The Moments That Made 2022

Season 2022 was full of great verve.

To have footy back in our lives every Saturday afternoon without the threat of cancellations, abandoned games, and lockdowns. It gave us something to look forward to throughout the week. And, gave us plenty of fodder on the VAFA Podcast and the VAFA pre-game show before the first bounce.

In no particular order, here is a few of the moments that made the VAFA’s 130th year, a memorable one:

ST KEVIN’S PRODUCE THE DOUBLE

The pre-season talk placed pressure on the mighty St Kevin’s Old Boys side given the change of coach from Guy Martyn, to a favourite son in Anthony ‘Plugger’ Lynch. It paid dividends in the best possible way with the master player, becoming the master coach in his debut season. Guiding SKOB to their third William Buck Premier title in four seasons.

St Kevin’s defensively put up numbers throughout the season the competition hasn’t seen for over 35 years. An average score kicked against them, a measly 51.1 points per game. Luke Winter capped off a stellar season in the midfield by winning the VAFA’s Rising Star award. On Grand Final day it was Tom Jok awarded the Jok Nelson Medal as the best player on the ground, while Conor Ross led the back six boldly all season long to earn team of the year honours.

Plugger, along with his coaching staff embraced the hype all year. Had fun with VAFA Media about the use of drones at pre-season training and produced the blueprint of a Premiership winning team that uses homegrown talent over the big name recruits.

What may impress the new President, Paddy Mount even more than the club winning its third A-Grade mens Premiership is what the SKOB Saints did in William Buck Premier Women’s. Led by coach Tom Purcell, co-captained by Sarah Cameron and Sophie Stratford, the club were again the benchmark of the competition beating Kew in the big one.

In 2019, the last time Grand Finals were played, the St Kevin’s women were successful, the men fell short. In 2022, both teams triumphed to become the first club in history to hold both trophies at the same time.

To add to the stable of success, the St Kevin’s Women’s reserves made it to the Grand Final, and the St Kevin’s Women’s thirds took out the Premiership.

OLD BRIGHTON’S RUN TO GRAND FINAL DAY

At the conclusion of Round 17, Old Brighton, the team that had sat inside the top four all season found themselves in fifth spot. Coming into the final game at Brighton Beach Oval against Old Melburnians. It was a case of win and you’re in, lose and the season ends here.

After a hard-fought opening term, the Tonners turned up the heat and blew the OM’s off the park and out of the finals race. They would follow up that performance with a carbon copy in the first semi-final, a knockout match against Old Xaverians at Trevor Barker Beach Oval.

As if that wasn’t enough, Collegians awaited them on Preliminary Final day at Elsternwick Park. A spot in the Grand Final on the line, and a century of senior games for Petrus Olivier, Tom Fisher and the captain Harry Hill.

In the driving rain, at the 25 minute mark of the final term, Olivier produced a highlight for the ages that put the Tonners into their second ever A-Grade Grand Final, in the clubs 65 year history. A moment to savour.

Against all odds, the Tonners had produced three brilliant weeks of footy to book themselves a spot against the powerhouse of St Kevin’s. Unfortunately, Grand Final day wasn’t to be for the red and the blue but they lost no admirers in the way they acquitted themselves on that day and the run they went on to get to the big dance.

AIDEN FRANETIC SINKS THE UNIVERSITY BLUES

The season started in the same fashion that it finished. Cold, in the driving rain, and, with a little bit of magic.

At Camberwell Sports Park, the first VAFA Match of the Day followed Old Scotch coming up against the University Blues in Guy Martyn’s first outing as their senior coach.

The expectation going into the game was the heavily talented Uni Blues would give the Cardinals a football lesson. After a 5-goal third quarter, going into the final change with an 18-point lead the feeling was the young Scotch brigade had thrown everything at the Blues and would be comfortable walking off the park with an honourable loss.

The only people that message didn’t get down to was Mark Gnatt and the 22 boys in the huddle. A final-term, 8-goal blitz saw the young Cardinals produce a quarter of footy for the ages that included an Aiden Franetic bomb from 55m out to put them in front with just over two minutes to play. Sending the Old Scotch fans into raptures, setting up one of the best finishes we saw in 2022.

The Cardinals were able to add another goal on the siren to hold out Uni Blues by seven points which set up their season. The win, a wake-up call to Brian Waldron to take notice of the Cardinals, they’re tracking in the right direction.

 

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IVANHOE AFC WIN AN EPIC GRAND FINAL

While Aiden Franetic’s goal in the opening round of the season was a gem. In Division 2 Men’s, Luke Svarc lived out every footballers dream of kicking the match winning goal in a Grand Final.

Ivanhoe AFC were the most dominant team all season. West Brunswick served it right up to them on Grand Final day. Sharpshooters Ash Close, and Billy Drake were well held for much of the afternoon. The best player in the competition Wayne Schulz had to dig deep, and, even with all the AFL experience he had garnered, Scott Selwood at times wasn’t made to feel comfortable at half-back.

28.30 minutes into the final quarter, with the Magpies in front. Doyle thumps the footy to the top of the square, all eyes on Ash Close with four West Brunswick players hanging off him, Luke Svarc had half a second to grab the sherrin and get it to his boot putting Ivanhoe AFC in front with just over 60 seconds remaining in the game.

The siren sounds with the ball at the West Brunswick end of the ground. Heartbreak for them. Jubilation for the Hoers who claimed their first senior Premiership in 53 years.

A TIE IN THE WOODROW MEDAL

In the pre-season I was asked to select my top four, my Premier, and my selection for this year’s Woodrow Medal. A crystal ball that’s always murky when you look into it.

I was able to pluck out Harry Hill for the Woodrow in February. Much like the great N. Armistead who covered William Buck Premier before me, N.Wood was his constant selection. H.Hill has been mine.

Perhaps I should have taken note of the 11 game season that was voted upon last season, that saw Old Xaverians Marcus Stavrou take the Woodrow from Old Melburnians’ Gus Borthwick and Collegians Dave Mirra.

Borthwick, in 2022 followed up his ability to poll regular votes to draw level with Hill as the pair tied for the Woodrow in a thrilling vote-count. In an amazing year for Borthwick, he would finish on 20 votes at the conclusion of Round 16 and then be level with Hill at the conclusion of Round 17.

With Old Melburnians and Old Brighton playing one another in the final round, Borthwick would miss the game through injury. OM’s would lose the game, Hill wasn’t featured in the umpires 3, 2, 1 in that game and the two were aptly announced Woodrow Medal joint winners for 2022.

Borthwick played 17 games this season with Old Melburnians and was named amongst the best players nine times. He was an unstoppable force at times throughout the year pairing up with OM’s ruckman Nick De Steiger to surge the ball out of the centre at every opportunity.

Hill played every game (21) named amongst the best 17 times and kicked 16 goals for the season. He topped the league for total disposals (588), and handballs (287).

Season 2022 gave us plenty of thrills and spills. VAFA Media expanded its live-stream coverage each week, adding to it the U19 Footy Festival, the Mecwacare Masters Festival. Friday night footy in Ormond, Sunday afternoon at Marcellin plus the introduction of the VAFA Women’s Podcast, Inside the Boundary. The aim will continue to be to capture all of these memorable moments and celebrate them in the best possible fashion.

We play the best game in the world, in the best metropolitan league in the world.

Something, after two years of hell. We can all be proud of.