Jet Set, Jet Ready, and (if you’re staying) GO!

Joe Pignataro

A week off to take one collective deep breath before we hit go on the next block of season 2023. 

The final siren of round 8, for a handful of players signalled the countdown to flights out of Melbourne. Others will start to check into the airport in the coming days, expected to return tanned, freshed, rejuvenated and likely playing in the reserves. 

Spots in senior sides are hard to come by at the best of times, giving it up at this time of year could be crucial in the run home. 

This weekend coming, William Buck Premier features battles that are set to go down to the wire. 

In the RSN Xtra Match of the Day, Old Brighton and Old Xaverians will do battle at Brighton Beach Oval. 

The Tonners have lost three of their past four matches, and had a fortnight to think about their most recent 27 point loss to Old Melburnians. The red and black mafia arrested the tide of three losses before the bye with a comfortable victory over Old Haileybury. 

Marcus Stavrou, Xav’s captain has returned and had an immediate impact in his two matches so far. Could the Old Brighton captain, Harry Hill return from his fractured back injury this weekend and put in a similar performance? 

These two sides have a strong rivalry, dating back to 2007 where Old Xaverians claimed the A-Section Premiership over Old Brighton. In more recent years, the Tonners lead the head-to-head battle that includes ending Xav’s 2022 premiership hopes by knocking them out in the first semi-final. 

Dan Donati, the coaching master, he’ll know the Xav’s gameplan intimately, they’ve played the same way for 100 years, throughout the time he was dominating and winning premierships in the colours. Has he got the cattle in red and blue to stop them? 

Join us at 1:00 PM on Saturday to find out, with incoming AFL CEO Andrew Dillon part of the Grill’d Commentary Team for the day, to also be live streamed on KommunityTV.

The last time St Kevin’s lost three games at home in a row dates back to rounds one, three, and five in 2016. The last time they lost four games in a row was over a decade ago. 

Coming into this weekend, the reigning champions are going in as the hunters against the ladder leaders Old Scotch. 

The Cardinals have used the St Kevin’s blueprint across the last two seasons, it’s all coming together for Mark Gnatt’s troops. 

Three weeks in a row they’ve kicked over 100 points. The attacking brand and flair is there for all to see. The defensive side is most pleasing to Gnatt, the #1 ranked side for points against, a mere 57 points per game the opposition are managing to score. 

Full credit to the backline – Doug Lawrence, Jordan Clark, Hugo Longbottom, Jack Brown and co. 

The midfield run both ways, Aiden Franetic, Andy Jelbart, Ben Hays, Brodie Easton and the forward line is as dangerous as any, James Tarrant, Angus Symons, Henry Brown. 

Whilst Old Scotch have ticked off a number of milestones this year, an Australia Cup victory over Old Melburnians, beating the Old Xaverians after five straight losses, a third straight victory over Old Brighton. SKOB has proven to be a thorn in the side. 

St Kevin’s have won the last 5 against the Cardinals by an average of 44 points. It’s been over a decade since they’ve tasted success. 

Sam Tucker played through the King’s Birthday bye with his debut match for North Melbourne in the VFL, Will Coates missed in Round 8, and expected to face off against Tom Ansell. 

It’s a toss of the coin battle at T H King Oval, has the team who’ve led the way with the 18-man press got the ability to squeeze, slow and curtail the buoyant, bubbly Cardinals? 

We’ve waited six years for Collegians and University Blacks to face off again. The last fixture between these two sides dates back to 2017.

There’s been so much change since then, just three players on each side remain in the squads at present – Josh Steadman, Campbell Moorfield and Henry Bennett. At the Lions, Sam Hibbins, Viv Michie and Corey Cassidy. 

The Lions were humbled when they headed out to Melbourne Uni Oval three matches ago. Back on track the past two matches since then beating St Kevin’s and Caulfield Grammarians. 

Will Pocknee has been the find of the year for Jared Rivers, he came into 2023 with 35 senior games and 15 goals to his name. From seven matches this year, he has kicked multiple goals in every game, 17 for the season and added a different layer to an already dynamic forward line. 

There’s only one Campbell Moorfield, but a forward line stacked with talent he’s going to have to try to stop. If Pocknee doesn’t get you, Ed Greene, Alex Lukic and a fit Dave Mirra will. 

What he doesn’t have in height, he makes up for in hunger – Will Mayhood is the second of the Lion cubs that Riv has asked plenty of this year, and the bear in the centre square has delivered in spades. He comes up against Josh Steadman this weekend, while he may concede the hitouts, when the ball hits the ground, Mayhood will have the presence of mind to run and spread and push hard forward. 

University Blacks have had a solid month of footy, 2-2 in the win-loss columns. Averaging 90.5 points per game. 2023 is a year to find out about themselves, and the club overall. The last month has given Dale Bower plenty of data to work with in the back half of the year. 

Paul Satterley is a VAFA favourite, five weeks into the season maybe our great friend was contemplating whether a mid-year flight to Europe for himself was on the cards. 

Three weeks on, the wheels are starting to spin in the right direction of Old Melburnians. A tight-contested win against University Blacks, a shootout victory over Old Haileybury and then the best performance of the year over Old Brighton. 

This weekend they’re off to Glen Huntly Oval against Caulfield Grammarians. The Fields pose a threat at home, but if history and momentum is anything to go by, it’s on the side of Satts’ men. 

OM’s have won the last 10 against Caulfield. The last time the Fields beat OM’s was Round 7, 2007. A long time between drinks. 

OM’s coming from a long way back, at 0-5. If anyone knows it’s possible, it’s Satts. 

His second year coaching De La Salle in 2015, they went from 1-4 after five weeks, to 1-7 at Round 8. The club would go on to finish in fourth spot at the end of the home and away season. 

What’s that famous song about ‘a little bit of history repeating’ – Maybe that will be the song they fire up in the rooms, pre-game on Saturday? 

Arguably, the most in-form team of the last month is Guy Martyn’s University Blues. Marto won’t mind that we’ve “saved the best until last” leading into this weekend’s match up against Old Haileybury. 

Without Marty Gleeson, Sam Grimley, Dane Crognale and Jack Stephens, the Blues are firing on all cylinders. They’ve won their last four matches by an average of 31 points.

Scalps against Old Brighton (last year’s Grand Finalists), Collegians (currently second on the ladder, and 2022 preliminary finalists), and most recently St Kevin’s (reigning premiers). 

They’re back to the form that saw them bring the 2019 premiership to Melbourne Uni. Former VAFA podcast host Brian Waldron often raises the point about the best side on paper the VAFA has seen.

The last month, Marto has been able to hone in on that paper and have it reflected in full beam on matchday. 

Old Haileybury off the bye. This could be a banana-peel game for the Blues. If they walk out to Princes Park expecting a walkover, Daniel Ward’s men will be ready to pounce. Durras Seccull and Corey Rich have combined for 24 goals this year, Sam Loewe is dangerous around goal. 

The match up of Lachie Treverton, and Ayce Cordy will be one to watch. When it comes off the hands of the big men, it will be a case of curtailing the influence of Ed Ziebarth, Jeremy Goddard through the midfield that is going to be tough. 

There are four matches between this Saturday and the next bye round (Big V representative footy). Clubs will be impacted by injuries, and by travel at this point of the year. 

As the jostling for positions heats up, will a club bolt up the ladder? Will we see an unlikely slider? 

Either way, I have no doubt all coaches will have their eyes firmly on the arrival gates at Melbourne Airport wishing time to hurry up across the next four weeks.