton in 2003 and spent time in the VFL with the Northern Bullants and the Box Hill Hawks.
A Leader survey of coaches in 2013 saw Hedge, by then a veteran, rated the most influential player in the competition, his size making him near-impossible to match up on when close to goal. Sadly, shoulder injuries robbed him of a lot of footy.
Marcus Hottes (Olinda Ferny Creek)
Marcus Hottes became the answer to the trivia question “Who was the last ever AFL Yarra Ranges/YVMDFL B&F winner?” when he won the Ramage Medal in 2018, that win ending a run of half a dozen second-place finishes in such awards.
Great at getting the ball, Hottes has been an outstanding forward-playing midfielder who can do it all — wing, forward, centre even ruckman when needed.
A premiership player with Olinda Ferny Creek in 2017, he played with the Eastern Ranges, was a B&F at Lilydale and spent time in the WAFL with Subiaco.
An outstanding rep player for both the EFL and AFL Yarra Ranges, he was in the leadership group for the very first AFL Outer-East rep team last year.
Lachlan Meadows (Olinda Ferny Creek)
Another class act on the wing for the Bloods.
Meadows was a great mark, a very good reader of the play and an excellent user of the football. He was a club B&F as well as an interleague rep.
As a junior, Meadows played with the Eastern Ranges and earned Vic Metro selection.
He later spent time with VFL’s Casey Scorpions.
Ben Monkhorst (Woori Yallock)
The shortest of the Monkhorst clan, Ben has played as an undersized centre half-forward and dangerous half-forward flanker.
Possessing great balance, he is rarely knocked off his feet and is an exceptional kick on either side of the body.
A youngster during the Tigers’ great flag-winning triple of 2012-14 he went on to spend time with Collingwood’s VFL side.
Monkhorst played interleague footy and earned Vic Country selection for a clash with Vic Metro in 2016.
Still one of Woori Yallock’s best last year, he has opted to test himself in the EFL this year, heading to South Croydon with his great mate Jordy Williams.
Justin Myers (Wandin/Seville)
Always bringing his A-Game to the big stage, Myers has played some of his best footy in finals and interleague games.
A solid midfielder who kicks a lot of long goals, he’s rarely bettered in one-on-ones — a player who just hates to get beaten.
A vital cog in Wandin’s 2015 premiership clean sweep, Myers was at Seville last year and helped the Blues to the flag while earning team of the year selection.
Luke McCormick (Monbulk)
One of the best rovers of the past 20 years, McCormick was super fit and never stopped running.
Possessing great balance he was always able to keep his feet and was never beaten in a contest.
McCormick spent time with North Melbourne and Port Melbourne before winning East Ringwood’s B&F in the ’Roos’ premiership year of 2002.
An outstanding leader of men and a great teacher of football, he was playing-coach at Monbulk and is now at the helm of EFL’s South Croydon.
Nathan O’Keefe (Seville)
One of the most destructive goalkickers of recent seasons.
Long and lanky, in the build of a Michael Tuck, O’Keefe can kick the ball 50m or 60m and has the ability to turn opponents inside out with his agility.
Though most notably a forward, O’Keefe can play as an on-baller or utility when needed and is a genuine matchwinner on his day.
Drafted by North Melbourne from the Eastern Ranges in 2008, he played two games at Arden St before returning to Lilydale in the EFL and then to Seville in 2013.
O’Keefe kicked eight goals in Seville’s premiership win last year and, in 2018, booted 25 in the Blues’ total of 59.21 against Thornton Eildon, the third-highest total in league history.
Matt Polkinghorne (Wandin)
A star at Mooroolbark in the EFL — captain, four club B&Fs and a premiership — Matt Polkinghorne quickly stamped himself on the AFL Yarra Ranges by dominating in the midfield for some very strong Wandin sides.
Not tall, but massively strong, Polkinghorne was a great mark for his size and always put the ball to the advantage of a teammate.
An interleague captain, he was also a member of the Vic Country side that beat Vic Metro in 2016.
A stellar 2015 saw him win the Ramage Medal and play a vital role in Wandin’s unbeaten premiership year.
Robbie Ross (Wandin)
One of the most versatile bigmen of the past decade, Ross played a big part in Wandin’s clean sweep premiership season in 2015.
Whether ruck, centre half-forward or centre half-back, Ross can have a big influence on the game.
An excellent tap ruckman he has proven to be very adept at a defensive ruck role, dominating the air a kick behind the play.
A co-winner of the Ramage Medal in 2017, Ross was an interleague regular and, more recently, has been a premiership star with EFL powerhouse Vermont.
Danny Ryan (Woori Yallock)
Ryan stands as one of the greatest leaders in league history, many would argue he sits at the top of that list.
A 300-gamer at Woori Yallock, he took the coaching reins from Damian Monkhorst and led the Tigers to a premiership hat trick from 2012-14.
As a player he was something of a forerunner to the modern footballer, a tremendous running halfback with a massive motor who could run all day and kick goals.
A premiership player and coach as well as an interleague player and coach, he shared the Ramage Medal in 2005.
Josh Taylor (Emerald)
Another player who epitomised the modern game.
An outstanding halfback, he read the play brilliantly and was prepared to back himself and run off his man.
And, when he got the Sherrin, he was an outstanding user of the ball.
He was an interleague captain and was also a handy coach, guiding Emerald to the Division 2 flag in 2011.
He later moved to Wandin and was best-afield when the Bulldogs won the 2015 Division 1 premiership.
“JT’s been an absolute rock for us. His knowledge, poise and the way he’s been able to settle and compose the boys in the back six. It was just desserts for the way he went about it,’’ flag-winning coach Brett Fisher said at the time.
Scott Tregoning (Olinda Ferny Creek)
Tregoning had a great physique for a midfielder.
Very strong, he never lost his balance and was rarely, if ever, beaten one-on-one.
A very underestimated player, one league official confessing recently he wasn’t invited to the 2008 league B&F count but was tracked down sharpish as he moved towards his Ramage Medal win.
It was an outstanding effort, given the Bloods were relegated that year and he finished ahead of a field that included ex-AFL/VFL stars like Gary Moorcroft, Andrew Shipp and Damian Monkhorst.
The following year he proved it was no fluke when he won Division 2’s Wandin Medal and led Olinda to a premiership and an instant return to the top flight.
Ryan Van Hoorn (Upwey Tecoma)
Tall halfback, very consistent with a long kick and a great reader of the play.
A Tigers captain and a premiership player in 2009 and 2011. He was vice-captain of the league’s rep team in 2008.
Shane Williams (Gembrook Cockatoo/Monbulk)
A versatile midfielder, who could also play centre half-forward or rover, Williams was one of those gifted players who could turn his hand to just about anything.
Not quite six-foot, he was a very good mark for his size and, possessing great strength, was difficult to knock off his feet in a contest.
A long kick, he also managed to bag a lot of goals for a midfielder.
A Brookers skipper and a driving force in the Gembrook Cockatoo sides that reached three grand finals on the trot from 2010 to 2012, he later moved to Monbulk when the Brookers dropped to Division 2 and continued a glittering career in the top flight.
Tim Wragg (Monbulk)
A big, strong half-forward with a long left-foot kick, Wragg was also a good mark and a very underrated forward.
Very strong at ground level, he was always extremely difficult to match up on, at 190cm he was too big for a small opponent and too agile for a tall.
He was a key part of Monbulk’s back-to-back premiership wins of 2005 and 2006 and kicked five goals in the grand final win over Upwey Tecoma in 2006.
An interleague regular in his playing days, in recent years Wragg has come back as an assistant-coach on interleague coaching panels.
Still a handy player, he helped Mt Evelyn to the 2018 veterans’ premiership.
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