Under-19s claim Ivanhoe’s first VAFA flag in 27 years

Ivanhoe Amateurs are celebrating the club’s first premiership in 27 years after the under-19s defeated St Bernards for the North Division flag at Trevor Barker Oval in Sandringham, on Sunday.

s12hb999 Ivanhoe Amateurs Caption: Ivanhoe Amateurs under 19s celebrate winning the VAFA�s North division premiership cup at Sandringham on Sunday. Captain Danny Jones, sitting in the foreground, is holding the cup. Coach Bill Emerson is at right, assistant coach Leighton Pearce is at left. Picture: PHIL SKEGGS

Ivanhoe Amateurs are celebrating the club’s first premiership in 27 years after the under-19s defeated St Bernards for the North Division flag at Trevor Barker Oval in Sandringham, on Sunday.

The Hoes led throughout the pressure-packed, physical contest beating St Bernards, 7.14 (56) to 2.9 (21).

Goals were at a premium in the face of tough defence by both teams – St Bernards didn’t score their first major until midway into the third term.

Jake Scardamaglia was the only multiple goalscorer, with three for the Hoes, which was impressive given he was red-carded late in the second term and sent off for 20 minutes.

Hoes captain Danny Jones capped a brilliant season by collecting the Peter Harris Medal as the best player in the grand final.

The fiesty on-baller featured in a three-way tie for the competition best-and-fairest last week, but the VAFA later announced there had been a voting anomaly and put the result on hold while an investigation is carried out.

Ivanhoe had six players in the top 10 of the best-and-fairest count and Jones polled 14 votes in 13 games.

He also played five senior games this season.

The Hoes, coached by Bill Emerson and Leighton Pearce, were favourites to win the flag, finishing minor premiers with just one loss early in the season.

But no one at Ivanhoe Park was complacent going into the weekend, the club’s last premierships were in 1987 when the under-19s and reserves both won flags.

Ivanhoe’s reserves, however, lost the Division 2 grand final by 28 points to St Mary’s Salesian at Casey Fields on Saturday.

The club’s seniors narrowly missed a top-four spot after a draw with the eventual premiers, Kew.