VFL Round 12 TAC Cup Round 11 25 - 26 June 2016 $3.00 Photo: Bruno Silverii Photo: Cameron Grimes Step Back. THINK. AFL Victoria is lacing up this weekend for STEP BACK THINK’s Team Lace Up campaign. The Team Lace Up campaign raises awareness of the causes and consequences of social violence by encouraging Australian sporting clubs of all codes, levels and ages to show their commitment to ending social violence by wearing orange laces. In support of the campaign, a host of Peter Jackson VFL and TAC Cup clubs have signed up along with more than 70 community football clubs to be part of the 40,000-strong movement to end social violence and wear orange laces this weekend. The commitment shown by these clubs towards ending social violence is one all community sporting clubs should embrace, as they play a leading role in helping individuals form positive relationships with others. By wearing orange laces across the weekend at VFL and TAC Cup level, it will stimulate conversation between coaches, friends and parents about the life-changing consequences a violent physical act can cause. Since January 2016, there have already been eight lives lost to social violence, including 19-year-old Victorian footballer Patrick Cronin. The eff ects of social violence are devastating and ripple through society, far beyond the immediate consequences for victims or perpetrators, and include one-punch assaults, pub brawls, street fights as well as interpersonal physical violence that occurs in a community setting. AFL Victoria hopes the wearing of the orange laces across all corners of the State will bring the issue of street violence to the attention of all Victorians and help educate people about how to behave when confronted with a potentially explosive situation. Clubs can share their involvement in the 2016 Team Lace Up campaign on social media using the hashtag #TeamLaceUp Together we can build a safer and more respectful community. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO Contents Who’s playing who 3 5 Brett Blair 36 37 Frankston vs North Ballarat 6 7 Scott Sherlock 38 39 Port Melbourne vs Box Hill Hawks 8 9 VFL weekly content 40 41 Werribee vs Coburg 11 VFL Women’s 42 43 Northern Blues vs Sandringham 12 13 TAC Cup weekly content 44 45 Williamstown vs Geelong 14 U16 Championships squads 46 47 Collingwood vs Richmond 15 Stats Central 16 17 Get Social 52 53 Gippsland vs Western 18 The Big League 54 55 Dandenong vs Calder 22 AFL Vic News 56 57 Bendigo v Northern 64 Quiz 58 59 North Ballarat vs Sandringham 60 61 Murray vs Eastern 62 63 Geelong vs Oakleigh Editor: Ben Pollard [email protected] Contributors: Anthony Stanguts, Kirstie Fitzgerald, Callum O’Connor Design & Print: Rainbow Graphics Photos: AFL Photos (unless otherwise credited) Ikon Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton Nth, VIC 3054 Advertising: Rosanna Butler (03) 8341 6021 GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Cover: Lachlan Gill-Renouf takes a mark for the Dandenong Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 Stingrays in Round 10 of the TAC Cup last week www.aflvic.com.au www.taccup.com.au 01 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl.com.au Twitter: @VFL #PJVFL Facebook: www.facebook.com/vflfooty June 25-26 Saturday 2pm: Northern Blues v Sandringham TAC Cup Online Sunday 2pm: Collingwood v Richmond Website: www.taccup.com.au Download the PLUS7 Live app to stream games live Twitter: @TACCup Watch a replay at: au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/vfl Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty Next week: Sat – Essendon v Port Melbourne / Instagram: @aflvictoria Sun – Richmond v Casey Scorpions Radio 3WBC Saturday June 25: Port Melbourne v Box Hill Hawks from 1pm Listen to 94.1FM, online at www.3wbc.org.au or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. Next game: Box Hill Hawks v Williamstown (Saturday July 9) Casey Radio Next game: Sandringham v Frankston (Sunday July 3) Listen to 97.7FM in Melbourne, online at www.caseyradio.com.au or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. R A TAC Cup Radio D Saturday June 25: Dandenong Stingrays v Calder Cannons, 12.45pm I Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone app or via taccup.com.au O Girls Play Footy Radio Sunday June 26: St Kilda v VU Western Spurs from 1.30pm VFL Women’s Game of the Week streamed live via GirlsPlayFooty.com - accessible on your mobile or tablet by downloading the ‘Tune in’ App and searching for ‘Girls Play Footy’. Tune in from 2pm. Live at the ground on 89.1 FM. Video Streaming Visit vfl.com.au to watch a full list of VFL and VFL Women’s replays from season 2016. The team returns in July with the following matches: VFL – Saturday July 9: Northern Blues v Geelong VFL Women’s – Sunday July 10: St Kilda v Eastern Devils Watch the action and listen to the call from the VFL Live team. Replays online at vfl.com.au under the MEDIA tab. 02 www.vfl.com.au Fit Falcon Blair flying again Earlier this year, Geelong Falcons Talent Manager Michael Turner said Brett Blair was “probably a little bit stiff not to be an AFL rookie” following the 2015 NAB AFL Draft period. The flying Falcons forward booted 34 goals in 13 games last year, but early-season injury woes restricted his performance over the following months. In 2016 however, Blair is intent on showing the football world exactly what he can produce. www.taccup.com.au 03 Blair, 19, was invited back to Geelong as an over- aft er I got that all sorted out, but I was just trying to age player this year, aft er a serious quad injury get that running capacity back up and get match sustained at the start of his 2015 pre-season and a fitness back. later recurrence of the ailment kept him out of TAC “I got invited to the State Combine and obviously Cup action until Round 6 last season. had a bit of recognition from AFL clubs. I think they He showed glimpses of his high-marking and might have seen bits of the real me, but I definitely goalkicking ability – including five goals in a don’t think I properly showed everything I could qualifying final loss to the North Ballarat Rebels – possibly do. but never truly reached his full capacity. “I think that’s why the Falcons wanted me back as a 2016 has been a diff erent story though. 189cm Blair 19-year-old – to prove what I’ve got being fully fit.” is the TAC Cup’s equal-leading goalkicker with 29 goals from nine games for the top-of-the-ladder Blair said recruiters knew about his attacking Falcons. He also recently achieved his pre-season qualities, but wanted to see more of a defensive goal of representing Vic Country in the NAB AFL side to his game in 2016. He said his eff orts U18 Championships. without the ball had led to many of his scoring “I never really played fully fit last year,” Blair said. “I opportunities this year. was always struggling a bit with running. I didn’t get “Second and third eff orts, tackling, what I was properly fit until we were training for the Victorian doing when the ball wasn’t in my area – I think State Draft Combine aft er the season had finished. that’s what they were looking for from me this “I tore my quad in the second 2015 pre-season season,” Blair said. training session and that put me out until last “It’s definitely been a key focus point for me. I January when I got back to training. Then I tore it think they saw glimpses of what I can do as that again and that put me out until Round 6. high-marking, goalkicking forward, but I’ve been “Probably going into finals, I started to gain what working extremely hard on the defensive side of I thought was better fitness. My quad felt alright my game. 04 www.vfl.com.au Brett Blair (left ) representing Vic Country at the NAB AFL U18 Championships against Vic Metro two weeks ago “It’s a mindset. I find if it’s not all happening your “It’s taken a bit to adjust to. At 189cm, you’re not way, if you go back to that mindset and you work going to be that key forward inside 50 in the AFL. hard defensively, you might lay a couple of good That’s something I’m getting used to and still trying tackles or have a couple of good second or third to develop... but I reckon I’ll get there in the end. I eff orts and you’re right back in the game.” feel more confident up the ground now I’m fully fit and I’ve got that running capacity back.” The South Barwon junior said his mentors at Geelong had noted his developing maturity from Blair said he’d like to base his game on AFL players such as Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe, who uses his his top-age year in 2015. That maturity played into leap to play taller than his 190cm would usually Blair’s selection in the Vic Country team for the first suggest, as well as emerging St Kilda forward Tim two rounds of the U18 Championships. Membrey, also a similar size to Blair at 188cm but He was relatively quiet in Country’s losses to WA another who seems to play more as a key forward.