VFL Round 11 TAC Cup Round 10 18 - 19 June 2016 $3.00 Photo: Bruno Silverii Photo: Cameron Grimes Vic talent on show at U18 Championships Victorian under-age football was showcased last Monday at Simonds Stadium with the annual Vic Country and Vic Metro clash as part of the NAB AFL U18 Championships. It was a game Vic Country coach Paul Henriksen was quoted as saying in the lead-up as “the best game of Under 18s football in Victoria for the year”, and it did not disappoint. The match highlighted the calibre of talent we have within our TAC Cup regions, which will hopefully reflect in large draft numbers later this year, with a host of players impressing from both teams. A two-point thriller played out – the second time in the last three contests between the two teams that less than a goal separated them – with Vic Metro gaining the win between the two Dairy Australia-supported Academies. Best of luck to Vic Metro, this weekend heading over the border to face fellow undefeated side South Australia in Round 3 of the Championships. Vic Country has the bye. In the Peter Jackson VFL, the first of four Saturday/Sunday broadcast weekends on Channel 7 took place in Round 10, with Casey Scorpions and Collingwood enjoying the highest-rating game of the season with an average viewership of 79,000. The broadcasts have averaged 53,000 viewers a week this season – up on 49,000 last year – and we once again thank Channel 7 for its coverage of our competition. The team of Jason Bennett, Nigel Carmody and Campbell Brown have become regular features of our coverage, showcasing their in-depth knowledge of the league and its players. The team have been joined by new additions in 2016, Abbey Holmes and former Coburg captain Nick Carnell, who both have eased seamlessly into the weekly broadcasts. We look forward to continued high ratings and coverage as the competition progresses into the second half of the season. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO Contents Who’s playing who 3 5 Sam Iles 38 39 Coburg vs Port Melbourne 6 7 Sam Fowler 40 41 North Ballarat vs Casey Scorpions 9 Peter Balding 42 43 Werribee vs Essendon 10 11 VFL weekly content 44 45 Frankston vs Footscray 12 VFL Women’s 46 47 Geelong vs Box Hill Hawks 14 15 TAC Cup weekly content 17 Stats Central 24 AFL Vic News 52 53 North Ballarat vs Geelong 64 Quiz 54 55 Oakleigh vs Western 56 57 Dandenong vs Gippsland 13 Seaford vs VU Western Spurs 58 59 Eastern vs Calder 60 61 Northern vs Sandringham 62 63 Bendigo vs Murray Editor: Ben Pollard [email protected] Contributors: Anthony Stanguts, Kirstie Fitzgerald, Callum O’Connor, Kate Withers Design & Print: Cyan Press 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: Andrew McGrath of the Sandringham Dragons Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 in action for Vic Metro against Vic Country at the www.aflvic.com.au NAB AFL U18 Championships www.taccup.com.au 01 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl.com.au Twitter: @VFL #PJVFL Facebook: www.facebook.com/vflfooty June 18-19 Saturday 2pm: Werribee v Essendon TAC Cup Online Sunday 2pm: Geelong v Box Hill Hawks 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 – Northern Blues v Sandringham/ Instagram: @aflvictoria Sun – Collingwood v Richmond Radio 3WBC Sunday June 19: Geelong 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 week: Port Melbourne v Box Hill Hawks Casey Radio Sunday June 19: Frankston v Footscray from 1pm Listen to 97.7FM in Melbourne, online at www.caseyradio.com.au or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. Next game (Sunday July 3): Sandringham v Frankston R TAC Cup Radio A D Sunday June 19: Northern Knights v Sandringham Dragons from 10.45am I Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone app or via taccup.com.au O Next week: Dandenong Stingrays v Calder Cannons Girls Play Footy Radio Sunday June 19: Diamond Creek v Eastern Devils 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 Journeyman Iles reaches 150 One of the Peter Jackson VFL’s elder statesmen, Box Hill Hawks premiership midfielder Sam Iles, will notch his 150th senior match this Sunday against Geelong at Simonds Stadium. The AFL Victoria Record talked to the 28-year-old (his 29th birthday falls on the same day as the game) about his journey to the milestone. Photo: Morgan Hancock www.taccup.com.au 03 Sam Iles has had a range of experiences in the VFL. “I think (the ability to) sacrifice is the biggest one. It The Hobart native started his journey with four games would’ve been an easy option over the last few years for Tasmania’s VFL team as a youngster before being to drop back and play local footy, which is easier on on Collingwood’s AFL list from 2006-08. He played your time. Playing in the VFL requires a big sacrifice. seven senior games for the Magpies as well as 22 for Sometimes you’re training four nights a week, on top then-aligned club Williamstown in 2006-07 and 19 for of work and then game day as well, and you have to Collingwood’s new standalone VFL team in 2008. back it up week to week. At the end of every season Iles’ stellar 2009 season with Box Hill (19 games) saw I’ve been back at Box Hill, thoughts have always him win the club’s best and fairest, selected in the gone through my mind about whether I still have the VFL Team of the Year and later rookie-listed by Gold drive to keep going, but I think the success we’ve had Coast. He played 18 VFL games as the Suns prepared over the last few years has added to why I’ve stayed for their inaugural AFL season in 2010, and then around. I just think playing at the highest level you appeared for the club in 26 AFL games in 2011-12. can is something you should do as long as your body can still do it.” Iles was delisted and returned to Box Hill in 2013 where he’s played a further 67 games for the Hawks, Why did you decide to come back to Box Hill aft er including their 2013 premiership. He claimed another being delisted by Gold Coast in 2012? club best and fairest in 2014 and played in losing “I played at Box Hill in 2009 and that was probably Grand Finals in 2014 and 2015. my most enjoyable year of footy. I think by the end of How do you feel about bringing up your 150th VFL my third year on the Gold Coast, I’d lost the passion game? Given you were draft ed into the AFL at 18, to play in a way. I was playing regularly in the NEAFL you probably wouldn’t have wanted to play this and I don’t think it’s as strong a competition as the many VFL games! VFL is. I think I wasn’t challenging myself. I’d enjoyed my previous year at Box Hill and just knew I’d enjoy “That’s probably a good point! Obviously you’d want it if I went back there. Throughout 2010-12 when I to play a lot more AFL games than I did, but you want was back in Melbourne, I’d go and watch Box Hill play to play at the highest level you can as well. To get to and a few of my mates were still playing. I also got to 150 VFL games is something I’m proud of, to go along know other guys there like Luke Andrews, Sam Cust with the 33 AFL games as well.” and Xavier Murphy, and I played in a flag with a few What do you think are the personal traits and of them in 2013. There was also Marc Lock, who I had skills that have allowed you to play 150 VFL spent a lot of time up on the Gold Coast with. In the games? end it was a pretty easy decision.” Sam Iles (right) runs down an opponent in 2015 04 www.vfl.com.au Sam Iles sits disappointed immediately aft er the Box Hill Hawks’ loss to Williamstown in the 2015 VFL Grand Final What have been the biggest changes for you What do you still hope to achieve in the VFL? personally and as a footballer over your VFL “I think while you can still play reasonable footy as journey? an individual, you’re striving to play some successful “I just think if you can learn as much as you can about footy with a lot of your mates.