VAFA: Sandringham captain Dan Coffield joins Old Melburnians

The VAFA Premier section will be strengthened next year by the appearance of a 2021 VFL leader.

Dan Coffield captained the Zebras this year.

Sandringham VFL captain Dan Coffield is leaving the Zebras after one season, heading for amateur football.

Coffield, an accountant, said he had taken a work promotion and needed to put more time into his job.

The 25-year-old will play with Old Melburnians in the VAFA Premier section next year.

“I guess I just want to scale back my commitments with football, the nights of the week, the number of hours,’’ he said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be given a lot more responsibility at work, put up a couple of rungs, and it’s time to focus more on that and also maybe try to get away somewhere during the year with my girlfriend.

“We’ve sort of missed out on two years of living our lives.’’

Daniel Coffield the Tiger.

Coffield said he had enjoyed his time at Sandy immensely and it was difficult to leave the club, which he joined from Richmond’s VFL program after the aborted 2020 season.

“Loved it, it’s an amazing club, amazing people,’’ he said.

“But like I said, for me it’s time to step away from the VFL.’’

As for the competition he’s departing, Coffield said it was “unfortunately’’ becoming more like an Under 23 competition.

That was a reference to rules introduced in 2021 that required teams to field at least six players under the age of 22.

“The strength of the VFL has always been the stand-alone clubs but I think the AFL has indirectly taken away from those clubs and that takes away from the competition as well,’’ Coffield said.

“It hurts the development of the AFL kids as well because they’re not playing as high a standard and it makes the jump-up to the AFL bigger.’’

Coffield said the standard of VAFA Premier was excellent and looked forward to playing in it.

Old Melburnians have gained a player who figured in Richmond’s 2019 VFL grand final victory over Williamstown and won the best and fairest in the same season.

OM have reappointed former VFL star and AFL assistant Paul Satterley as senior coach.

Satterley said the club was chuffed to sign a player of Coffield’s calibre.

Sam Dunell, Sandy’s playing assistant coach and an Old Melburnians player this year, was the link between club and recruit.

Ex-VFL wingman Sean Hetherington is Melburnians’ only confirmed departure.