VAFA: Big guns earn Big V squad selection

One coach has declared it the “strongest squad” put together and now the challenge of putting together a side is ahead of them. See the VAFA guns in contention for a historic game.

Brede Seccull is in the men’s squad. Picture: VAFA Media

The VAFA’s best men’s and women’s players have been recognised with selection in the Big V squad.

This year will mark the centenary of the Big V concept where the Ammos take on the Perth Football League at Elsternwick Park on Saturday, July 12.

Men’s coach Daniel Harford has named a 37-player squad stacked with talent with Fitzroy’s Dane Harvey the only player from outside the Premier competition included.

Among those selected by the former Carlton AFLW coach are players currently on VFL list.

Harford said he had a clear position on the type of players he would pick.

“We want to be able to move the ball with a good level of flow,” he said.

“We’ll need ‘pigs in the trough’ to win the footy in the first place and then we’re looking for flexibility that allows us to move it out into space, while also having mobile athletic players set up behind the ball with good footy nous.

“From there, we looked for certain profiles – particular sizes, athletic capabilities and skill sets to fit those various roles within our system.

“We need multiple options in each category as we realise there is still a fair bit of footy to be played between now and game day.”

The women’s squad currently sits at 42 players as coach Paul Groves returns for a third consecutive year.

“Across the three years, this is the strongest squad we’ve put together,” Groves said.

“It speaks volumes for the women’s competition that we’ve seen teams come up from Premier B this season and their players immediately look at home in the top tier. The likes of Old Geelong and Willy CYMS have been competitive in A-Grade, with players that are certainly worthy of being in the Big V mix.”

Men’s squad

Campbell Walker (Collegians), Max Pinchbeck (Collegians), Will Pewtress (Collegians), Dylan Thomas (Collegians), Alex Lukic (Collegians), Dane Harvey (Fitzroy), Max Benier (Old Brighton), Hamish Dick (Old Brighton), Harry Hill (Old Brighton), James Hope (Old Brighton), Jordan Segar (Old Brighton), Sam Flockart (Old Brighton), Olli Hotton (Old Haileybury), Brede Seccull (Old Haileybury), Josh Gasparini (Old Haileybury), Jack Bell (Old Haileybury), Andreas Stefanakis (Old Haileybury), Charlie Cormack (Old Scotch), Sam Grant (Old Scotch), James Tarrant (Old Scotch), Jed Feneley (Old Xaverians), Marcus Stavrou (Old Xaverians), Charlie MacIsaac (Old Xaverians), Tom Jok (St Kevin’s), Anthony Seaton (St Kevin’s), Jack Andriske (St Kevin’s), Luke Winter (St Kevin’s), Mitch Hughes (St Bernards), Ben Huggard (St Bernards), Sam McKenzie (University Blacks), Campbell Moorfield (University Blacks), Fred Valpied (University Blacks), Kane Loftus (University Blacks), Marty Gleeson (University Blues), Darcy Chirgwin (University Blues), Ben Townson (University Blues), James Stewart (University Blues).

Women’s squad

Jasmine Shepherd (Beaumaris), Taylah Tysoe (Beaumaris), Chloe O’Malley (Caulfield Grammarians), Ebony Angelopoulos (Caulfield Grammarians), Milly Hines (Caulfield Grammarians), Ellie Cleland (Caulfield Grammarians), Olivia Brilliant (Fitzroy), Jaime Nelson (Fitzroy), Cecilia McIntosh (Glen Eira), Amelia Dawborn (Kew), Jade Hillas (Kew), Annie Xanthos (Marcellin), Jasmine Tait (Old Brighton), India Tait (Old Brighton), Georgia Nicholas (Old Geelong), Mietta Passon (Old Geelong), Sophia Rothfield (Old Geelong), Brooke McKay (Old Geelong), Ellen Williams (Old Melburnians), Mia Cowan (Old Scotch), Eloise Defina (Old Scotch), Katie Hunter-Scott (Old Scotch), Anais Everitt (Old Scotch), Jade Wise (Old Scotch), Maxine Wells (Old Scotch), Emily Tassiopoulos (Old Scotch), Erin Woodford (Old Yarra Cobras), Emily Condon (St Kevin’s), Jess Joyce (St Kevin’s), Kate Stanton (St Kevin’s), Belinda Woolcock (St Kevin’s), Bree Doyle (St Kevin’s), Sarah Betts (St Kevin’s), Hannah Smith (St Kevin’s), Mischa Beaconsfield (St Kevin’s), Sophie Stewart (West Brunswick), Taylah Watson (West Brunswick), Vic Holt (West Brunswick), Sarah Jolly (West Brunswick), Georgia Alomes (West Brunswick), Krystal Russell (Williamstown CYMS), Ella Tyson (Williamstown CYMS).

VAFA SQUAD TO TAKE ON BENDIGO NAMED

On Thursday, the VAFA unveiled a 49-player squad from the Premier B to Division 3 competitions to take on the Bendigo Football League on Sunday, July 13 in the central Victorian town.

Former Fitzroy coach Luke Mahoney has taken on the top job for a second straight year.

“We got there in the end, but it wasn’t easy because of the increase in talent, especially in our Divisions, which really stood out to us. There were a lot more options this year,” said Mahoney.

“Being our second year doing the exercise, we had a better starting point with our whole coaching group on board again. We have a clear understanding of how we want to play, so we knew who to target and why, which was a big advantage for us.

“We grouped players into the roles we know we need – for example, running backs, inside mids and outside mids. We then saw plenty of footy live and on tape and worked our way through those groups.

“We’re very happy with where we’ve ended up, given the quality we’ve got. It’s a good, well-rounded, balanced squad.”

Squad: Thomas Wilson (Albert Park), Harry Flack (Aquinas), Riley Virtue (Beaumaris), Callum Linehan (Beaumaris), Riley Mihailovic (Beaumaris), Blake Williams (Box Hill North), Fletcher Banfield (Brunswick), Seb Gotch (Canterbury), Archie Loughnan (Caulfield Grammarians), Matthew Clarkson (Caulfield Grammarians), Darcy Lowrie (Fitzroy), Nathan Ligris (Fitzroy), Max Waters (Kew), Adam Tomaro (Marcellin), Matt Fewings (Mazenod), Lachie Harker (Old Camberwell), James Allen (Old Camberwell), Liam Thomas (Old Camberwell), Luke Kelvie (Old Carey), Jack Sheridan (Old Geelong), Michael Nicholls (Old Geelong), William Horsfall (Old Geelong), James Adams (Old Geelong), Alex Mirkov (Old Ivanhoe), Will Nichols (Old Melburnians), Ned Nicholls (Old Melburnians), Sam Laube (Old Melburnians), Christos Manoussakis (Old Trinity), Boston Dowling (Old Trinity), Louis Davidson (Old Trinity), Hugo McGlashan (Old Trinity), Charles Beasley (Old Trinity), Jackson Hille (Ormond), Oliver Green (Parkdale Vultures), Matt Holden (Parkside), Mitchell Baker-West (PEGS), Max Kleverkamp (Old Peninsula), Bailey Payze (Old Peninsula), Luke Green (Preston Bullants), Benedict Douglas (Preston Bullants), Ben Murphy (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers), Mitchell Rowe (St Bedes/Mentone Tigers), Mitch Barry (St John’s), Sean Callander (Therry Penola), Harry Davis (Wattle Park), Ben Ablett (West Brunswick), Jordan Busuttil (Williamstown CYMS), Will Bokma (Williamstown CYMS), Zachary Provest (Williamstown CYMS).

Bendigo has named its own 41-player squad which includes three ex-AFL names, Josh Eyre, Fergus Greene and Michael Hartley.

Coach Simon Rosa has also named 2024 league best-and-fairest and Sandhurst co-coach Lachlan Tardew.

“We’re really pleased with the depth and quality across the board in this 41-player squad. It’s a great mix of proven performers and emerging talent from all BFNL Clubs, and we’re excited to see how they come together in the training environment,” Rosa said in a BFNL statement.

Bendigo squad: Anthony Zimmerman, Ben Thompson, Bode Stevens, Brayden Frost, Brodie James, Brock Harvey, Brody Haddow, Callum Crisci, Charlie Langford, Clayton Holmes, Cooper Jones, Cooper Smith, Dylan Johnstone, Ethan Roberts, Fergus Green, Harry Luxmoore, Jack Fallon, Jack Reaper, Jayden Bourke, Joel Mullen, Jordan Rosengren, Josh Eyre, Josh Nitschke, Kal Huntly, Kaiden Antonowicz, Lachlan Ratcliffe, Lachlan Taylor, Lachlan Wright, MacGregor Cameron, Matt Merrett, Matthew Wilkinson, Michael Hartley, Riley Wilson, Ryan Eyre, Shane Clough, Tom Brereton, Tom Strauch, Tyh Evans, Zac Vescovi.

‘Breakout game’: VAFA rising star shines on the big stage

Parkdale Vultures coach Owen Lalor describes Kai Day’s performance in the win over Ajax as his “breakout game”.

The young gun was named best afield as the Vultures claimed a 10-point win over the Jackas in one of the most anticipated games of the year as the duo arrived at Gerry Green Reserve unbeaten.

Day was best afield in a performance which included two goals as a high half-forward.

“He worked so hard, a really good gut runner,” Lalor said.

“He was able to link up well between the arcs for us. Kai has been playing good footy all year and this was just a game which was at another level.”

Lalor’s side found themselves on the back footy early in the game, trailing by 23 points at the main break.

Even after “one bad quarter”, the Vultures mentor was confident his side was never going to waver.

“I was pretty composed at quarter-time, we just had to trust what we do,” he said.

“Ajax was very good. We made some silly little errors which I think are fixable.

“We just needed more composure with the footy. We had to lift and had to find another gear.”

Heading into the long weekend bye, the Vultures are now 8-0 on the season sitting on top of the Premier C ladder.

After missing “four or five” key players against the Jackas, Lalor’s side could get even stronger.

“They were missing a few as well so it was a great challenge of each other’s depth,” he said.

“The guys we called upon weren’t out of place either.”

GREATEST COMEBACK EVER?

Uni Blacks trailed by 19 points at the 26-minute of the final quarter when St Kevin’s star Patrick Kerr kicked a behind and what followed was near unbelievable. Blacks ran out one-goal winners after kicking the final four goals of the game. Matt Grocott kicked his third of the day before goals followed from Ben Oliver, Kane Loftus and Joel Ernest. The VAFA Facebook page described it as the Miracle on Grass 2.0.

A MAN WHO CAN DO IT ALL

Old Brighton gun Will Lewis did absolutely everything in his side’s 86-point win over De La Salle on the weekend. Lewis booted 10 goals to go along with 23 disposals, 16 score involvements, 11 marks inside 50 and 208 Premier Data ranking points.

OLD GEELONG OPENS UP A GAP

A one-game gap now exists between the top and bottom-five of Premier B. Old Geelong helped establish the gap with a 45-point win over Old Camberwell as Harry Graham and Jacob Jess starred with four goals apiece. They were somewhat surprise goalkickers having only booted one between them ahead of the weekend.

GRYPHONS CLIMB OUT OF THE RELEGATION ZONE

Glen Eira-Old McKinnon produced arguably its most complete performance of the season to secure a 46-point win over the winless Prahran and climb out of the relegation zone. Former WAFL player Ben Reid was the star up forward with four majors in just his fifth game of the season.