VFL Round 3 TAC Cup Round 5 28 - 30 April 2017 $3.00 Photo: Cameron Grimes Room for all VFL club models The team landscape in the Peter Jackson VFL will change in 2018 with the announcement during the week that Werribee and North Melbourne both intend to field standalone sides in the competition next season. The VFL will continue to foster a number of diff erent team models that suit the various clubs involved, from standalone VFL and AFL clubs to strong AFL/VFL club alignments. AFL Victoria will work with both clubs throughout the year to help them with the transition to standalone status for next season, ending a 10-year alignment between the clubs. The change of alignment will provide positives for both. With the decision made early in the 2017 season, both clubs now have time to prepare from an on and off -field perspective for the upcoming 2018 season and going standalone. In the case of North Melbourne, they see it as the best model for the development of its players and to meet its strategic objectives, along with off ering a number of top-up positions on their list. Werribee will now be able to off er 23 VFL senior-listed positions each week in its side, expanding its ability to provide a host of up-and-coming talent in Victoria an opportunity to play VFL football. They will be hoping to discover the next Ben Brown or Kyle Hartigan, who have both progressed through the Werribee program in recent years. As we have seen over a number of years, alignments change and the VFL continues to evolve. It is the unique nature of our competition that we have professional and semi-professional players within our various clubs, all providing opportunities to play the best-standard football outside of the AFL. A look back at recent VFL premiers proves all club models can be successful, from standalone to aligned. Our state-league competition will continue to provide for the needs of various alignments and team models into the future. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO Contents 35Nathan Laracy 12 15 TAC Cup weekly content 20 AFL Vic News 67Lochie O’Brien 16 The Big League 22 25 Club Notes 811VFL weekly content 18 19 Get Social 64 Quiz Who’s playing who 34 35 Footscray vs North Ballarat 52 53 Eastern vs GWV 36 37 Geelong vs Casey Demons 54 55 Murray vs Western 38 39 Sandringham vs Collingwood 56 57 Oakleigh vs Geelong 40 41 Werribee vs Essendon 58 59 Dandenong vs Calder 42 43 Port Melbourne vs Richmond 60 61 Bendigo vs Northern 44 45 Coburg vs Northern Blues 62 63 Sandringham vs Gippsland 46 47 Williamstown vs Box Hill Hawks Editor: Ben Pollard [email protected] Contributors: Anthony Stanguts, Kirstie Fitzgerald Design & Print: Mystique Photos: AFL Photos (unless otherwise credited) Advertising: Rosanna Butler (03) 8341 6021 Ikon Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton Nth, VIC 3054 GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Cover: Jack Dorgan in action for Williamstown in 2017 Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 www.aflvic.com.au www.taccup.com.au 1 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl.com.au Twitter: @VFL #PJVFL #VFLWomens Facebook: www.facebook.com/vflfooty Saturday April 29 – 2.30pm Port Melbourne vs Richmond TAC Cup Online Download the PLUS7 Live app to stream games live Website: www.taccup.com.au or watch a replay at au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/vfl Twitter: @TACCup #TACCup #TACCupGirls Next week: Sandringham vs North Ballarat Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty Radio L VFL Live I Sunday April 30: Coburg vs Northern Blues from 1.45pm Live on the Red Time Sport iPhone and Android apps, V plus online via vfl.com.au E Next week: Williamstown vs Coburg 3WBC Sunday April 30: Williamstown vs Box Hill Hawks from 1pm Tune to 94.1FM, online at www.3wbc.org.au or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. Next week: Geelong vs Box Hill Hawks Casey Radio Next game (Sunday May 7): Werribee vs Casey Demons Tune to 97.7FM in Melbourne, online at www.caseyradio.com.au or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. VFL Rewind Listen to VFL Rewind each Monday night from 7-8pm, covering the Peter Jackson VFL and Swisse VFL Women’s. Tune to 94.1FM 3WBC, online at www.3wbc.org.au or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. Previous shows are available at www.soundcloud.com/afl-victoria or subscribe to the podcast via iTunes by searching for ‘AFL Victoria’. R TAC Cup Radio A Saturday April 29: Oakleigh Chargers vs Geelong Falcons from 2.15pm D Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone app or via taccup.com.au I O Next week: Northern Knights vs Dandenong Stingrays Calder Cannons Radio Listen to ‘Pathway to the Top’ with Tim Michell on North West FM each Wednesday from 5-6pm. Tune to 98.9FM or stream the program online at www.northwestfm.org Video Streaming Visit vfl.com.au on Sunday April 30 for a live stream of: Coburg vs Northern Blues from 2pm Watch the action and listen to the call from the VFL Live team. Visit taccup.com.au on Saturday April 29 for a live stream of: Oakleigh Chargers vs Geelong Falcons from 2.30pm Watch the action and listen to the call from the TAC Cup Radio team. 2 www.vfl.com.au Laracy lends lessons to young Tigers He may only have 32 senior games to his name, but Nathan Laracy has this year become Werribee’s longest-serving VFL-listed player. The 27-year-old arrived at the club from his hometown of Wodonga ahead of the 2010 season and – from behind his trademark thick beard – has watched the club evolve over seven years. www.taccup.com.au 3 From regular injuries – he’s currently sidelined with a that for me. I’ve just been about trying to help people knee niggle – and stints playing in the Development with my experiences because people did that for me League to being named Werribee’s 2014 Player of the when I first got to the club. Finals, the rugged 176cm defender has been through “I’m a pretty loyal kind of person, and with people a range of experiences he’s now using to help younger that look aft er me, I try to look aft er them.” teammates starting out on their VFL journeys. Laracy points to former Werribee captains Dom It’s this instinct to help others that led him lose his Gleeson and Robbie Castello as having a “massive popular beard in the name of charity this week. influence” on him as he adapted to life in Melbourne, Laracy underwent the shave at the Werribee Mercy while the presence of subsequent AFL draft ees Hospital on Wednesday to raise funds for the Michael Barlow (Fremantle/Gold Coast), Kyle Hartigan hospital’s new Critical Care Unit, days aft er the Tigers (Adelaide) and Ben Brown (North Melbourne) and Footscray played off for the HealthWest Cup in provided valuable learning opportunities. Round 2 to raise awareness of the work done by the The former Murray Bushranger said moving to the Western Health and Mercy Health organisations in the city to pursue his football dream was daunting, and local area. when his older brother passed away during his first Laracy said his teammates were “not really fond” of pre-season with the Tigers, Laracy was “very close” to him losing the beard, but he’s making it up to them by giving it up and heading back to Wodonga. passing on wisdom gained over his time at the club. But with the support of his family and the club, he “I’ve had a few injuries in my time – and I’m not using continued on at Werribee and was rewarded when them as an excuse – but you don’t have to be playing John Lamont was appointed senior coach in 2014. to be respected in the group,” Laracy said. “I’ve only really gotten my opportunity since John “I try to help out even though I’m on the sidelines. I Lamont has been coach,” Laracy said. still try to go through footage with them and pick out “I was a forward when I first came to the club, but I things they need to work on – it’s keeping me very became a defender a couple of years in and Johnny busy even though I’m not playing. gave me a role taking the opposition’s small, quick “I haven’t been gift ed with much senior experience forwards, and I’ve had that role since. but I’ve loved every minute of being here. I just can’t “Johnny’s had faith in me. He watched me for a few leave, to be honest. I guess blokes sometimes do years in the Development League before he got the leave for the money but football’s never been about (senior coaching) job and I got an opportunity late in Senior coach John Lamont has had a big influence on Nathan Laracy’s football at Werribee 4 www.vfl.com.au the 2014 season. Then the 2015 season was probably the best season I’ve had.” Laracy established himself in 2015 with 18 senior games before suff ering a knee injury in Round 1 last year which kept him out of football for three months. He returned for three games late in the Development League season before multiple setbacks in his recovery from the PCL complaint conspired to delay his start to 2017.