Division 1 Men’s Season Preview

Division 1 Men’s is shaping up to be full of enthralling battles and emerging storylines throughout the 2025 season.

This 10-team competition welcomes Brunswick and Elsternwick who earned promotion from Division 2 after their successful 2024 campaigns, whilst the Monash Blues and Oakleigh have come down from Premier C.

BRUNSWICK

Brunswick join Division 1 in 2025 after a mighty 2024 season saw them finish on top of the ladder in Division 2, however, were unable to reach premiership glory, with those honours going to Elsternwick.

New coach Jason Reynolds would have to be optimistic about the club’s chances this season, particularly with a raft of signings to boost the club’s list.

Division 1 will be a step-up for Brunswick, but they are primed for the challenge and are looking forward to making an impact in this section. Their Round 1 match-up with Therry Penola will be a game to watch.

ELSTERNWICK

Elsternwick have had a remarkable rise up the ranks over recent years. This club were in Division 4 in 2021 and now find themselves in Division 1 after defeating Brunswick in last year’s Division 2 Grand Final.

Coach Oliver Gildea said that Division 1 will be a step-up, “our focus has been around continued growth both on and off the field and how we can elevate our game in line with the higher standard of football we will face in Division 1.” Gildea acknowledged that his club are not solely focused on outcomes, rather, putting their best performances on the park consistently.

The Wickers have retained almost all their premiership players from 2024 with some new recruits thrown into the mix as well.

KEW

Kew had a modest campaign last year that saw them finish 6th.

A key challenge for the Bears will be maintaining their consistency throughout the course of the season. Last year, Kew won four of their first five games, but only went on to win another four games for the rest of the season.

Kew have been active in the off-season with a number of players from other clubs joining their squad. Dylan Jardine, who trained with Kew last year but played his footy in the country, will be joining the Bears for games this season.

MONASH BLUES

The Monash Blues had a difficult 2024 campaign which saw them win just two games in Premier C, and as a result, have been relegated to Division 1.

Andy Batten has taken over the reins as Senior Coach and is looking forward to seeing his young squad set the standards and processes to be competitive.

“It’s been an excellent pre-season. As a first year Senior Coach, I’m going to be very active and encouraging. I hope my enthusiasm and engagement has a positive effect.”

OAKLEIGH

Oakleigh had a tough season in Premier C in 2024, recording just the one win, as the club was very much affected by injuries.

New Senior Coach Chris Worner has been investing time during the pre-season into both ball movement and fitness – two key areas Oakleigh wants to improve on. Worner hopes that Oakleigh will be an exciting team to watch and that it will translate into continual improvement on the field.

Despite the difficulties of last season, there is much optimism that Oakleigh’s key players can thrive in Division 1 and make a big impact. Key forward Luke Ashen was in the top 5 goal-kickers in Premier C last season and will be looking to replicate that form.

OLD PENINSULA

Old Peninsula had a mixed season last year, notching up ten wins to put them in 5th place.

This year, Old Peninsula are looking to develop the pressure side of their game and what their shape looks like in both an attacking and defensive sense.

Coach Brendan Dunne spoke of the season ahead “We have a lot of new players and there is going to be times that we need to get used to each other. Our goal is to be a strong competitive side that aims to make the finals this year.”

ORMOND

Ormond is shaping up to be a strong prospect once again in 2025, after finishing 3rd last year.

Coach Kyle Pinto spoke to how the club wants to improve its defensive principles. “We were number 1 last year for attack. We still want to be a high-scoring team…but want to tighten up our defense.”

After bowing out in the first week of the finals last year, Pinto indicated that Ormond aims to win a final this year.

Ormond has been busy in the off-season with a number of new and returning players. A now former Old Brighton player is coming across to join Ormond from the A-Grade, along with some up-and-coming young talent who are expected to play in Round 1.

PRESTON BULLANTS

The Bullants finished last season in 7th position with 7 wins, 10 losses and 1 draw.

Whilst their 2024 form line might not read well on paper, the Bullants often found a way to keep themselves in the contest with a few close losses hurting their campaign.

The Bullants will be relying on Alex Johnston to have another good year up forward with plenty of goals, whilst Tom Hill is expected to play a key part in Preston’s line-up.

Preston have picked up three players from Parkside: Steven Logozzo, Benedict Douglas, and Dominic Douglas.

THERRY PENOLA

Therry Penola will be looking to bounce back after an inconsistent 2024 that saw them finish 8th. They were not helped by injury which made it difficult to get a consistent team on the park but managed to get enough wins to stay in the division.

John Tate has been appointed as their new coach and has a personal connection to the club having played seniors there as a 17- and 18-year-old when the club was in “A” Grade.

Tate said, “We have a very young list, so are focusing on a new game style with the inclusion of some good recruits.”

Therry Penola will be strong up forward “It’ll be a very attacking brand with the forward line stacked with talls challenging the opposition’s ability to match our height.”

UHS-VU

UHS-VU had a successful season in 2024, advancing all the way to the Preliminary Final where they went down in a close contest.

Coach Paul Rocke says that the club acknowledges some areas of their game need to change. “We were however realistic in our appraisal and are aware that we have a lot of improvements to make if we want to win a premiership.”

Over pre-season, UHS-VU have worked on how they want to move the ball and have also placed an emphasis on how they want to defend – an area that left them exposed during last year’s preliminary final.

UHS-VU have a challenging opening run with their first three games against Kew, Old Peninsula and Ormond.