TAC Cup Round 1 Country Round 11-12 April 2015 $3.00 Photo: Arj Giese Photo: Arj Giese ANY TWO SUITS FOR $795* PREMIER PARTNER VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE Features Photo: Bendigo Advertiser 8 9 Farewell to a TAC Cup pioneer 11 AFL Academy jumper presentation Every week Editorial 3 TAC Cup News 5 VFL News 6 AFL Vic News 7 Round Highlights 12 Club Whiteboard 14 Draft Watch 32 Who’s playing who 16 17 Gippsland v Geelong 18 19 Nth Ballarat v Murray 20 21 Bendigo v Dandenong 22 23 Sandringham v Oakleigh Round 1 starts on Friday 17th April Editor: Kate Mitchell kate.mitchell@afl vic.com.au Contributors: Dave O’Neill, Anthony Stanguts Design & Print: Cyan Press Photos: AFL Photo’s (unless otherwise credited) Ikon Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton Nth, VIC 3054 Advertising: Ryan Webb (03) 8341 6062 GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 AFL Victoria CEO: Steven Reaper www.afl vic.com.au State League & Talent Manager: John Hook High Performance Managers: Anton Grbac, Leon Harris Front cover photo: Country Round Talent Operations Coordinator: Rhy Gieschen Talent Operations Coordinator: Lauren Bunting www.taccup.com.au 01 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl .com.au Twitter: @VFLnews #PJVFL Facebook: www.facebook.com/vfl footy Broadcasting the Peter Jackson VFL in 2015 TAC Cup Online First game: Saturday April 18 - 12pm Website: www.taccup.com.au Footscray Bulldogs vs Box Hill Hawks Twitter: @TACCup Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty Radio TAC Cup Radio Saturday April 11, Bendigo Pioneers v Dandenong Stingrays From 5.45pm Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone App or www.taccup.com.au VFL Radio Broadcasting VFL matches each Sunday Live on Digital Radio via Aussie, Red Time Sport and SEN iPhone Apps, online via vfl .com.au or sen.com.au 3WBC Saturday April 18: Footscray vs Box Hill From 11am Listen to 94.1FM, online at www.3wbc.org.au or the Tune In Radio app Casey Radio Sunday April 19: Casey Scorpions vs Frankston, 1pm Tune to 97.7fm in Melbourne, via the web at www.caseyradio.com.au, or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. 02 www.vfl .com.au Country Round Welcome to Country Round, where the best young footballers from across regional Victoria gather at the picturesque Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo for a great day of football. Growing up in regional Victoria I loved my footy. The local footy club was the heart and soul of my community back then and that link to the community still continues today for country clubs across the state. A recent study commissioned by AFL Victoria and conducted by Latrobe University highlighted just how important football clubs are for regional communities. It found that people involved with a football club be it as a player, coach, volunteer or supporter are more likely to experience greater social connectedness, well-being and physical and mental health than those not involved. It also found that a football club’s reach is signifi cant and extends beyond direct participants. For every one player, football clubs reach 10 people in their community. In small regional communities that reach can practically be the whole town. The social value of football clubs was quantifi ed by the study with the fi nding that for every dollar spent on a community football club, at least $4.40 is returned in social value. This social value includes social connectedness, wellbeing, mental health status, employment outcomes, personal development and physical health. All things are important issues for regional areas. Football remains to be the sport of choice in country Victoria, and since the VCFL merged with AFL Victoria the administration and development aspects of the sport have gone from strength to strength. We have been able to establish 13 Regional Commissions to oversee football in specifi c geographic areas. Headed by a Regional General Manager and supported by a number of Football Development Managers, the Commissions have empowered local people to make What are some of your favourite local decisions for local reasons. memories from playing country Long term sustainability of country football clubs is a big focus for AFL Victoria, and an area that we will continually review to ensure football? that clubs can prosper. I played football for Kyneton in the I am pleased with the achievements of the Regional Commissions so far and the great work that they do in their communities on a Bendigo Football League and was daily basis. The future of country footy is in good hands. fortunate enough to be a part of a When speaking of country football, there is one man that has senior premiership as an 18 year old. had a signifi cant involvement in two regions that needs to be acknowledged this week. I would like to take this opportunity to The club is actually having a 20 year thank Ray Byrne for his enormous contribution to TAC Cup football reunion for our premiership team that started in Gippsland and fi nished this week in Bendigo with in the coming monthshs and I relishelish his retirement. Over the last 24 years Ray has assisted in the development of thousands of football careers at both the Power the fact that the friendshipsndships I made and Pioneers. through football as a youngyoung bloke still All in all Ray has given nearly 40 years to our great game through remain strong today.. That’s’s one ofof his VFL/AFL playing career (which spanned 12 years and 219 games) the best things aboutt thethe communitycommunity along with the promotion and the development the game. By any measure it is a truly outstanding achievement and we all wish Ray element of country footy,ooty,y, you ggetet to well in his retirement. meet so many people, and for me Enjoy a wonderful weekend of TAC Cup football. those people have becomecome lifelong Steven Reaper mates. AFL Victoria CEO www.taccup.com.au A03 Footy. Oh what a feeling! This is what it’s all about. A siren sounds on that one day in September and in a moment frozen in time, dreams become reality as a warrior raises his ƪVWVLQWULXPSK)RRW\ţ2KZKDWDIHHOLQJ )URPWKHJUDVVURRWVXS7R\RWDDUHSDVVLRQDWHSDUWQHUVRI$XVWUDOLDśVJDPH DQGDORQJWHUPVSRQVRURIWKHUHLJQLQJSUHPLHUVKLSFDSWDLQ/XNH+RGJH %HIRUHDORQJKDUGVHDVRQZHśGOLNHWRZLVKDOOWKHSOD\HUVFOXEVDQG WKHLUGLHKDUGIDQVWKHEHVWRIOXFNLQWKHLUTXHVWIRUWKHXOWLPDWHJORU\ 0D\DOO\RXUNLFNVKLWWKHWDUJHWDQG\RXUWHDPJRGHHSLQWR6HSWHPEHU toyota.com.au 04 www.vfl .com.au News A diff erent kind of fi ght Bendigo Pioneers co-captain Liam Collins was looking forward to fi ghting battles on the football fi eld as the 2015 TAC Cup season began, but instead he was battling serious illness. What started as a headache ended up with Collins being rushed to hospital in an ambulance. He was eventually diagnosed with Meningitis and spent a harrowing few weeks in hospital. Pleasingly, Collins is on the mend and was able to make it to Benella to support his team mates in their Round 2 clash against Murray Bushrangers. He continues to rest and recover with the hopes of returning to training in a month’s time. The TAC Cup community extends its best wishes to Liam and his family as he recovers, we all hope to see him back out on the fi eld leading the Pioneers soon. Oarsome achievement Bottom aged North Ballarat Rebels footballer Lloyd Meek has had a busy month of March. Mennen fi rst The Ballarat Grammar student is also a talented rower, 23rd man standing at 200cm his long levers are well suited to the Murray Bushranger sport. David Mennen Ballarat is a town with a long Rowing history. The venue became the fi rst TAC for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic rowing events, Lake Cup player to play Wendouree also hosts a strong school rowing program as a 23rd man in the each year. VFL aft er stepping Meek was part of Ballarat Grammar’s crew that won the out for Collingwood Ballarat Associated Schools Head of the Lake regatta in VFL in a practice early March. match against Casey The coxed four crew then went on to become national Scorpions. champions by taking out the Australian schoolboys title Even though it was a few weeks later at the Sydney International Rowing a practice match the intensity and attack on the Regatta. ball was fi erce. Mennen was able to gain invaluable While Meek was rowing in Sydney, his Rebels team experienc e running out with the Pies that will benefi t mates were in a tight tussle with Geelong Falcons that his continuing development in the TAC Cup. went right down to the wire. His footy team mates weren’t far from his mind, right aft er Meek’s win he was 19 year old Mennen has seized the opportunity to on the phone to Coach David Loader to see how the return to the Bushrangers for a third season and is boys went. working hard on his fi tness and game with the aim of pushing up from the half back fl ank into the midfi eld. An exciting football prospect, Meek was part of the Rebels U16 development squad in 2014 and also made He was a stand out in the Bushrangers 107 point the Victoria Country U16 squad of 40. With his size and demolition of the pioneers in Round 2 named in the athleticism it’s expected that he will play a number of best players. TAC Cup games in his fi rst year in the competition. Mennen will play a second practice match for Meek has been proactive with his time management, Collingwood VFL against North Ballarat on Saturday working closely with the Rebels to fi t in both his football April 11 at the Pies spiritual home, Victoria Park, and rowing commitments.