$ INC 3 GST TRUenergy VFL GRAND FINAL GEELONG V SANDRINGHAM Sunday, September 24 MC Labour Park ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������� ����������� FMC5610 SpecialEd 228x170.indd 1 10/5/06 3:09:09 PM EDITORIAL A fitting finale Zebras and Cats set to cap off a super season. Welcome football fans to the 2006 records, individual highlights and Congratulations to umpire Shane TRUenergy VFL Grand Final, the the dawn of a new era for the Casey Mason, Frankston’s Daniel Clarke, fi nal act in one of the competition’s Scorpions. North Ballarat’s Nathan Saunders most compelling seasons. Frankston’s Aaron Edwards and Sandringham’s Nick Sautner on Today, Sandringham shoots for dominated like few before him to achieving VFL life membership. a hat-trick of premierships, a feat become the fi rst full-forward to win Football Victoria also acknowledges accomplished only 10 times in the the J.J. Liston Trophy and the Jim the career of Werribee captain Travis 129-year history of the VFA/VFL. ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal in the same Robertson, a triple best and fairest Ironically, one of the clubs to season. To cap off a stellar season, winner and Victorian captain, who achieve three successive Grand Edwards was named in the VFL announced his retirement recently Final triumphs is Geelong, which Team of the Year. As the standard of the TRUenergy completed a three-peat twice – from The Casey Scorpions, formerly VFL continues to spiral upwards, 1878 to 1880 and 1882 to 1884 known as Springvale, unveiled Casey Victorian fans have embraced the – whilst Port Melbourne was the Fields, their new home ground, competition in record numbers over modern VFA trendsetter from 1980 boasting a magnifi cent playing arena the 2006 fi nals series. to 1982. as well as fabulous facilities. Congratulations to stand-alone Sandringham will also be playing It is a major step forward in the club Frankston, whose commitment to honour the memory of president club’s development, as it taps into to its cause was rewarded this Gary Gilchrist, who sadly passed one of the fastest growth corridors season with its highest fi nish since away during the season. It would in Victoria. the revamped competition. have been a special day for Gary, a Certainly, the Scorpions’ evolution Many thanks to TRUenergy, our Geelong supporter in the AFL, but a serves as encouragement to other No. 1 sponsor for the past fi ve years, passionate Zebra man. clubs to explore all available options for its continued support. We look The Cats hold a 2-1 advantage in as suburban Melbourne sprawls well forward to extending the partnership head-to-head meetings this season, past its historic boundaries. into the future. but one of those was by one point. The move also highlights how Have a great TRUenergy VFL The scene is set for an epic Grand communities and TRUenergy VFL Grand Final day. Final. clubs can link together to develop Ken Gannon, This year has been a season of resources and a common vision. CEO Football Victoria CONTENTS Liston Trophy winner – Aaron Edwards 6-7 VFL Team of the Year 9-11 Under the Griller – Ken Gannon 12-13 Grand Final preview 14-15 Geelong player profi les 18-19 Sandringham player profi les 22-23 Season in review 35-37 GRAND FINAL SEPTEMBER 24, 2006 Football Victoria Chief Executive Officer: Ken Gannon COVER: Geelong coach Leigh Tudor and captain VFL General Manager: Martin Stillman Statistics: David Newton Managing Director–AFL Publishing: Geoff Slattery Editor: Andrew Wallace James Byrne will face off against Sandringham Designer: Karl Chandler Photo Manager: Bryony Lloyd-Fitt counterparts Mark Williams and Chad Liddell in Photography: Getty Images (02) 9004 2250 Advertising: Jodi Featherston (03) 8663 3007 Printed by: Condor Printing today’s TRUenergy VFL Grand Final. Address correspondence: The Editor, GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, 3001. Phone: (03) 8663 3000 We’re excited by gas. Even if you’re not. We’re really into gas. In fact, we’d love to use customers never have to. And apparently, that this space to tell you all about our gas plant suits them just fine. By the way, we’re just as in Victoria, how we sell our favourite gaseous excited by electricity too. (But we’ll leave that substance throughout South Australia, Victoria story for another day.) and New South Wales and that we even make To find out how you can switch to a electricity out of it for South Australia. But alas, TRUenergy plan, call us on 133 466. we won’t. Because frankly, we suspect you’re not particularly interested. But because we’re always thinking about this wonderful, colourless vapour, it means our TRUenergy Pty Ltd. ABN 99 086 014 968. MARK OF THE YEAR UP,UP AND A JAY Jay Neagle grabs the TRUenergy VFL Mark of the Year. Eighteen-year-old Jay Neagle has won the 2006 TRUenergy VFL Mark of the Year. Neagle, a father- son selection for Essendon in the 2005 AFL Draft, pulled down his screamer playing for the Bendigo Bombers against Tasmania in round seven (right). Four other marks were in contention for the honour, Jay Neagle with Neagle’s effort selected via a vote on the Bendigo Bombers TRUenergy website. Round 7 The lucky voter in this year’s TRUenergy Mark of the Year was Brenton Peake. ankston AaronAaron EEdwardsdwards FrankstonFr Tasmania Round 17 Ben Atkin DavidDavid PPittitt Port Melbourne Round 2 Round 9 JoshJosh KKennedyennedy Northern Bullants Round 11 Cameron Hunter Box Hill Hawks SHERRIN SUPER KICK Round 6 The following four fi nalists will take part in the Sherrin Super Kick at the TRUenergy VFL Grand Final: Name School Daniel McKerracher Caroline Springs College Results from preliminary fi nal weekend: Dean Woodhead Drouin College Shaun McKernan (Gladstone Park SC) 54.6m Ben Birthisel Benalla College Nicholas Suban (St Patrick’s College) 53.4m Shaun McKernan Gladstone Park SC Matthew Cunningham (Vermont SC) 50.7m TRUenergy VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE RECORD 5 Edwards reaches for the stars Former Eagle looks for second shot at the big time. Aaron Edwards, the fi rst player in the VFA/VFL to win the Jim ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal and the J.J. Liston Trophy in the same season, may be lost to the TRUenergy VFL next year. Edwards has confi rmed that one AFL club – the Kangaroos – has already spoken to him, and that number is likely to increase signifi cantly in the weeks leading up to the AFL Draft. The 22-year-old, who dominated the VFL like few have in recent seasons, will also play in the VFL Under-23 North v South match in AFL Grand Final week. Frankston coach Brett Lovett expects that Edwards will be given the opportunity to re-launch the AFL career that stalled on four games after he was de-listed by the West Coast Eagles at the end of 2005. Edwards is hopeful that another AFL club will give him a chance to prove he can play at the elite level. “I think I have something to offer an AFL club,” Edwards said. “Brett helped me by playing me forward, after I played centre half-back with my team in the WAFL last year. “I want to play at the highest level, so hopefully someone will give me Edwards was surprised, that opportunity. Now, it is just a yet honoured to win waiting game.” the Liston Trophy. 6 visit: footballvic.com.au AARON EDWARDS Lovett believes Edwards, 184 cm “I probably didn’t take all of better at all the little things, and and 93 kg, can be a third marking the best options, and in the end I Brett certainly helped me with that. forward for an AFL club. realised that and the Eagles got rid As the end of the year came, the “He has the ability to take a of me. team started playing better and that contested mark and beat an “Football is my number one thing, helped my results.” opponent one-on-one,” Lovett said. that’s what I wanted to be good at, Edwards focused on improving “Aaron leads very hard at the ball, so I gave it a massive crack. his goalkicking, and spent time has very good hands and upper and “In the end I just wanted to before and after training having lower body strength.” play good football again. I came shots for goal. He ended up kicking Edwards was presented the J.J. to Frankston under Brett Lovett 100 goals and 50 behinds for the Liston Trophy by 2005 winner Paul to enjoy my football and become season – an outstanding 66 per cent Johnson, a teammate from their better.” conversion rate. days at the Dandenong Stingrays, Another aspect that Edwards the West Coast Eagles and the worked on was his second efforts WAFL. when the ball hit the deck in the While he would love to still be at I want to play at forward 50. an AFL club, Edwards said he was “Early on in the year, if he didn’t happy to come home to Victoria and the highest level, mark the ball or it didn’t land lace play for Frankston. ‘‘so hopefully out, he tended not to put in great Lovett heard that Edwards had second or third effort,” Lovett said. returned home and was eager someone will “But as the year went on, his ability to play in the TRUenergy VFL, to lay tackles and work hard at and asked Frankston’s Stewart give me that keeping the ball in the forward line Kemperman, a friend of Edwards opportunity. improved, which is very important in from their days at the Stingrays, to football these days,” Lovett said.