$ inc afl victoria september 5-6, 2009 3gst vfl fiNalS WEEK 1 flag ahoy to give their family car improved safety and fuel efficiency? FORD, OF COURSE ^For front and second row passengers. #Recommended offer price of Territory TX RWD at participating Ford Dealers. Prestige colour shown $400 extra. Private buyers only. †Standard SMS charges apply. SMS service not currently available on Vodafone or 3 networks. FMC5458_WML_210x140VFL.indd 1 31/8/09 12:33:34 PM FROm thE OVaL OFFiCE Spring and finals in the air the VFL and taC Cup are gearing up for a memorable end to season 2009. ast weekend I had the second quarter. However, full Remember to set aside pleasure of travelling credit to the Falcons, who were September 25, Blue Friday, when to Queensland with the able to regroup at half-time. the TAC Cup and VFL Grand Finals Geelong Falcons for While one would have expected will be played at Etihad Stadium. Ltheir match against the Gold the hot conditions to favour the This year our finals series will be Coast team. home team, it was Geelong that supporting the Australian Anti- It gave me an opportunity to ran out the game the better. Cancer Council’s Blue September, see first-hand the operational Falcons region manager which promotes health and the side of our TAC Cup competition Michael Turner felt it was an prevention of men’s cancers. in and around match day. What I invaluable experience for the Meanwhile, the ABC informed witnessed is no doubt mirrored young players, and that Gold us late last week that they will be across the competition and it is a Coast’s entry into the competition broadcasting the VFL Grand Final testimony to the men and women in 2009 had been a wonderful live nationally on ABC HD, which – many of whom are volunteers or positive for the competition. is great news for our competition. paid a fraction of their value – who Watching at such close The VFL has the reputation as support our TAC Cup clubs. quarters reinforced just why the the best competition outside The way the boys looked and TAC Cup is the best underage the AFL, and now footy fans behaved while travelling was very competition in the nation, across Australia can see that professional, and Falcons coach preparing players for the rigours for themselves. Garry Hocking showed why he of the AFL and enhancing the I’m also sure Victorians will be should soon be on the shortlist for professionalism and skills of the delighted that the Grand Final will an AFL club coaching role. support staff, many who are also be broadcast on a delayed basis The game was played at aspiring to break into AFL ranks. on ABC1 later that Friday night, temperatures the Geelong boys Turning to this weekend’s with a highlights package to be certainly were not used to, and matches, we are into week one screened the next day leading up the team physios and support of the finals in both the VFL and to the AFL Grand Final. staff were excellent in their TAC Cup, with North Ballarat management of the group. and the Geelong Falcons the It was a great game of footy, respective minor premiers. Peter SChwab with Geelong getting up to win I wish the best of luck to all Chief Executive Officer, after appearing vulnerable in the clubs in the finals. AFL Victoria aFL Victoria Chief executive Officer: Photography: SePteMber 5-6, 2009 Peter Schwab Getty Images 1800 500 141 COntentS Football Operations Manager: advertising: John Hook Jennifer Pryor (03) 8663 3007 Tom Roach – 100 games 5 high Performance Managers: VFL experience 6-7 Anton Grbac, Leon Harris Statistics: Sophie Timms Frosty Miller Medal 9 CeO, the Slattery Media Group: COVer: (Clockwise from top left) skippers Season review 10-13 Geoff Slattery Adam Iacobucci (Northern Bullants), editor: Andrew Wallace John Baird (Port Melbourne), Damien Finals previews 18-21 Peverill (Collingwood), Brett Johnson Designer: Karl Chandler (Williamstown), Shaune Moloney (North Ballarat), Lukas Markovic (Box Hill Senior team lists 22-29 Photo Manager: Melanie Tanusetiawan Hawks), Kyle Matthews (Casey Scorpions) and James Podsiadly (Geelong) have Reserves team lists 40-43 Printed by: Condor Printing sights set on glory. VFL RECORD / 3 OGR0068_VFL Talking to a gambler about their problem isn’t easy. It can often end in an argument, or worse still, not be spoken about at all. At Gambler’s Help, we understand it’s a difficult conversation to have, but we can help you with the things you need to say. You can call our free and confidential 24-hour service anytime. OGR0068_M_VFL_210x140.indd 1 21/8/09 10:02:53 AM tOm roaCh – 100 gamEs hen he entered Roach enjoys the team-first culture the AFL system at North Ballarat. as a teenager, the last thing on WTom Roach’s mind was playing 100 VFL games or relocating to Ballarat. Six years after he was drafted by Richmond under the father-son rule, Roach, who this weekend brings up his century of VFL matches – the bulk of them for North Ballarat – has done both. Furthermore, he’s more than comfortable with how things have unfolded. When the Tigers delisted him after 11 AFL games in three seasons, Roach was inundated with clubs from all around Australia trying to entice him, but he was keen to stay close to family and friends. Once he decided to stay in Victoria and continue his career at VFL level, Roach’s priority was to play for a club that didn’t have a full alignment with an AFL club. He noted from his Former Tiger experience at Richmond and the Coburg Tigers that selection weighed heavily in the favour notches century of AFL players, irrespective of form. Rooster tom Roach has adjusted well “I didn’t want that to happen to life in Ballarat and the VFL. to me, so I thought I needed to go to a club that’s only partially aligned or not aligned at all,” to graduate at the end of a possible 63 games in the past Roach said. next year as a schoolteacher. three seasons, represented the That’s where North Ballarat, He’s acclimatised well, put VFL state team, earned VFL led by coach Gerard FitzGerald paid to aspirations of returning Team of the Year selection and, entered the equation. to the AFL and adopted most importantly, played a pivotal “I met with ‘Fitzy’ and he a positive mindset. role in North Ballarat’s first seemed like a good bloke, a good “It’s been an interesting VFL premiership. coach and someone who cared journey. When I first started in The emphasis is now on adding about my life outside football,” the VFL my goal would have been to that latter achievement, Roach said. to play as few games as possible something that is driven by a While he acknowledges that and as many as I could in the particularly strong leadership Ballarat is not considered the AFL,” Roach said. group within North Ballarat. most idyllic location, Roach “Once that dream ended, “It’s a team-first attitude all of was sold about using the town I’ve just tried to play the best the time,” he said. as a base for a human movement football as I can in the VFL.” Tom Roach is more than happy degree that will enable him Roach has played 61 of to be part of such a culture. VFL RECORD / 5 vfl experience uring its historic three- Williamstown’s Brett Johnson is peat, Sandringham closing on 150 games. conclusively proved that experience counts for Dplenty during a finals campaign. Sandringham achieved premierships from 2004-06 on the back of its seasoned VFL core. Experienced campaigners like captain Chad Liddell, goalkicking star Nick Sautner, Liston Trophy winner Ezra Poyas, and VFL Team of the Year representatives David Gallagher, Sean O’Keefe, Rod Crowe and Andy Biddlecombe provided leadership, direction and discipline. Add Chris Lamb, Peter Summers and Shane Valenti and you had the nucleus of a team to take Sandringham to great heights. It’s a considerable factor as to why North Ballarat goes into this year’s finals series looking to join Sandringham as back-to- back premiers. North Ballarat, under the astute tutelage of Gerard FitzGerald, boasts the most experienced core group of VFL players. There are many clauses in a player’s finals eligibility, but Wise heads prevail basically it boils down to the fact that there is a maximum of 12 AFL-listed players and rookies, in September and a minimum of 10 VFL players required in September. History shows that clubs turn to VFL veterans As AFL stand alone clubs in premiership quests. Collingwood and Geelong are not bound by these rules until such stage as their AFL club exits the While finals eligibility rules player. The Roosters boast nearly finals, the VFL Magpies and Cats don’t prevent clubs from fielding 100 games more experience can chose whichever players an 11 AFL/11 VFL player split or than their nearest rival Port don’t get a game in the AFL even a 10/12, they clearly put the Melbourne, and nearly 300 games finals. Once an AFL club finishes emphasis on clubs having solid more than Williamstown. its finals campaign, however, VFL lists. Interestingly, North Ballarat the VFL club is restricted to the And, that’s where North Ballarat nearly has as much VFL rule whereby a player must have emerges as a clear frontrunner. experience as the Box Hill played seven VFL games during North Ballarat’s 10 most Hawks, Casey Scorpions and the home and away season or experienced VFL players have Northern Bullants combined.