Grand Final rematches headline Round 11

A couple of Grand Final rematches headline Round 11 of VAFA William Buck Premier Men’s.

ST KEVIN’S host the team that knocked them off in the 2023 Premier Men’s decider – COLLEGIANS – in their one-off game at St Kevin’s College in 2024.

It will be a big day for SKOB as they honour premierships of seasons past and set themselves for a tilt at the 2024 title with what they hope to be a sixth consecutive win.

4 of their 5 wins on this streak have been by 2 goals or less, with 3 of them by a goal or less and this could well be another nailbiter against a Lions line-up that remains as dangerous as any when they get the game on their own terms.

Collegians will look to control the footy with their uncontested possession chains which often begin via interceptions across half-back. The Lions are the #1 Intercept Marking team in the competition, led by Scott Beilby and Will Pewtress.

They are also #1 Disposal Efficiency, denying the opposition by working the ball around in space.

But Anthony Lynch’s line-up know the Lions as well as anyone and will be hell-bent on disruption. SKOB are #1 Inside 50s, so they won’t be prepared to sit back and allow Collegians to dictate terms.

It promises to be another gripping clash between these two great rivals!

Catch every moment of our VAFA SEN MATCH OF THE DAY LIVE on the SEN app, SEN.com.au & VAFA.com.au from 1.45pm Saturday.

The second 2023 Grand Final rematch this weekend sees the two teams from last season’s Premier B decider collide at Brunswick Street Oval as FITZROY host ST BERNARD’S.

These two clubs have met 5 times over the past 18 months and the Snowdogs have won them ALL.

However, their 2-point victory in Round 1 came with what was virtually the final kick of the day, stealing the win from the Roys at the death. Fitzroy will have had this return bout circled on their calendar for the past 3 months as a result.

The Roys need this win to start making up ground on the teams above them as they fight to avoid relegation. Right now, they are two games behind the Snowdogs, OMs and Blacks but a win here ignites their season, given they will also play the latter two of those teams in the run home.

But St Bernard’s will arrive at Brunswick Street brimming with confidence after their most dominant Premier Men’s performance yet – their impressive 7-goal win over Uni Blues that snapped their 6-game losing streak.

It’s a golden opportunity for the Snowdogs to open up some breathing space on the teams below them and even start nudging their way into the finals frame.

Brunswick Street Oval will be pumping as these two great rivals lock horns again!

Catch our FITZROY vs ST BERNARD’S double header live streaming on Kommunity TV from 11.40am Saturday (Reserves) into the Seniors from 1.45pm.

OLD MELBURNIANS might just be the most unpredictable team in Premier Men’s this season, with an unrivalled capacity to run cold and then light a game up with irresistible football in the blink of an eye.

It’s a trait that OLD XAVERIANS will be very wary of as they visit OMs at Elsternwick Park.

Xavs have been a mixed bag themselves in 2024, unable to find the consistency required to sit inside the Top 4. Their form line since Round 2 is a rollercoaster – Won 2, Lost 2, Won 3, Lost 2.

Entering the weekend in 6^th position, their ladder position accurately reflects their place in the pecking order, given 4 of their 5 victories have been over the teams below them.

OMs may be 3-7 but have shown themselves capable of troubling some very good teams in patches this season. Given that Xavs have been hot & cold in games themselves, it looms as a potential danger game for the visitors should OMs find their groove and be able to stay in the zone for an extended period.

Old Xavs love to possess the footy and will look to use their inside edge (#1 Clearances) to control the game.

These are the Top 2 One-Percenter teams in the competition. Who will do the little things best & come away with a precious 4 premiership points?

OLD SCOTCH are humming along in third at the moment, thanks to a 3-game winning streak.

Just like Old Xavs, they’ve proven capable of beating the teams below them but will ultimately need to find another gear to trouble those alongside them in the top tier. For now though, it’s about consolidating their Top 4 position, given Collegians and Uni Blues are equal on points at 6-4.

This week they host UNIVERSITY BLACKS at Scotch College and it’s always a special occasion for the Cardinals when they return to the school.

Blacks jumped them in their opening round clash and Old Scotch’s sluggish starts have been a challenge for coach Mark Gnatt all season. The Cards have only led at quarter time twice from 10 starts so he’ll be keen to see his team jump out of the gates and take control like Old Brighton did against Uni Blacks last weekend, putting the result beyond doubt before half time.

It’s crunch time for the visitors who will arrive at Scotch having lost 5 of their last 6 to slip down into the drop zone on percentage behind St Bernard’s and OMs. Given the Snowdogs & Roys play each other this weekend, this is a critical clash for the Blacks if they are to avoid the late-season stress of a relegation battle.

Blacks have been strong in Contested Possessions and Ground Ball Gets (#2 for both) but have coughed the footy up too often (#2 Turnovers) and cost themselves forward entries as a result (#9 Inside 50s).

They can’t afford to hand the ball back to the Cardinals, who feast on ball in hand (#1 Disposals & Marks) but Blacks work as hard as anyone when they don’t (#1 Tackles & Midfield Tackles).

Can Uni Blacks retain possession for long enough to not only generate Inside 50s but then finish off their work on the scoreboard?

The final clash of Round 10 sees UNIVERSITY BLUES host OLD BRIGHTON at Melbourne Uni Oval.

The Blues have been hamstrung by losing a handful of gun forwards, which has neutralised their biggest weapon – their potency Inside 50. Last week, their Score Efficiency dropped to just 31%, some 15% below their season average.

They’ve since had a week to work on their Mid-Fwd connection and, as their Blacks counterparts learned at Melbourne Uni last Saturday, they’re going to need it against the league-leaders.

The Tonners have been strong across all lines this season, with an even spread of contributors their biggest strength.

Ranked #1 in Attack and Defence, they work just as hard in all three phases of the game – whether they have the ball, the opposition has the ball or it’s in dispute.

Last week against Blacks, they kicked a mind-blowing 17 goals from Turnovers, with just 2 goals from Stoppage. Those numbers speak volumes for why Old Brighton sit a game clear on top. Even when they don’t have the ball, they’re incredibly dangerous and can flip defence into attack better than anyone.

So ball security is going to be absolutely vital for the Blues. They can’t afford to be turning it over in dangerous positions because the Tonners will make them pay.

See Round 11 Live Coverage details here and keep up-to-date with live scores and the latest news at VAFA.com.au