VFL & TAC Cup Finals Week 1 Qualifying & Elimination 5 - 6 September 2015 $3.00 Photo:Photo: Shane Shane Goss Goss / / @licoricegallery @licoricegallery Features 4 5 VFL Finals preview 7 J. J. Liston Trophy preview 8 9 VFL ‘Beaten Brigade’ 12 13 TAC Cup fi nals preview Every week Editorial 3 VFL Highlights 10 VFL News 11 TAC Cup Highlights 14 TAC Cup News 15 AFL Vic News 16 Club Whiteboard 18 21 Events 23 Connect with your club 26 27 Get Social 29 30 2014 J. J. Liston Trophy winner Alex Woodward from the Box Hill Hawks Draft Watch 64 Who’s playing who 40 41 Collingwood vs Werribee 56 57 Oakleigh vs Gippsland 42 43 Box Hill Hawks vs Footscray 58 59 North Ballarat vs Geelong 44 45 Essendon vs Casey Scorpions 60 61 Eastern vs Calder 46 47 Sandringham vs Williamstown 62 63 Dandenong vs Murray Dev League 48 49 Box Hill Hawks vs Williamstown 50 51 Casey Scorpions vs Coburg Editor: Ben Pollard ben.pollard@afl vic.com.au Contributors: Anthony Stanguts Design & Print: Cyan Press Ikon Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton Nth, VIC 3054 Photos: AFL Photos (unless otherwise credited) GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Advertising: Ryan Webb (03) 8341 6062 Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 AFL Victoria CEO: Steven Reaper www.afl vic.com.au State League & Talent Manager: John Hook Cover: Stars of the VFL and TAC Cup minor premiership teams – High Performance Managers: Anton Grbac, Leon Harris Sam Grimley of the Box Hill Hawks (left ) and Jacob Hopper from the North Ballarat Rebels Talent Operations Coordinator: Rhy Gieschen www.taccup.com.au 01 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl .com.au Twitter: @VFL #PJVFL Facebook: www.facebook.com/vfl footy Saturday September 5 – 12pm Collingwood v Werribee TAC Cup Online Sunday September 6 – 11.30am Website: www.taccup.com.au Essendon v Casey Scorpions Twitter: @TACCup Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty Next week: Saturday & Sunday semi fi nals Radio L VFL Live I Sunday September 6, Sandringham vs Williamstown, from 1.45pm Live on Digital Radio via Aussie, Red Time Sport and SEN iPhone Apps, V online via vfl .com.au or sen.com.au E Next week: VFL fi nals TAC Cup Radio Saturday September 5 11:30am: Oakleigh Chargers v Gippsland Power R A 2pm: North Ballarat Rebels v Geelong Falcons D Sunday September 6 I 11:30am: Eastern Ranges v Calder Cannons O 2pm: Dandenong Stingrays v Murray Bushrangers Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone App or www.taccup.com.au Next week: ALL TAC Cup semi fi nals 3WBC Saturday September 5, Box Hill Hawks vs Footscray from 1pm Listen to 94.1FM, online at www.3wbc.org.au or the Tune In Radio app Next: The next Box Hill Hawks fi nal Collingwood VFL Radio Saturday September 5, Collingwood vs Werribee from 12.10pm Commentary will be streamed through the Collingwood app and on collingwoodfc.com.au Video Streaming Visit vfl .com.au for a replay of all games that were live video streamed during 2015. Follow the Media tab in the drop down box. Next: Live stream of J.J. Liston Trophy night from 7.15pm on Monday September 7 02 www.vfl .com.au Exciting month ahead Welcome to a big month of fi nals football in the Peter Jackson VFL and TAC Cup. It was a thrilling fi nale to the home-and-away season in both competitions, with the top four not being locked away until the fi nal games on Sunday. We thank Dairy Australia for their continued support, as they return as the naming rights partner to the VFL Legendairy Finals Series. Dairy Australia is a major partner of our Vic Country and Metro Academies and we appreciate their support of our AFL Victoria programs and competitions. For the second year running, Footscray left it until the dying moments of its fi nal game of the year to decide its opponent in week 1 of the VFL Legendairy fi nals. A late goal to Tom Boyd saw the Bulldogs defeat Werribee, securing the double chance and a qualifying fi nal against the Box Hill Hawks. In the TAC Cup, it was the weekend of upsets, with just three of the top eight teams recording a win in the fi nal round. The Sandringham Dragons’ win over the Eastern Ranges opened the door to the top four for the Geelong Falcons, with Andrew Allthorpe’s side securing the double chance with a fi nal-round win against the second-placed Dandenong Stingrays. The win completed an all-Country top four for only the third time in competition history, featuring the North Ballarat Rebels, Dandenong, Murray Bushrangers and Geelong. During the fi nal round a number of individual honours were decided. Congratulations to back-to-back ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal winner Sam Grimley, who once again was forced to share the award – this year with not one but two players. In a quiet fi nal round for all three eventual winners, two goals to Richmond’s Liam McBean and singles to Port Melbourne’s Jordan Lisle and Grimley saw the trio fi nish on 42 goals apiece. Despite an eight-year fi nals streak coming to an end for Port Melbourne, they were able to continue their recent run of goalkicking leaders, with Lisle the fi ft h Borough player in a row to top the table at the end of the home-and-away rounds. In the TAC Cup, Blake Hardwick fi nished on top of the goalkicking ladder with 46 goals, facing no fear of a tied result in the fi nal round. He fi nished 14 goals ahead of second-placed James Freeman (Dandenong Stingrays) and Karl Brown (Calder Cannons). All four goalkicking winners will be recognised over the next week at the upcoming competition awards nights, starting on Monday (September 7) when we will salute the 2015 J.J. Liston Trophy winner for the fairest and best player in the VFL competition. The VFL’s night of nights this year moves to Palladium at Crown, with a host of talented players to be recognised on the night – with the awarding of the Fothergill-Round Medal (for the most promising young talent), the A. Todd Medal (best and fairest in the AFL Victoria Development League), the VFL Team of the Year and a number of other awards. Best of luck to all players and clubs during this very exciting time of year. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO www.taccup.com.au 03 Peter Jackson VFL Week 1 Finals preview Footscray’s Nathan Hrovat 2nd Qualifying Final Sandringham (2nd) vs Williamstown (3rd) Sunday September 6, 2pm, Trevor Barker Beach Oval The Zebras are in the best form of any team in the league, having won seven straight games and 12 of their last 13 to snatch a home fi nal from the Seagulls. The home ground advantage could be crucial too, as Sandringham has won its last six matches at Trevor Barker Beach Oval while Williamstown hasn’t played there since Round 20 last year. When these teams last met in Round 2 at Burbank Oval though, it was the Seagulls who showed their dominance, leading all day to record a 58-point victory. Williamstown’s Anthony Anastasio booted four goals, while Ben Jolley and Ed Carr (both 31 disposals) ran rampant through the middle. Sandringham is only ranked no.12 in the league for disposals but is the no.1 team for long kicks, getting the ball inside 50 quickly where dynamic forwards Ahmed Saad, Darren Minchington and Eli Templeton can pounce. But Clint Jones and the Zebs’ midfi eld will need to win the ball from the league’s no.1 team for contested possessions and clearances. With on-ball guns like Jolley, Adam Marcon and Mitch Banner being fed by ruckman Nick Meese, the Seagulls will be hard to stop. 1st Qualifying Final Williamstown’s Anthony Anastasio Box Hill Hawks (1st) vs Footscray (4th) Saturday September 5, 2pm, Box Hill City Oval The rematch of last year’s Grand Final fi ttingly pits the VFL’s no.1 attacking team in terms of points scored (Hawks) against the league’s no.1 defensive team in terms of points conceded (Bulldogs). A lot has changed since Footscray’s 2014 fl ag victory and even since the last time these teams met this season. Back in Round 1 at VU Whitten Oval, Box Hill prevailed by 13 points despite having seven less scoring shots. Joint ‘Frosty’ Miller Medallist Sam Grimley showed the Bulldogs how to do it, kicking four goals straight for the Hawks, while Dan Howe and Tim O’Brien were also infl uential with two majors each. Many of Footscray’s prime movers that day such as Lachie Hunter, Shane Biggs and Clay Smith won’t play on the weekend, but the Dogs still boast potential match-winners like the prolifi c Brent Prismall and Nathan Hrovat, ruckman Will Minson or key forward Tom Boyd. This will be a fascinating tactical battle mirroring the game styles of their aligned AFL clubs, with Box Hill (similar to Hawthorn) the league’s no.1 team for kicks and marks per game and Footscray (similar to the Western Bulldogs) the no.1 team for handballs per game. 04 www.vfl .com.au Essendon’s Dan Coghlan 2nd Elimination Final Collingwood (6th) vs Werribee (7th) Saturday September 5, 12.10pm, North Port Oval The Tigers have taken some big scalps this season – including Box Hill and Williamstown twice each – but at Victoria Park in Round 9, the Magpies were too strong for them.