Old Scholars football league: Top 25 footy players over the age of 25
The Mercury canvassed the views of coaches and insiders to find the best talent in Tasmania’s Old Scholars footy league. Here’s 25 of the best players in the competition over the age of 25 >>
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While the Tasmanian State League boasts some of the best footy talent in Tasmania, there are other competitions around the state filled with highly ranked footy stars that are going about their business away from the media’s eye.
Last week we gave an insight into some of the current young stars to watch in the Southern Football League and the positive response from the public for shining a light on the less talked about SFL was enormous.
Continuing our exposure into the local footy leagues, we’ve dug deep into the Old Scholars Football Association and spoken with key figures in the competition to compile a list of the 25 best players over the age of 25.
Jaye Bowden (St Virgil’s)
Bowden is one of — if not the best player in Tassie footy.
In a stellar career spanning over a decade and over 200 games for Glenorchy, the Prince of KGV racked up numerous awards and accolades and in 2021 started a new chapter as playing coach for St Virgil’s.
The three-time Alistair Lynch Medalist and nine-time TSL Team of the Year recipient is a freak of a footballer with an uncanny game sense and time and time again has won games off his own boot.
While Bowden played most of his Magpie career as a key forward, the Saints new coach has played himself in a variety of positions this season and has often been seen lining up on a wing, in the middle, or off half back — all to the dismay of his direct opponent.
Highlighting his incredible talent is the fact that after seven rounds Bowden leads the competition’s goal kicking tally while playing predominantly away from goals.
Further emphasising his impact, Bowden has taken the Saints from regular cellar dwellers to currently sitting on top of the ladder after eight rounds.
Jake Cox (St Virgil’s)
The former Clarence gun has made his way to St Virgil’s in 2021 where his lethal left boot has already been a huge weapon for the Saints.
The five-time TSL Team of the Year recipient and two-time Clarence best and fairest winner is as silky as they come and his new playing coach Jaye Bowden had massive wraps on his new teammate.
“He’s probably in the top couple of the most skilled players I’ve ever played with,” Bowden said.
‘He’s such a natural footy talent and he’s really versatile,” he said.
“He’s had some games where he’s played on ball and had in excess of 40 touches and then he has games where we play him forward and kicks goals and now he’s third on the league goal kicking.”
“He’s such a skilful player and his ability to kick across his body and hit targets most others can’t is elite,” Bowden said.
“On top of his skills his evasiveness and his ability to move through traffic is first class.”
Rhys Mott (St Virgil’s)
The strong bodied midfielder was another TSL star to make the move from the Magpies and find a new home at the Saints.
In his first year at the club the former TSL Team of the Year recipient has only played a handful of games due to some niggling injuries, but his form in his brief appearances have shown exactly why he is regarded as an elite player in Tassie footy.
“He’s had an interrupted start to the season, only having played three games, but when he’s played he’s been very good and he’s just a great user of the footy,” Saints coach Jaye Bowden said.
“He has an elite left foot, he’s great through stoppage and he just accumulates the ball and rarely wastes it,” he said.
“We really want to get him right and up and going in the second half of the year because he’s clearly an elite player.”
Luke Potter (St Virgil’s)
The former Claremont playing coach made his way to the Saints in 2021 and in his first year at the club has been given the role of captain.
The mercurial forward is a great overhead mark and his footy smarts can cause headaches for opposition players and coaches.
His new coach Jaye Bowden was rapt with one of his new leaders.
“Luke is a really good leader and it’s a credit to him being given the responsibility as captain of the club in his first year at the club,” Bowden said.
“He’s got great hands and a huge boot on him which makes him a threat anywhere within 55 metres from goal.”
“He’s had a great start to the year and having lots of shots on goals.”
Tyler Bowden (St Virgil’s)
The younger brother of Jaye, Tyler is a footy talent in his own right.
The burly forward is an aggressive player that likes to throw his weight around and let opposition players know he’s there.
Bowden moves well for a man of his size and is tough to beat one-on-one.
Bowden has played predominantly forward in his first year at the Saints while also chopping out in the ruck earlier on in the season.
“One of Tyler’s biggest attributes is his aggressiveness,” his brother and coach Jaye Bowden said.
“He likes the contact side of footy and he’s the sort of player that you definitely walk a little taller when he’s with you on the field.”
Troy Cunliffe (University Rainbows)
Cunliffe is a two time William Leitch Medalist in the SFL and last year played for North Hobart where he won the club’s best and fairest.
After making his move to the Rainbows in 2021 the lightning quick midfielder has quickly established himself as one of the best handful of players in the Old Scholars competition.
Cunliffe is an elite stoppage player with silky skills that has the ability to win a game off his own boot.
While Cunliffe is an elite midfielder, he has shown for the Rainbows that he can be just as dangerous up forward, kicking 19 goals in just the first seven rounds.
Rainbows coach Ben Van Kraanen said the star midfielder was a game changer for his side.
“Cunners brings us that bit of x-factor. His speed and ability to get from contest to contest is first class and when he goes forward he’s so creative around goals that he’s such a tough match up,” Van Kraanen said.
“He spends probably half his time on ball and half up forward and he’s just an elite player in both positions,” he said.
Josh Fogarty (University Rainbows)
The athletic tall defender has been an elite performer for the Rainbows for a number of years and most recently was named in the 2020 OSFA Team of the Year.
With the ability to play on opponents of all shapes and sizes, the athletic rebounding defender provides the ‘Bows with a unique mix of a defender that’s capable of locking down his opponent while also providing plenty of dash off half back.
Rainbows coach Ben van Kraanen emphasised the importance of Fogarty to his side.
“Josh is definitely a key player for us,” he said. He can shut down our opponents’ best forward while also being an attacking weapon for us which is a luxury for our side.
“He’s a great athlete and he’s very flexible which also allows us to swing him forward to kick a goal when we need.”
Daniel Blazely (University Rainbows)
Blazely came across to the ‘Bows this year from Lindisfarne where he represented the SFL on a number of occasions.
Blazely is blessed with elite speed and agility and has the ability to win the ball on the inside and also hurt teams on the outside with his dash.
His coach Ben Van Kraanen was full of praise for one of his new recruits.
“His speed is elite and he’s just so versatile with the ability to play inside and outside and also the ability to put him down back and also up forward to kick a goal,” Van Kraanen said.
“We are currently playing him on the ball and he’s had a super year so far.”
Ben Halton (University Rainbows)
Halton is a big, bustling key forward that has dominated defenders for the past decade.
The big bodied forward has spent many years terrorising defenders in the TSL and the SFL and this year he made the move to the Old Scholars to bolster Uni’s attack.
Unfortunately the key forward suffered a broken finger in Round 1 but is scheduled to return in the coming weeks and his coach is confident his star forward will cause some headaches for opposition clubs.
“Halts is an elite mark of the footy and one of the best key forwards in Southern Tasmania, if not the state, when he’s up and running.”
“He’s a big, bustling forward that can take a big pack mark and we’re excited to get him back soon.”
Trent ‘Speedy’ Standen (OHA Ships)
Standen has established himself as one of the best small forwards in the state for more than a decade.
The six-time TSL Team of the Year recipient won Clarence’s goal kicking five times and it’s no surprise that he’s led the Old Scholars goal kicking each of the past two seasons, kicking a whopping 94 goals in 2019.
The crafty forward is blessed with freakish goal sense and skills and has proven time and time again to be one of the toughest match-ups in footy.
“Speedy is a bloody great player and a great bloke and he’s been both of those for a long time,” OHA coach Ian Callinan told the Mercury.
“He’s so consistent and he rarely plays a bad game.
“He’s in his mid-thirties and he’s still got his speed which just makes him such a tough match up.
“As has been the case for over a decade, he’s too quick and agile and too good at ground level for bigger opponents, and then when they put someone small on him then he’s too good overhead. He’s just so hard to play on.”
Matt Ling (OHA Ships)
The strongly built midfielder is an elite runner that leaves nothing left in the tank.
In his second year at the Ships since coming across from Clarence, Ling has shown that he is one of the competition’s premier ball winners with the ability to continuously break lines with his run and carry and to get involved in scoring chains.
On top of his gut running and ball winning ability, Ling shows a great appetite for the defensive side of the game and is often seen applying suffocating tackles to the opposition.
Ships coach Ian Callinan said Ling’s success was largely due to his work ethic and professionalism.
“One of Lingy’s best attributes is his will to compete and his professionalism,” Callinan said.
“He leaves no stone unturned with his preparation and from playing TSL footy he knows exactly what it takes to be a good footy player and he’s exactly that.
“Lingy is also one of those players that is great at attacking but also has a great defensive mindset and runs both ways and loves to tackle.”
Gabby Chambers (OHA Ships)
Chambers is another TSL product that in his first two years at the Shipyard has shown to be an elite player in the competition.
The contested bull has the ability to win the ball at the coal face while also possessing great running power to spread and hurt teams on the outside.
Chambers possesses elite evasive skills and when an opponent gets too close he often has the ability to fend them off and burst clear into space.
Chambers is another Ships midfielder that has a great balance of attack and defence and loves to hunt the opposition when they have possession.
“Gabby’s biggest strengths are his contested ball and just his will to compete, he’s just an animal” Ships coach Ian Callinan said.
“While he’s great at attacking he’s also really good defensively and really values defence. I’d say he’s one of the best tacklers I’ve seen.”
Brodie Langford (OHA Ships)
Langford is the former playing coach at the Ships and in 2021 he stepped down from coaching duties and focused on his own game and the four-time OHA best and fairest winner has shown he is still clearly one of the guns of the competition.
The midfield bull is deceptively quick and is often seen breaking tackles and bursting away from stoppages where he then uses his elite skills to the advantage of his forwards.
Langford is a very versatile player that can play in the guts, off half back and up forward.
Exemplifying his versatility, Langford was the OSFA leading goalkicker in 2017 when he kicked 66 goals.
After having coached the club for the past six years, the multiple time OSFA Team of the Year recipient passed the coaching duties onto Ian Callinan this year and Callinan said Langford’s form had been exceptional.
“Not being the coach anymore means he doesn’t have to deal with all the extra stuff that comes with being the coach and he can just focus on his own game and he’s shown again that he’s an absolute superstar,” Callinan said.
“He’s tough, his workrate is enormous, and on top of all that he’s the ultimate clubman and you know exactly what you’re going to get out of him every week.”
Ethan Whish-Wilson (OHA Ships)
Whish-Wilson is one of the competition’s standout players and one of the keys to the Ship’s recent Premiership success.
Whish-Wilson is a very athletic and versatile player that provides a great leading target ahead of the ball while also having the ability to go behind the ball and quell opposition attacks.
The 2020 OSFA Team of the Year Centre half forward showed his versatility when he was swung down back during the 2020 OSFA Grand Final, where his role in repelling Hutchins’ forays forward were critical to the Ships raising the premiership cup.
Whish-Wilson’s coach said his work rate and footy smarts were two of his best attributes.
“I love the way he works hard and the way he moves, you always know what you’re going to get out of him and he’s got an uncanny knack of knowing where he needs to be before his opponent,” Ian Callinan said.
“His ability to keep working and finding space to get on the lead is first class and he’s really clean with his hands and rarely fumbles.”
George Burbury (Hutchins)
The former Geelong player is quite clearly a star of the competition.
Burbury is a freakish athlete blessed with athleticism and skill and has proven to be a level above the competition with a host of dominant performances in the past 18 months.
The former AFL player won the Peter Fitzgerald medal in 2020 as the competition’s best and fairest player along with being judged best afield in his side’s loss to OHA in last year’s grand final.
While he was the league’s dominant midfielder in 2020, Burbury has been moved forward this season where his talent has caused nightmares for opposition defenders across the competition.
“George is clearly a very, very good player that played at the highest level,” Hutchins coach Lance Spaulding said.
“He’s very strong, very athletic and a very aggressive player.
“He sets very high standards for himself and we are very blessed to have George on board.”
Claude Alcorso (Hutchins)
Alcorso is an explosive player for his size that opposition players struggle to stop at full speed.
The strongly built midfielder loves to run and carry and take the game on and create for the Lions.
The line breaking onballer is a key cog in the Lions’ engine room and one of the league’s most damaging players.
Alcorso most recently made the 2020 OSFA team of the year and Hutchins coach Lance Spaulding said his side’s captain was having another great season to date.
“Claude is very dynamic and explosive, and very tough and hard at it,” he said.
“He’s our captain and he’s having a great year and definitely leads by example.”
Nick Cleary (Hutchins)
Cleary is a man mountain that has been one of the Old Scholars’ most dominant ruckman for the best part of a decade.
The burly ruckman is an elite tap ruckman that uses his frame to great effect to give his on-ballers first use of the footy.
While not the most athletic ruckman in the competition, the big Lion is able to use his frame to impact the game in a number of ways and is very well regarded around the competition.
Hutchins coach Lance Spaulding was full of praise for the gentle giant.
“He’s our heart and soul really,” Spaulding said.
“He’s a really good player that is a ferocious competitor that never stops trying.
“He really plays the game in the right spirit and never gives anything less than what he’s got and he’s playing really good footy for us at the moment.”
Lewis Franks (Hutchins)
Franks is a very composed and classy halfback flanker that has been picking Old Scholars’ teams apart for a number of years with his precise kicking and dash off of half back.
The silky defender has the rare ability to slow the game down and more often than not finds a teammate with his precise disposal.
Franks has been a regular in OSFA Team of the Year sides in the past and while the backman is currently injured, his coach was full of praise for his dashing defender.
“He’s had a hamstring issue and missed a few games but before he was injured his form was really good,” Hutchins coach Lance Spaulding said
“He has very good skills and reads the game very well.
“He’s also got great composure with the footy and provides lots of run and the ability to link up well with his teammates.”
Sean Willis (Hutchins)
Willis is an athletic medium-sized forward-midfielder that has a great set of hands and is a classy user of the ball.
The ex-North Hobart talent is currently playing as a deep forward for the Lions but his coach plans to move the silky mover into the midfield once he gains more match fitness after a delayed start to the season due to cricket commitments.
“Sean is a very creative forward. He had a late start to the season due to cricket but he’s getting better every week and he’ll eventually end up playing on ball,” Hutchins coach Lance Spaulding said.
“He’s very skilled but also very courageous, and he reads the game very well.”
Marty Allison (DOSA Roosters)
Allison has come across from Claremont in the SFL where the classy midfielder was one of the best players in the competition.
The strongly built midfielder has the ability to win the footy on the inside while also possessing silky skills to hurt opponents on the outside.
Allison also has the ability to push forward and impact the scoreboard.
DOSA coach Nathan McCulloch said Allison had been a very handy addition to the Roosters.
“Marty has picked up exactly where he left off from Claremont, he’s just a class act in the midfield,” McCulloch said.
“He breaks the lines with his burst out of stoppages and on top of that he’s a great decision maker and a great ball user. He’s been great for the side.”
Michael Fisher (DOSA Roosters)
Fisher is a very athletic and versatile footy player that has the ability to play up forward, on the ball, or even as a ruckman.
Fisher has the ability to win the ball both at ground level while also being a threat overhead.
Fisher has been a dominant player in the Old Scholars for a number of years, winning the league goal kicking in 2012 with 71 goals and taking out the Peter Fitzgerald Medal in 2016 as the association’s best and fairest player.
Fisher spent time in the TSL in 2020 and returned to the Roosters this year where he has put in some match winning performances so far this season, sitting fifth in the competition’s goal tally.
DOSA coach Nathan McCulloch said Fisher was a handy weapon to have at his disposal.
“Mike is a very handy and very versatile player. He’s has been playing mainly forward for us lately while also spending some time on the ball and he’s just a very exciting player to watch,” McCulloch said.
“He takes great marks, he bursts through packs, and he’s really dangerous around goals.
“He’s also really good overhead and on the ground and he’s definitely a tough matchup for opposition teams.”
Nathan McCulloch (DOSA Roosters)
The new playing coach for the Roosters joined the club this year to fulfil his aspirations of being a senior footy coach and McCulloch has quickly shown he is a born leader and one of the better players in the competition.
The strongly built McCulloch has elite endurance and the versatility to play a number of positions at a high level.
The new playing coach started off the season with a stint up forward before a move to the midfield, and has now found himself in a role across half back.
McCulloch is a great contested player that also has the skills to hurt teams on the outside and with his run and carry.
Ben Crick (DOSA Roosters)
Crick is the general of DOSA’s backline and is often tasked with manning the opposition’s most dangerous forward.
The athletic, stingy defender has spent the last three seasons at the Roosters after heading down from his hometown of Launceston.
Roosters coach Nathan McCulloch said Crick was a key cog in his side.
“Ben has a great ability to really limit his opponent’s influence on games and he’s having a really solid year,’ McCulloch said.
“He’s an absolute competitor and seems to always get a late spoil in on his opponent.
“We give him a hard matchup every week and he’s so reliable and really one of the more underrated defenders in the competition.”
Mitch Reeve (DOSA Roosters)
The captain of the Roosters is a robust ruckman that loves to throw his weight around and show his physicality.
The reigning club best and fairest winner and 2020 OSFA Team of the Year ruckman is a strong overhead mark and always give his all for his side.
“Mitchy is a real bash and crash type ruckman,” Roosters coach Nathan McCulloch said.
“He’s a great competitor, he’s really strong overhead, and while he’s not as big as some of the other ruckman in the competition he’s always able to compete and match it with them.
“He spends around 90 per cent of the game in the ruck and he really puts his heart and soul on the line and leads by example.
He’s taken some crucial park marks for us to swing momentum in a few games this year and he’s doing a great job at the leading for the club for the first time.”
Braden Barwick (DOSA Roosters)
Barwick is a solidly built bull of a footy player that made the move from Claremont to the Roosters in 2021.
Originally making his name as an elite rebounding defender, Barwick has been swung up forward by DOSA coach Nathan McCulloch who said the recruit had been performing at a high level ahead of the footy, highlighted by his 10-goal haul against Richmond in Round 6.
“We shifted him forward late against OHA early in the year and we liked what we saw from him so we’ve kept him there and he’s been really dangerous up forward,” McCulloch said
“He’s got a strong body and so he’s really strong in the contest and he’s unassumingly quick as well.
“It’s very handy knowing he can play down back at a high level but also be swung forward and kick bags of goals for us.”
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