VFL Round 1 17-19 April 2015 $3.00 Photo: Arj Giese Photo: Arj Giese Features 8 9 The Man behind the microphone 10 16 VFL Season Preview 18 19 AFL Academy Every week Editorial 3 VFL News 4 TAC Cup News 5 AFL Vic News 7 Club Whiteboard 20 21 Draft Watch 48 Who’s playing who 28 29 Werribee v Geelong 30 31 Coburg v Richmond Development Weekend 32 33 Footscray v Box Hill 34 35 Northern Blues v Williamstown 36 37 Nth Ballarat v Collingwood 38 39 Casey v Frankston 40 41 Sandringham v Essendon BYE: Port Melbourne 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: 2014 Peter Jackson VFL premiers, Footscray 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 Next week: Essendon vs Collingwood Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty Radio VFL Radio Sunday April 19, Sandringham v Essendon From 1.30pm Live on Digital Radio via Aussie, Red Time Sport and SEN iPhone Apps, online via vfl .com.au or sen.com.au Next week: Werribee vs North Ballarat 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 Next week: Box Hill Hawks vs Coburg 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. Next week: Footscray vs Casey Scorpions TAC Cup Radio Next game for broadcast Sunday April 26, Sandringham Dragons v Eastern Ranges From 10.45am Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone App or www.taccup.com.au 02 www.vfl .com.au VFL footy is back! It’s been a longer than usual wait, but it’s great to have Peter Jackson VFL football back for season 2015. As we kick off the new season, it is with great excitement that we welcome Channel Seven as our new VFL broadcast partner. The support of such a respected commercial network will increase the exposure of the VFL, help grow the audience and showcase the talented footballers lining up each week in what is undoubtedly the country’s best state-league competition. The recent season launch gave us a taste of what’s ahead for the VFL and provided the opportunity to thank our corporate and community partners, in particular the Peter Jackson and TAC. Their support is crucial to the success of AFL Victoria’s premier competitions, which in turn allows the Victorian talent pathway to prosper and continue to be the benchmark nationally. The strength of this pathway was demonstrated at the end of 2014 with 64 Victorians selected in either the NAB AFL National or Rookie Draft . This result highlighted the quality of the TAC Cup Competition and our Victoria Metro and Victoria Country Academies and saw eight of the top ten players selected in the National Draft hail from Victoria. Four Peter Jackson VFL players also progressed their careers to the elite level with Kane Lambert and Adam Saad initially rookie listed and then upgraded to the senior lists of Richmond and Gold Coast Suns respectively. The selection of Frankston’s Nic Newman in the Rookie Draft also ensured the continuation of an outstanding statistic. Of the past nine players to win the Peter Jackson VFL Fothergill-Round Medal, all have now gone on to careers at AFL level. Moving from the TAC Cup into the VFL is very much a genuine pathway, so with that in mind we have combined the VFL and TAC Cup Records into the one publication so that you, the reader, can follow both competitions. In the coming weeks you will see a mixture of content throughout the Record including results, fi xtures and plenty of articles and news items for both VFL (including the Development League) and TAC Cup. The VFL is also proving to be a breeding ground for umpires. 2014 VFL Legendairy Grand Final fi eld umpires Jack Edwards, Nick Brown and Brent Wallace each were appointed to their fi rst off icial AFL game aft er being added to the 2015 AFL Field Umpires Panel. Continuing this development of umpires, the AFL Victoria umpiring department will launch a new initiative this year with the VFL player to umpire program. In 2015 we have upwards of 290,000 participants across our various competitions and programs. It is the amazing job done by the hard working volunteers in every corner of the state who drive community clubs and ensure football continues to be the sport of choice for Victorians. There is always so much anticipation leading into Round 1 and the fi rst bounce of the ball. Best of luck to all players and support staff this weekend and a big welcome to all of the family members, friends and supporters. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO www.taccup.com.au 03 Big weekend of footy kicks of News VFL season Channel 7 broadcasts VFL in 2015 A new era in Peter Jackson VFL television broadcasting will begin this weekend with Seven Melbourne securing the exclusive free-to-air rights to the competition for the next two seasons. Under the new agreement with AFL Victoria, Seven will show the VFL ‘Match of the Round’ live on Channel 7 in Melbourne every weekend at midday throughout the regular season, as well as the VFL Legendairy Finals Series and Grand Final. The Grand Final rematch between Footscray and Box Hill Hawks headlines the opening round of the 2015 Peter Jackson VFL The move to Channel 7 will be the fi rst change in season this weekend. television broadcaster for the competition since 1987, when the ABC fi rst covered the then VFA The VFL season kicks off on Friday night under lights at Avalon Airport Oval between Werribee and Geelong. fi nals, taking over the rights from ATV 10. Footscray will then unveil its 2014 premiership fl ag on the A fresh and exciting commentary team has been Saturday at VU Whitten Oval under new coach Ash Hansen – live announced to call matches in 2015. on Channel 7 from midday. Jason Bennett and Nigel Carmody will lead the call, Hansen is one of fi ve new coaches in the VFL in 2015, joining with AFL premiership player Campbell Brown in Justin Plapp (Casey Scorpions), Patrick Hill (Frankston), Paul expert commentary. Hood (Geelong) and Paul Hudson (Sandringham). Bennett is an award-winning sports broadcaster, The VFL fi xture features 15 clubs, with each side to play 18 games previously an AFL commentator from 2002-2006 and have two byes across a 20 round season aft er the departure before embarking on an international posting with of Bendigo Gold from the competition. ESPN and their popular program Aussies Abroad. Grand Final day will not be the only time VFL action heads to Brown is well known to fans as an AFL premiership Etihad Stadium in 2015, with the Northern Blues to face North star, feisty competitor, fearless with his forthright Ballarat (Round 5) and Frankston (Round 11) and Essendon to footy opinions and, above all, entertaining in his play Geelong (Round 8) in AFL curtain raiser games. delivery. Brown played fi ve VFL games for Box Night football will again be a feature of the VFL season with Hill Hawks during his career at Hawthorn from four games fi xtured to be played under lights – two of these at 2002-2010. Bendigo’s Queen Elizabeth Oval. Carmody brings a wealth of VFL experience and Frankston, Werribee and Port Melbourne will all host ANZAC Day knowledge that is second to none. He played matches in Round 2, while the Round 8 Coburg versus Northern 160 VFL games with the Casey Scorpions and Blues clash will be the fi rst Queens Birthday VFL game since 2009. Collingwood from 2000 to 2008, including a year as There will be no break for state football in 2015, with the VFL captain of the Scorpions in 2007 as is well known as having a bye in the interstate fi xture. a broadcaster with VFL Radio. AFL Victoria CEO Steven Reaper said the VFL competition enjoyed Boundary rider duties will be fi lled by retired AFL renewed interest in 2014, which the league will look to build on duo Hawthorn premiership player Brad Sewell and this year. Richmond hard-nut Jake King. “We are looking forward to an exciting year of Peter Jackson VFL action in 2015, coming off the back of the biggest VFA/VFL Grand Final crowd since 1978 and our new broadcast partnership with Channel 7. “A number of clubs have again been willing to entertain alternative fi xtures, and it is pleasing to see Northern Blues work with AFL aligned partner Carlton to reintroduce AFL curtain raiser games which will provide further exposure for the VFL competition.