Premier C Men’s Mid-season review

At the Kings Birthday bye, the opening eight rounds of Premier C Men’s has produced some exciting, attacking footy that everyone wants a piece of. Amongst the chaos, four teams have emerged as the standouts as the gap between the top four and the rest widens.

However, the season is far from over and nothing is locked in as teams look to position themselves favourably throughout the second half of the season.

Here is how Premier C fares heading into round nine.

1^st | Parkdale Vultures
7 wins
1 loss
251.24%

Ladder leader, the Parkdale Vultures, have had a terrific start to the season sitting on top with a mighty percentage. The Vultures have sent a strong message to the rest of Premier C that they are the team to beat.

The Vultures wins have been on fire with an average winning margin of 82 points. Key forward Mitch Brown has dominated with 47 goals amassed over seven games, however it’s certainly not a one-man effort with Brown receiving plenty of support across the ground as the Vultures consistently succeed up forward, in the middle and down back.

If the Vultures can continue their run of big wins, there’s no reason they can’t finish on top. They have a difficult next couple of weeks with their first meeting against Old Carey, followed by a match-up with another top four side in the Hampton Rovers (who inflicted their only defeat), but if they come through that period unscathed, they will be in a favourable position in a tight top four.

2^nd | Old Carey
7 wins
1 loss
216.06%

Old Carey have also had a brilliant start to the season with seven wins and a commanding percentage. Coach Aaron Bailey is pleased with the development of his group, with many under 19s receiving game time which bodes well for the long-term prosperity of the club.

Like other clubs, Old Carey will be impacted by players looking to escape the cooler temperatures of Melbourne as the European summer comes calling, so consistency each week will be key. Old Carey have exceeded their internal expectations so look to continue to develop and improve every week.

Old Carey have a big match-up against the Parkdale Vultures after the mid-season bye and then a favourable draw for the next few weeks after that, before two big games against the Vultures and AJAX to round out their regular season. Those final two games will be crucial for sides looking for a top two finish.

3^rd | AJAX
7 wins
1 loss
191.87%

Since being relegated from Premier B, AJAX have dominated in Premier C with just the one loss to date.

It’s been a big season of change for AJAX. They were relegated from Premier B after a tough 2023, have a new coach, and played minimal home games at their Albert Park home due to the Grand Prix. To their credit, AJAX have handled this change very well and will be looking to challenge deep into the season. They had a memorable 126-point victory over the Monash Blues in Round 7 in which Richie Simon and Justin Vogel starred, two of their standout players to date.

AJAX have a good run home which sees them not playing another Top 4 side, as currently stands, until Round 12. Their final game of the season away to Old Carey promises to be a blockbuster.

4^th | Hampton Rovers
6 wins
2 losses
150%

The Hampton Rovers have had a positive start to 2024, succeeding both at their new home at Trevor Barker Oval, and away from home, which sees them in 4^th spot, two games clear of 5^th placed Mazenod. New senior coach Marty Pask has been working hard on developing this side who finished fifth last year and will be looking to remain in the top four for the rest of this season.

The Rovers got out of the blocks quickly, comfortably winning their first four matches, went on to lose two, but have been back on a winning streak since then, including a big 77-point win over Marcellin before the bye.

Their draw for the rest of the season is positive with only three of their ten remaining games against sides that currently sit higher than them. Their Round 14 match against AJAX is one to pencil in the diary. The Rovers will need to continue winning given they are just one game clear of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd, should they wish to make a push for a top two berth.

5^th | Mazenod
4 wins
4 losses
74.86%

Mazenod have produced some good footy and sit 5^th at the halfway mark of the season. Mazenod started well winning four of their first six, but dropped away in the last couple of weeks, suffering big defeats at the hands of AJAX and the Parkdale Vultures.

Co-captains Matthew Fewings and Tom McKenna have done well in balancing their leadership responsibilities whilst both producing some good footy on the field to contribute to their team’s success. Hayden Boyce has been instrumental with one bag of five goals and two other matches where he kicked three goals in each match.

If Mazenod want to make a play for the top four, they will need to watch out for PEGS who sit just one game behind them with a better percentage. Mazenod’s remaining fixtures are a mixed bag, staggered with peaks and troughs of easier games against teams they are well-matched with, interspersed with tough match-ups against the formidable top four sides.

6^th | PEGS
3 wins
5 losses
106.94%

Whilst they have only produced three wins thus far, PEGS have shown a lot of promise with a number of younger players finding some time in the senior side as PEGS look to position themselves for long-term success. The coaching staff knew when they decided to change up their game plan from last year that it would take a little time to get it right.

Like every team, PEGS would love to play finals but also recognise the importance of getting some games into next generation players like Benny Thompson, Lachie Hogan, Ethan Caddeo and Hamish Neo who have done well so far. By getting under 19s players into the senior side and having them play together as a group, PEGS lead by coach Andrew Beever are looking to set the club up for success over the next ten years.

Whilst it will be an uphill battle for PEGS, and all sides below them, to make a run for finals, it’s certainly not impossible. PEGS will play Marcellin after the bye in which they’d go in as favourites on paper. They then face AJAX and Old Carey in succession before a number of games against sides lower than them to follow.

7^th | Glen Eira/Old McKinnon
3 wins
5 losses
57.56%

Glen Eira/Old McKinnon have done well to secure three wins, to this point, after being promoted from Division 1. It’s always a difficult task to move up into a Premier grade, however the Gryphons have shown they are no pushover and are here to stay in Premier C.

After two losses at the start of the season, the Gryphons had a memorable come from behind victory against Marcellin in Round 3 to get themselves on the board in 2024. It’s well known that the Gryphons play a good brand of footy and train well, and whilst Premier C is definitely a step up, the Gryphons should be pleased with three wins in their first eight games.

It’s not the easiest run home for the Gryphons with five of their last ten matches against current top four sides. However, if the they can find a handful more wins against some of the lower ranked sides then they should be able to guarantee their spot in Premier C for next season.

8^th | Marcellin
2 wins
6 losses
63.42%

Marcellin have had a mixed start to the 2024 season. Whilst they would’ve loved more wins and a higher position on the ladder, this young team are showing good signs for the future.

Bernie Dinneen’s side hasn’t been helped by regular injuries which has required changes in personnel and roles on a weekly basis. In the final 10 games, Marcellin are committed to improving their training standards and finding better connection within the group, as they continue to build a brand of footy that is competitive with any opposition in the grade.

Marcellin’s run home is better than many other sides as they only have four match-ups against current top four sides remaining. They will be looking to finish the season with their heads held high, giving it their all in every contest and applying pressure on the opposition.

9^th | Monash Blues
1 win
7 losses
45.36%

The Monash Blues have had a tough run in Premier C with just the one win to their name. This side are capable of playing good footy, having dominated and won the premiership in Premier C in 2022, which saw them promoted to Premier B for 2023, but they unfortunately find themselves struggling to make an impact back in Premier C in 2024.

Whilst the ladder paints a negative picture, the Blues are no easybeats and will bring pressure to the contest. They have challenged good sides such as Old Carey, only going down to them by 15 points, and fell just short to the Gryphons by 13 points in the last match before the mid-season bye.

The goal ahead for the Blues is to avoid relegation. They will be looking to win their Round 12 match against Marcellin, whilst their final round match away to Glen Eira promises to be an exciting game with potential ladder ramifications for a number of clubs.

10^th | Oakleigh
0 wins
8 losses
44.74%

Since being promoted from Division 1, Oakleigh have not been able to win a match in Premier C, but have come painfully close on a couple of occassions, going down to the Monash Blues and Marcellin by 12 and 11 points respectively.

Coach James Francis acknowledges the first half of the year has been tough for the club. They always knew that Premier C was going to be challenging. Like other teams, Oakleigh have been hit extremely hard with injuries to key players, however, this has given opportunities to Oakleigh’s under 19 group to continue to develop.

Oakleigh have a tough draw for the rest of the season, with two games against AJAX looming, nonetheless, the group are looking forward to the second half of the year, and although they haven’t experienced much success on the scoreboard, the team is staying galvanized and united to ensure they are super competitive each week and hard to play against.