VFL Round 17 8 - 9 August 2015 $3.00 Photo: Jenny Owens Photo: Jenny Owens Features 4 5 The run home 7 David Mirra 9 Kenny Ong Every week Editorial 3 VFL Highlights 10 VFL News 11 TAC Cup News 13 AFL Vic News 14 Club Whiteboard 16 17 Events 19 Connect with your club 20 21 Get Social 22 Draft Watch 48 Who’s playing who 32 33 Essendon vs Werribee 34 35 Sandringham vs Port Melbourne 36 37 North Ballarat vs Geelong 38 39 Box Hill Hawks vs Casey Scorpions TAC Cup Development weekend 40 41 Frankston vs Coburg 42 43 Williamstown vs Footscray Editor: Ben Pollard ben.pollard@afl vic.com.au Contributors: Anthony Stanguts Design & Print: Cyan Press Photos: AFL Photos (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 Cover: Frankston’s Josh Tynan in action during the Talent Operations Coordinator: Rhy Gieschen Dolphins’ loss to Geelong at Frankston Oval on Sunday Talent Operations Coordinator: Lauren Bunting www.taccup.com.au 01 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl .com.au Twitter: @VFL #PJVFL Facebook: www.facebook.com/vfl footy Broadcasting the Peter Jackson VFL in 2015 TAC Cup Online Saturday August 8 – 12pm Website: www.taccup.com.au Collingwood vs Northern Blues Twitter: @TACCup Next week: Footscray vs Port Melbourne Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty (Saturday) Radio L VFL Live I Sunday August 9, Essendon vs Werribee from 11.45am 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: Northern Blues vs Sandringham R TAC Cup Radio A Saturday August 15, Dandenong Stingrays vs Oakleigh Chargers D I From 10.45am O Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone App or www.taccup.com.au 3WBC Sunday August 9, Box Hill Hawks vs Casey Scorpions from 1pm Listen to 94.1FM, online at www.3wbc.org.au or the Tune In Radio app Next week: Geelong vs Box Hill Hawks Casey Radio Sunday August 9, Sandringham vs Port Melbourne from 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. Next game: Frankston vs Essendon Video Streaming Visit vfl .com.au on Sunday at 12pm for a link to a live video stream of: Essendon vs Werribee Watch the action and listen to the call from the VFL Live team. 02 www.vfl .com.au Multicultural Round a chance to celebrate diversity At AFL Victoria we are incredibly proud of football’s capacity to break down barriers between diff erent sections of the community. We believe football has a place for everyone. It unites communities and brings people from all walks of life together to support a common cause. Multicultural Round is the perfect time to celebrate this but also a reminder that we must continue to be a leader in this regard and be a vehicle to promote understanding between diff erent community groups. Our multicultural team at AFL Victoria do a huge amount of work in engaging our state’s many diverse communities and introducing them to Australia’s game. The nation’s multicultural population is already signifi cantly large but is predicted to grow substantially over the next 20 years, making the work of this team vitally important. Harnessing this population growth and encouraging participation in our traditional and new football programs is without doubt one of the biggest challenges we face as a sport. NAB Auskick clinics designed especially for diverse communities are already in place in a number of regions, and we also operate school programs and have a number of other special events scheduled across the year to engage people from a multicultural background. A key plank in our programs is the four diversity academies that are helping fast-track the development of talented young multicultural footballers. Essendon’s David Zaharakis, Geelong’s Stevie Motlop and Melbourne’s Jimmy Toumpas each headed up their own diversity academy this year with fantastic results. The Academies, based at the Northern Knights, Geelong Falcons and Dandenong Stingrays, have seen a hand-picked squad come together once a week for 10 weeks to complete training and education sessions and a personalised development program. While each Academy has its own head coach, the three AFL stars are a tremendous addition and have each aligned themselves to a specifi c squad to help mentor the talented youngsters. A fourth academy based at the Western Jets has already been in operation for three years and is again providing opportunities for indigenous and multicultural youngsters this season. A fi ft h academy will be announced at Calder Cannons in coming weeks. The vast majority of participants in these academies missed out on Auskick or playing football as youngsters, so this program provides extra training and coaching, respected mentors and an off -fi eld curriculum that will hopefully see them transition into the mainstream talent pathway and possibly become future role models for the wider multicultural community. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO www.taccup.com.au 03 The contenders’ run home The Peter Jackson VFL home-and-away The Seagulls may be season has hit the point where ‘mathematical celebrating a home possibility’ becomes a buzz phrase. qualifying fi nal in 2015 Four rounds remain and 11 teams still have a realistic chance to fi ll the eight spots in September’s Legendairy fi nals series, while the race for positions in the top four – and a double chance come fi nals time – is also heating up. Let’s take a look at the run home for the clubs in contention. 1st – WILLIAMSTOWN (11-3, 148.8%) R17 vs Footscray (Burbank Oval) R18 vs Casey Scorpions (Casey Fields) R19 vs Werribee (Burbank Oval) R20 vs Box Hill Hawks (Box Hill City Oval) Williamstown could be facing Box Hill for the minor premiership in the fi nal home-and-away round. A loss to the Hawks – who beat the Seagulls by 62 points at Burbank Oval in Round 10 – may not be catastrophic, as Willy is still in the box seat to fi nish in the top two and earn a home fi nal. However, all four of its remaining matches are against fellow top-eight teams, so the Gulls will have certainly earned the privilege to host a team at Burbank Oval in week one of fi nals. 2nd – BOX HILL HAWKS 3rd – SANDRINGHAM (11-3, 145.5%) (10-4, 114.9%) R17 vs Casey Scorpions (Box Hill City R17 vs Port Melbourne (Trevor Barker Oval) Beach Oval) R18 vs Geelong (Simonds Stadium) R18 vs Northern Blues (Ikon Park) R19 vs Northern Blues (Preston City Oval) R19 vs Geelong (Trevor Barker Beach Oval) R20 vs Williamstown (Box Hill City Oval) R20 vs Casey Scorpions (Trevor Barker Beach Oval) Box Hill is a strong chance to be playing a qualifying fi nal at Box Hill City Oval, a venue A top-four fi nish is Sandringham’s for the taking. where it has only lost once in seven matches this Casey is the only team currently in the top eight season – by fi ve points to Werribee in Round 4. that the Zebras will face in the run home, and The Hawks’ fi rst encounter with Casey in 2015 is Sandy defeated the Scorpions by 35 points at followed by two winnable games against teams Casey Fields in Round 4. Their relatively low outside the top eight, meaning the Round 20 clash percentage means the Zebs could be looking at with Williamstown could become a handy fi nals a daunting trip to either Burbank Oval or Box Hill tune-up. The Hawks have only lost to Werribee (twice) and Collingwood this season, and might City Oval in the fi rst week of fi nals, but a possible even avoid them in September if the Tigers and double chance – which would be their fi rst since Pies don’t break into the top four. 2007 – will be handy in any case. 04 www.vfl .com.au 4th – FOOTSCRAY 7th – COLLINGWOOD (9-5, 100.1%) (9-5, 141.2%) Rd 17 vs Northern Blues (MCG); Rd 18 vs Rd 17 vs Williamstown (Burbank North Ballarat (Victoria Park); Rd 19 vs Oval); Rd 18 vs Port Melbourne (VU Richmond (Victoria Park); Rd 20 vs Port Whitten Oval); Rd 19 vs Essendon Melbourne (Victoria Park) (Queen Elizabeth Oval – Bendigo); Rd 20 vs Collingwood has possibly the kindest run home Werribee (Avalon Airport Oval) of any of the teams in fi nals contention. All four matches are against clubs currently outside the top The run home isn’t overly kind for the eight and all of them are home games – including defending premier, although a big percentage three at its Victoria Park fortress, where it hasn’t lost a could end up being Footscray’s best friend. home-and-away game since Round 11 last season. A Last weekend’s victory over Essendon means low percentage means the Magpies may need to win a top-four spot is the Bulldogs’ to lose, but every match to be in the picture for a top-four fi nish this round’s clash with the Seagulls – who though. won the teams’ fi rst clash by 39 points at VU Whitten Oval in Round 8 – and the rematch with Essendon in Round 19 will be crucial in 8th – CASEY SCORPIONS determining whether they stay there.