VAFA: Old Ivanhoe regains ex-AFL Tiger and Eagle Patrick Naish
Old Ivanhoe has landed one of the recruits of the VAFA off-season, securing a former Richmond and West Coast Eagles midfielder.
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He played alongside Dustin Martin and Nic Naitanui in the AFL.
Now Patrick Naish will have a kick with his childhood mates, including Harry Frazer, at Old Ivanhoe Grammarians in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
It’s a return of sorts for the 25-year-old.
Naish played with Old Ivanhoe in 2023 before spending the 2024 season at Wangaratta in the Ovens and Murray league.
He played for the Tigers and the Eagles in the AFL after being drafted to Richmond at pick No. 34 in 2017 AFL national draft, making his Tigers debut in Round 12, 2019 against Geelong alongside Brownlow medal winners Martin and Trent Cotchin.
Naish was a part of Richmond’s VFL premiership-winning side in 2019.
In 2022, the former Ivanhoe Grammar student joined West Coast where he played 11 games for the season.
Old Ivanhoe president Chris Branigan said all at the club were thrilled to have Naish back.
“He’s an Old Grammarian of the school, his best mate is captain of the footy club, and lots of peers are at the club as well,’’ Branigan said.
“He really enjoyed 2023 with us. He went to Wangaratta because there’s a lot of Naish family in Wangaratta on both his mum and dad’s side.
“Ultimately he’s come back to us because he does a fair bit of driving during the week with his sales role at Kookaburra and was sick of all the driving so he thought he’d come back to Melbourne and play with us.’’
Meanwhile, Old Ivanhoe — after finishing fifth with a 10-8 record in Premier B last season — has retained almost its entire list.
Billy Murphy, who’s won the last two competition best and fairests in Premier C and then B, has committed to attempting to make it three from three.
In another boost, Western Bulldogs premiership player Toby McLean has also recommitted for 2025. He started the ‘24 season like a house on fire but then missed games with a hamstring injury and also with his coaching duties at the Bulldogs’ AFLW side (he’s midfield coach).
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