VAFA 2021: 10 teams, 10 wins for Old Xaverians

Former AFL player Rohan Bewick opened the VAFA season with 10 goals on a day when Old Xavs enjoyed 10 wins.

Rohan Bewick takes a kick for Old Xavs during his stunning match against St Bernard’s. Photo © Panagiotis Kasseris

It was a slashing start to the VAFA season for Old Xaverians.

A 10-out-of-10 start, you might say.

The amateur football power fielded a record 10 teams on Saturday and all of them took the points on a day when local football made its much-anticipated return from COVID-19.

And it just so happened that Xavs’ star former AFL player Rohan Bewick booted 10 goals in the Premier division victory over St Bernard’s.

“It was a fantastic day; it was great to be playing footy again,’’ club president Matt Cosgrave said on Sunday.

“It was a great reward for people who have put in a lot of hard work in the past 12, 18 months.’’

Old Xaverians turned out seniors, reserves, Under 23s, Thirds, the Crocodiles Club 18, three Under 19s teams and two women’s sides on Saturday.

The club had nine teams in 2019.

Bewick, described by Cosgrave as a “special talent’’, gave an outstanding display.

The former AFL player joined Xavs in 2019, after finishing an AFL career that brought him 103 matches between 2011-2018.

He kicked 10 of his team’s 17 goals in a 17.6 (108) to 11.10 (76) victory over the Snow Dogs.

Former Hawthorn premiership player Ryan Schoenmakers played his first match for Xavs, as did ex-VFL players Julian Soccio, Jack Noone and Grant Valles.

And Under 19 products Joe Ayton-Delaney and Charlie Macisaac made their senior debuts.

Western Bulldogs premiership player Tom Boyd had his first outing for St Kevin’s and booted four goals in its 9.9 (63) to 4.9 (33) victory over Collegians.

Tom Jok, returning to SKOBs and amateur football after his sting with Essendon in the AFL, sparkled for the winners.

Former Western Bulldogs left-footer Josh Prudden and ex-Hawthorn defender David Mirra were among the best for the Lions.

Old Melburnians booted the highest score of the round in Premier, 18.12 (120) to defeat the promoted Caulfield Grammarians 9.12 (66), with Sam Dunell slotting three goals in his return to the club.

And on old Sunday Old Brighton raised eyebrows with its stunning 16.17 (113) to 10.11 (71) victory over reigning premiers University Blues.

The Tonners trailed by 26 points at half time but booted eight goals to none in the third quarter and finished off with four goals to one in the final quarter.

Ruckman Lachlan Filopovic was best-afield, shading on-ballers Nick Pavlou and Harry Hill.

Finn Campigli and Michael Karayannis both kicked three goals for the winners.

Tom Boyd set for VAFA debut for St Kevin’s

He’s fit.

He’s been firing in practice matches.

And Western Bulldogs 2016 premiership hero Tom Boyd will make his debut for St Kevin’s in the VAFA Premier section on Saturday.

Boyd attracted much attention and created a lot of discussion when he joined the amateur power 18 months ago, crossing from Norwood in the Eastern league.

He had returned to Norwood after walking away from the AFL early in the 2019 season.

Boyd played 61 AFL matches, the most striking in the 2016 grand final against Sydney when he kicked three goals.

SKOBs have had to wait a season longer than they expected to see their recruit play for premiership points, but he’ll make his debut on Saturday against Collegians at TH King Oval.

“He’s shaping up well,’’ St Kevin’s coach Guy Martyn said of Boyd.

“He’s looking a lot fitter than 12 months ago and he played very well the other week against Blackburn. He kicked four or five and he would have kicked another four or five if it wasn’t for some umpiring decisions.’’

Tom Boyd playing for Norwood.

The word out of St Kevin’s is that Boyd is enjoying his football and his time at the club.

He’s been added to the team leadership group.

“He was keen to do that,’’ Martyn said.

“I asked him if that was something he was interested in and he said absolutely.

“He’s vocal, he’s professional. You can tell the guys who have played at a higher standard in terms of them rocking up to training well before time, getting prepared, training properly. He’s coaching too. He’s not a coach by title but he’s doing a lot of work with the forwards when they do their line meetings.’’

Boyd had ankle surgery last October and missed some training before Christmas but he’s attended every session since.

He’s one of a long line of former AFL players to link with amateur football since the 2019 season.

SKOBs have also gained former Carlton midfielder and Richmond VFL captain Jaryd Cachia, a St Kevin’s student, and regained Tom Jok following his stint at Essendon.

They’ve also got back four players who had been on VFL lists – Josh Wallis, Gerard Gleeson, Billy Coates and Billy Kanakis.

Ex-Docker and Giant Tom Sheridan will debut for Collegians.

“They’ve always played with us but they’ve juggled their time between the VFL and us … that sort of set-up isn’t great, I don’t think,’’ Martyn said.

“The relationships are fine but it’s not a good set-up when guys train somewhere and then play for a different club. So having those guys with us regularly will give us continuity.’’

That said, St Kevin’s still has a number of players attached to VFL clubs, including Footscray captain Lachie Sullivan, Riley Bowman (Box Hill Hawks), Patrick Kerr and Angus Hanrahan (Port Melbourne).

Martyn said he was expecting a “strong, even comp, not just across the top three or four sides, but the top eight, nine, 10 … it will be on, and it will be hot every game.’’

Collegians will unveil its newest recruit, Tom Sheridan, against SKOBs.

The 27-year-old midfielder and half back is coming off a two-year, two-game stint with Greater Western Sydney. He’d previously played 81 matches with Fremantle.

Collegians star Viv Michie played alongside Sheridan with the Dockers, but he has other connections at the club. When he was with GWS he shared a house with Toby Greene, who attended Wesley, and got to know his friendship group.

He’s become tight with Lion Jake Trotter.

“He likes to recruit people but I don’t think he’s recruited anyone in two years,’’ Sheridan said of Trotter.

“So I thought I’d better give him his first recruit, to get the ball rolling.

“Look, I wasn’t sure about playing footy this year … I was still wrestling with it even a couple of weeks ago … but I have missed being around a group of lads and a football club. Being at home now, I feel like I’ve settled in and it’s more the connection piece.

“I am a bit nervous about not doing a pre-season but I have been training a fair bit.’’

Former Hawthorn defender David Mirra, ex-Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Prudden, and former Adelaide and Melbourne ruckman John Meesen have also come into the Collegians team since 2019.

The Lions also have a new coach in former Melbourne and Geelong defender Jared Rivers.

Between St Kevin’s and Collegians there could be more than a dozen former AFL players involved in Saturday’s match.