Top tier tightness on show in R18

Nick Armistead – @NickArmistead

If anyone needed a reminder of the tight-knit nature of William Buck Premier, they need only look at the fact University Blues were 11 points away from relegation yet managed to finish fifth on the ladder. Less than two goals separated one of the most talent-riddled lists from safety and a return to Premier B, highlighting what an incredible home and away season we’ve witnessed in our top tier.

In what eventuated as the ultimate ‘relegation battle’, Uni Blues proved too strong for Old Scotch as they ran out 10-point winners at University Oval. With whispers circulating of De La Salle’s dominance down at Brindisi St Oval, both sides knew they needed to bank the four points to avoid Premier B. It was the Blues who held off a second-half charge from the Cardinals where they reduced a 31-point deficit to single digits, before the home side’s stars stood up and solidified their position in William Buck Premier for 2019. Kieran Harper kicked three goals for the Blues, while Ayce Cordy and Tom Quinn continued their impressive form. Scotch ruckman, Josh Tilley, suffered a head knock early in the match and played no further part, allowing Cordy to dominate stoppages and give his midfielders first use. Jack Bull starred for the Cardinals, while Thomas McKinley proved dangerous and nailed a sensational snap midway through Scotch’s third term renaissance. Avoiding an immediate return to Premier B continually got tougher as the season progressed for Scotch after they lost their first seven games in a row by an average of just 11.8ppg. They lost Nick Jamieson to injury in the back half of the year and seven of their 12 losses were by 15 points or less. No team enjoys dropping a section but, on the flip side, they now have the chance to come back into the VAFA’s premier competition with their first senior flag since 1978. The Blues are another story altogether, by their own admission underperforming this season after adding players the ilk of Ayce Cordy and Tim Harper to their stocks. Five losses by five points or less and a draw against Trinity was the theme of the Blues’ year as they found themselves in matches but struggled to see them out until the final siren. Luck and injuries certainly play a part but, at the end of the day, the history books will show them as the fifth-ranked side of 2018.

De La Salle avoided relegation in the most emphatic fashion possible, defeating SBMT by 85 points with 37 scoring shots to 12. Lachlan Walker, Tom Humphrey and Brodie McLaughlin starred for the La Sallians as they recorded their first win at Brindisi this decade. Injuries and unavailability’s hit De La as much as the next side this season, but the positive is the senior match experience gained from young guns Geordie Nagle, Liam Murphy, Lachlan and Andrew Walker, and McLaughlin. Paul Satterley announced he was stepping down as senior coach after five years at the helm which is an outstanding effort by anyone’s measure. The Tigers were resigned to relegation one week prior but finished their campaign with four wins. Again, VFL commitments meant weekly changes but they had genuine season-long standouts; including, Michael Barnes, Josh Cowan and Kye Beveridge. As is tradition in our great competition, both sides came together post-game to form a guard of honour for retiring stalwarts James Tyquin (SBMT) and David Lowe (De La) after each gave years of service to their respective clubs and the VAFA. Fellow De La star Matt Fieldsend, who won the 2009 Woodrow Medal alongside Lowe, also announced his retirement after battling injury for most of the season.

While all these relegation battles were taking place, St Kevin’s OB quietly went about claiming the minor premiership for the second year in a row after they defeated Old Melburnians by 83 points at TH King Oval. Six goals to Billy Kanakis solidified the goal kicking award for the SKOB forward, finishing the year with 53 and proving the prophetic prowess of Anthony Lynch who made the prediction on the Round 1 edition of the VAFA Podcast. Nick Wood and Michael Di Natale made their return to the side and they are set to regain Lachie Sullivan for finals after Footscray finished ninth in the VFL. Mitch Brown was best afield for the second week in a row as the stars continue to align for SKOB on their quest for back-to-back flags. OMs entered the game free of stress after cementing their spot in William Buck Premier one week earlier. Josh Freezer was named their best for the fourth time this season. From his 17 games, Freezer has been in the best 11 times and should poll well in both the Woodrow and Coaches MVP. OMs finish the season in eighth spot with seven wins but keeping in mind Blues had seven in fifth.

Old Trinity claimed their second top four scalp in the space of four games after they defeated Collegians by three goals at Harry Trott Oval. Trailing by 14 points at three quarter time, the T’s exploded with five unanswered goals in the final term. Alex Polidoros has hit a genuine purple patch as he kicked five goals, while Gabe Hamilton was best afield. The T’s have won four games in a row entering finals beginning with their Round 15 demolition of Brighton. They will, however, enter next week’s elimination final without Hamilton after he accepted a two-game prescribed penalty for striking. The Lions lost top spot to SKOB following the defeat but will be comfortable with the performances of George Burbury, Viv Michie and Lachie Ferguson heading into the business end of the year. Kenny Ong played his first senior game for the season after one week in the reserves, while Hugh Johnson impressed yet again.

Old Brighton stormed home with 10 goals to four in the second half to run over Old Xaverians by 19 points at Toorak Park. Excitement machine, Anthony Zimmerman, booted four goals for the Tonners and Nick Pavlou returned to the line-up with a BOG performance. The Tonners haven’t strung two wins together since R13-14 but claimed the scalp of Collegians just three weeks ago. They’ve been the fairy tale story of 2018 after winning last year’s Premier B flag, and their match-up with Old Trinity at Elsternwick Park is primed as the game of the season. Old Xaverians ended their campaign celebrating the 250^th game of star forward Matt Handley. Chopper booted four goals to end his season with 48 and in second spot on the goal kicking leader board. It was an interesting season to say the least, with a change of coach and the regular threat of finals ending in a seventh-placed finish as they now set their sights on 2019.