VAFA: Why Old Haileybury is better prepared for its next chance in Premier football

Old Haileybury is back in the VAFA’s top comp and coach Daniel Ward believes his group has the energy, experience and quality to make a mark in 2025. Here’s why.

Picture: Andrew Batsch

It’s take two for Old Haileybury.

The Bloods are back in the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s top comp after thunderously securing the Premier B flag this year.

The return to Premier comes a short 12 months after they were relegated.

There is a sense of deja vu for the Bloods after winning the Premier B title in 2022 but coach Daniel Ward is confident his side is far more equipped this time around.

He says the Bloods’ will benefit from their younger players having more senior footy experience and the additions of ex-VFL men Jack Bell and Hugo Nosiara full time.

“We’ve learned more about ourselves, how we want to play, what works for us as a group,” Ward said.

Old Haileybury is back in the VAFA’s top comp. Picture: Andrew Batsch

“We’ve got a young group, by the time the season rolls around for 2025 the boys will be two years older, we’ve got a lot of boys who have had a taste of A-Grade footy.

“They’re coming into that age bracket now of 20, 21, 22 who are ready to play senior footy.

“We’ve had some people really improve this year, to win a grand final the way we did shows the group has a lot of confidence of where we sit.”

Bell and Nosiara were Bloods last year but VFL was their priority.

Ward thinks having them both full time will transform how the Bloods match-up against other powerful midfields.

“First of all, character, both of them are great guys to have around football clubs,” he said.

Hugo Nosiara chases the Sherrin. Photo: Andrew Batsch

“These two boys have really assimilated with our group and whenever they’re down they buy-in and have great footy in front of them.

“We’re really looking forward to what they can bring; Jack is a fantastic ruckman and Hugo is one of our top two or three mids now and his upside is through the roof.”

Despite winning two senior flags in three years, the Bloods’ reserves have won just nine games during the same period.

Ward says the club is putting a plan in place to lift the depth across the board.

“It’s the elephant in the room for our footy club, our reserves have been a bit of an issue,” he said.

“Dave Connell, who coached the under-19s last two seasons, is stepping up to coach the reserves,s he’s had a relationship with those boys coming through.

“I think our depth will be a lot better than what it’s been in the past, we haven’t lost many, we’ve picked up more than we’ve lost and then those nineteens coming through will hold us in good stead.”

Ward doesn’t want to put a figure or benchmark on what the Bloods are hoping to achieve in 2025 but is assured they will “surprise a few”.