VFL Round 13 TAC Cup Round 12 2 - 3 July 2016 $3.00 Photo: Bruno Silverii Photo: Cameron Grimes ANY TWO SUITS $795* OFFICIAL PARTNER OF THE VFL Rising stars shining on national stage The NAB AFL U18 Championships came to a close on Wednesday at Simonds Stadium with Vic Metro and Western Australia duelling for the 2016 title. Metro entered the game undefeated and was aiming for its first title since 2012. Focus quickly turns to the NAB AFL U16 Championships, which began last Sunday with Vic Country defeating Vic Metro at Simonds Stadium. We wish both teams all the best as they complete Rounds 2 and 3 of the U16 Championships on the Gold Coast this week. Whatever the results across both U18s and U16s, we would like to recognise all the staff and players involved for their time given and dedication towards the Championships. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes in relation to training, travel and the general wellbeing of players to ensure our Vic Country and Vic Metro teams – supported by Dairy Australia – perform at their best. It is a great honour for all players that participate in the Championships, and I hope the players were able to challenge themselves and develop their game against the best players from around Australia. One player who highlighted his skills on the national stage 12 months ago was former Northern Knight Jade Gresham. Gresham – Metro’s eventual MVP – starred in the 2015 U18 Championships and was draft ed at pick 18 in the NAB AFL Draft by St Kilda. This week he became the 10th NAB AFL Rising Star nominee from the TAC Cup aft er just 14 rounds of the AFL season, with players such as Jacob Weitering, Christian Petracca and James Sicily recognised. It is a real credit to our clubs and the role they have in developing and readying players to perform at AFL level when draft ed, with six of the 14 nominees in their first year at the elite level. We look forward to more nominees as the season progresses. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO Contents Who’s playing who 3 5 Hugh Sandilands and Khan Haretuku 36 37 Coburg vs Footscray 6 7 Mason Blakey 38 39 Essendon vs Port Melbourne 8 9 VFL weekly content 40 41 Collingwood vs Northern Blues 10 VFL Women’s 42 43 Sandringham vs Frankston 12 13 TAC Cup weekly content 44 45 Williamstown vs North Ballarat 15 Stats Central 46 47 Richmond vs Casey Scorpions 18 The Big League 22 AFL Vic News 52 53 Eastern vs Dandenong 64 Quiz 54 55 Murray vs Northern 56 57 Gippsland vs Oakleigh 11 VU Western Spurs vs Geelong 58 59 Geelong vs Sandringham 60 61 Bendigo vs Calder 62 63 North Ballarat vs Western Editor: Ben Pollard [email protected] Contributors: Anthony Stanguts, Kirstie Fitzgerald, Callum O’Connor Design & Print: Rainbow Graphics 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: Ben McNiece in action for Essendon in the Bombers’ Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 Round 11 win against Werribee www.aflvic.com.au www.taccup.com.au 01 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl.com.au Twitter: @VFL #PJVFL Facebook: www.facebook.com/vflfooty July 2 - 3 Saturday 2pm: Essendon v Port Melbourne TAC Cup Online Sunday 2pm: Richmond v Casey Scorpions Website: www.taccup.com.au Twitter: @TACCup Download the PLUS7 Live app to stream games live Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty Watch a replay at: au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/vfl Instagram: @aflvictoria Next week: Sun – Port Melbourne v Werribee Radio 3WBC Next game: Box Hill Hawks v Williamstown (Saturday July 9) Listen to 94.1FM, online at www.3wbc.org.au or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. Casey Radio Sunday July 3: Sandringham v Frankston 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 week: Frankston v Essendon R TAC Cup Radio A D Saturday July 2: Geelong Falcons v Sandringham Dragons from 1.45pm I Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone app or via taccup.com.au O Next week: Oakleigh Chargers v Dandenong Stingrays Girls Play Footy Radio Sunday July 3: Melbourne Uni v St Kilda 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 Hugh Sandilands Khan Haretuku 100 up for Port pair Two Port Melbourne players who started their Peter Jackson VFL journeys while on AFL rookie lists will play their 100th senior games this weekend. Hugh Sandilands and Khan Haretuku both made their way to North Port Oval after spending time at other VFL clubs but are now integral parts of the Borough’s line-up. Sandilands, 27, spent 2008 on Hawthorn’s rookie Firstly, what are your thoughts on your fellow list in a premiership year for the club. He played two milestone man as a footballer and a person? senior VFL games that season before being delisted, Hugh Sandilands: “An absolute gentleman is probably but stayed with the Box Hill Hawks in 2009. He the best way to describe Khan. He’s a really nice crossed to Port Melbourne in 2010 where he quickly guy, doesn’t speak poorly of anyone and is a real established himself in the Borough’s back line, family man as well – he loves to see his daughter in winning a premiership in 2011. Sandilands has shift ed the rooms aft er games. He’s been our no.1 ruckman this year and you can tell he’s really enjoying that into a forward role in recent years. new role. He might not be the tallest ruckman in the competition but he certainly works hard around the Haretuku, 26, was on St Kilda’s rookie list in 2008 ground.” aft er only taking up football several years prior. He Khan Haretuku: “I think Hugh was one of my first played two senior VFL games for the Casey Scorpions opponents when I first played against Port Melbourne before being delisted by the Saints and joining at Frankston. I remember he played pretty well, Frankston, where he played 71 games and made the unfortunately for me. He’s a ripper bloke. He’s 2012 VFL Team of the Year playing as a key forward. passionate about the footy club and wants to see it Haretuku has become Port Melbourne’s no.1 ruckman going forward. He always has time for a laugh off the since crossing to the club in 2015. field and gets around the younger blokes as well.” www.taccup.com.au 03 What were you hoping to accomplish when you just wanted to play better than the AFL-listed guys (in started out in the VFL? the VFL) and try to prove a point that VFL standalone HS: “When I got rookie-listed by Hawthorn, I obviously sides can match it with them.” wanted to play AFL and chase the dream of playing Why did you decide to come to Port Melbourne? 100 games at that level, but that didn’t work out. I was HS: “I got to a crossroads with what I wanted to do just happy to play one senior game when I got to Port aft er the 2009 season – whether I wanted to continue Melbourne, but in my first year I strung together a few playing football. I wasn’t enjoying it as much. I was games and never thought it would lead to 100. Geez, looking at maybe playing in the VAFA but I got a call it’s gone so fast. I’m in my seventh year at the club from Gary Ayres asking whether I wanted to come and now and every year goes quicker and quicker.” train at Port Melbourne. I was 50-50, but as soon as I KH: “Coming off an AFL list (at the end of 2008), the got down there it felt like where I belonged. It’s a very next thing I wanted to do was get back on a list. At a tight-knit community and seeing that really appealed standalone club there were 22 or 23 spots available to me. I was fortunate that when I was 20/21, we had every week, so that’s why I went to Frankston – to some great leaders at the club who were really good play at the highest level I could in the hope of getting at nurturing the young guys and showing them what back onto an AFL list.” it’s like to be a semi-professional footballer.” Which personal traits and skills do you think have KH: “Coming up against bigger guys week in and allowed you to play 100 VFL games? week out at Frankston, I had to adapt pretty quickly.