# 2017 VAFA season

The 2017 VAFA season was the 117th season of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season began on 13 April and concluded on 24 September, with 69 teams participating across seven divisions under a promotion and relegation system.
In addition to the men's competition, the newly-formed VAFA Women's (VAFAW) competition held its inaugural season in 2017.

## Background

Accounting firm William Buck signed a three-year sponsorship deal extension with the VAFA, which included continuing the naming rights for the "William Buck Premier Division".

### 125-year anniversary

2017 marked 125 years since the VAFA was founded in 1892 as the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA). The competition released a commemorative logo for the anniversary. It was also the 125th year for the Collegians Football Club, the only club from the first MJFA season to still exist and compete in the competition.
In round 11, the VAFA held "Clubs Round", which recognised volunteers who had contributed to the success of their clubs over the past 25 years with specialised medallions.

## Association membership

In late 2016, the Monash Gryphons merged with Glen Eira to form the Glen Eira Gryphons. The clubs had initially planned to amalgamate for the 2016 season, but ultimately remained separate entities.
The Chadstone Football Club left Division 4 and returned to the Club XVIII competition for 2017 after failing to win any senior matches during the 2016 season. Shortly before the start of the 2017 season, Box Hill North also withdrew from Division 4 as it was unable to field a seniors or reserves team.
Yarra Valley Old Boys was renamed to Yarra Old Grammarians to reflect its ties with Yarra Valley Grammar.

## Premier

St Kevin's won the Premier Division premiership for the first time, defeating Collegians by three points in the grand final.

### Ladder

In round 1, the match between Beaumaris and Old Melburnians was abandoned due to lightning with 16 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. In round 9, Old Xaverians defender Jarryd Skene suffered a severe leg break in the match against Collegians, with the match abandoned 59 minutes into the fourth quarter after a lengthy delay. In both cases, the VAFA split the premiership points and the final scores stood for percentage purposes.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | St Kevin's (P) | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1896 | 1152 | 164.6 | 64 | Finals series |
| 2 | University Blues | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1562 | 1212 | 128.9 | 54 | Finals series |
| 3 | Collegians | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1511 | 1249 | 121.0 | 52 | Finals series |
| 4 | De La Salle | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1367 | 1311 | 104.3 | 44 | Finals series |
| 5 | Old Xaverians | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1428 | 1379 | 103.6 | 38 |
| 6 | Old Melburnians | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 1389 | 1359 | 102.2 | 34 |
| 7 | Old Trinity | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1257 | 1443 | 87.1 | 24 |
| 8 | St Bedes/Mentone Tigers | 18 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 1174 | 1702 | 69.0 | 18 |
| 9 | University Blacks | 18 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 1402 | 1624 | 86.3 | 16 | Relegation |
| 10 | Beaumaris | 18 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 1214 | 1769 | 68.6 | 16 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 2017 VAFA Premier Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Premier Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Premier Grand Final | |
| Sunday, 24 September (2:30pm) | St Kevin's | def. | Collegians | Trevor Barker Oval |
| | 1.2 (8) 6.3 (39) 10.4 (64) 10.10 (70) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.5 (17) 5.6 (36) 6.11 (47) 9.13 (67) | |
| M. Brown 2, B. Kanakis 2, J. Wallis 2, C. Matheson, B. Dowd, H. Parkes, J. Strauss | M. Brown 2, B. Kanakis 2, J. Wallis 2, C. Matheson, B. Dowd, H. Parkes, J. Strauss | Goals | K. Ong 2, A. Croft 2, V. Michie, F. Cameron, C. Hylton, J. Trotter, W. Johnson | K. Ong 2, A. Croft 2, V. Michie, F. Cameron, C. Hylton, J. Trotter, W. Johnson |
| M. Brown, S. Critchley, C. Matheson, B. Kanakis, C. Ross, J. Wallis | M. Brown, S. Critchley, C. Matheson, B. Kanakis, C. Ross, J. Wallis | Best | T. Penberthy, S. Hibbins, M. Jenkinson, N. Dixon, K. Ong, A. Fahie | T. Penberthy, S. Hibbins, M. Jenkinson, N. Dixon, K. Ong, A. Fahie |

## Premier B
### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Old Brighton (P) | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1748 | 898 | 194.7 | 66 | Finals series |
| 2 | Old Scotch | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1885 | 1082 | 174.2 | 62 | Finals series |
| 3 | St Bernard's | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1748 | 1266 | 138.1 | 48 | Finals series |
| 4 | Monash Blues | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1374 | 1213 | 113.3 | 40 | Finals series |
| 5 | AJAX | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1335 | 1299 | 102.8 | 36 |
| 6 | Mazenod | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1085 | 1554 | 69.8 | 32 |
| 7 | Old Carey | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1359 | 1461 | 93.0 | 24 |
| 8 | Parkdale Vultures | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1201 | 1612 | 74.5 | 20 |
| 9 | Fitzroy | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1111 | 1625 | 68.4 | 20 | Relegation |
| 10 | Peninsula Old Boys | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1020 | 1856 | 55.0 | 12 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 2017 VAFA Premier B Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Premier B Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Premier B Grand Final | |
| Saturday, 23 September (2:30pm) | Old Brighton | def. | Old Scotch | Trevor Barker Oval |
| | 2.9 (21) 6.12 (48) 7.12 (54) 11.13 (79) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.2 (14) 4.6 (30) 5.6 (36) 6.7 (43) | |
| H. Hill 3, M. Karayannis 2, P. Liston, B. Rawlinson, A. Zimmerman, B. Jakobi, D. Anthony, L. Healy | H. Hill 3, M. Karayannis 2, P. Liston, B. Rawlinson, A. Zimmerman, B. Jakobi, D. Anthony, L. Healy | Goals | J. Halsall 2, J. Sansom, J. Clarke, H. Larwill, N. Cox | J. Halsall 2, J. Sansom, J. Clarke, H. Larwill, N. Cox |
| D. Verney, H. Hill, B. Jarick, B. Jakobi, T. Fisher, A. Dewar | D. Verney, H. Hill, B. Jarick, B. Jakobi, T. Fisher, A. Dewar | Best | G. Van den Broek , T. McKinley, J. Bull, A. Van Ryn, M. Seed, D. Gilbert | G. Van den Broek , T. McKinley, J. Bull, A. Van Ryn, M. Seed, D. Gilbert |

## Premier C
### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Caulfield Grammarians | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1918 | 1146 | 167.4 | 64 | Finals series |
| 2 | Old Haileybury (P) | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1682 | 1241 | 135.5 | 44 | Finals series |
| 3 | Marcellin | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1791 | 1349 | 132.8 | 44 | Finals series |
| 4 | Williamstown CYMS | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1780 | 1520 | 117.1 | 36 | Finals series |
| 5 | Old Geelong | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1460 | 1365 | 107.0 | 36 |
| 6 | Old Mentonians | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1538 | 1639 | 93.8 | 36 |
| 7 | Old Camberwell | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1374 | 1663 | 82.6 | 32 |
| 8 | Old Ivanhoe | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1261 | 1533 | 82.3 | 32 |
| 9 | Hampton Rovers | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1134 | 1586 | 71.5 | 24 | Relegation |
| 10 | Kew | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1060 | 1956 | 54.2 | 12 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 2017 VAFA Premier C Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Premier C Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Premier C Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 23 September (2:30pm) | Old Haileybury | def. | Caulfield Grammarians | Casey Fields | |
| | 3.4 (22) 6.6 (42) 10.8 (68) 14.10 (94) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.1 (13) 3.4 (22) 4.8 (32) 6.10 (46) | Best on ground: Peter Shakallis (Old Haileybury) | Best on ground: Peter Shakallis (Old Haileybury) |
| C. Rich 3, N. Gooda 2, C. Connelly 2, A. Woltering, B. White, N. Waite, S. Ellis, J. Nicolopoulos, E. Limon, J. Munro | C. Rich 3, N. Gooda 2, C. Connelly 2, A. Woltering, B. White, N. Waite, S. Ellis, J. Nicolopoulos, E. Limon, J. Munro | Goals | N. Baltas 3, D. Reilly 2, T. Nixon | N. Baltas 3, D. Reilly 2, T. Nixon |
| P. Shakallis, J. Paul, A. Toy, N. Gooda, J. Arthur, L. Treverton | P. Shakallis, J. Paul, A. Toy, N. Gooda, J. Arthur, L. Treverton | Best | J. Woodman, N. Baltas, J. Stewart, T. Nixon, N. Fallu, J. Presnell | J. Woodman, N. Baltas, J. Stewart, T. Nixon, N. Fallu, J. Presnell |

## Division 1

PEGS won the Division 1 premiership for the first time, defeating minor premiers St Mary's Salesian by 13 points in the grand final. St Mary's led by 57 points at the 18th minute mark of the second quarter, but PEGS came back in a 70-point turnaround.

### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | St Mary's Salesian | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1926 | 1295 | 148.7 | 60 | Finals series |
| 2 | Ormond | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1901 | 1288 | 147.6 | 56 | Finals series |
| 3 | PEGS (P) | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1797 | 1248 | 144.0 | 56 | Finals series |
| 4 | Oakleigh | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1829 | 1487 | 123.0 | 48 | Finals series |
| 5 | Preston Bullants | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1513 | 1388 | 109.0 | 44 |
| 6 | Therry Penola | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1566 | 1701 | 92.1 | 32 |
| 7 | Ivanhoe | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1509 | 1783 | 84.6 | 24 |
| 8 | Brunswick NOBSPC | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1317 | 1774 | 74.2 | 20 |
| 9 | St John's | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1276 | 2005 | 63.6 | 12 | Relegation |
| 10 | Whitefriars | 18 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 1302 | 1967 | 66.2 | 8 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 2017 VAFA Division 1 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 1 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 1 Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 16 September (2:20pm) | St Mary's Salesian | def. by | PEGS | Box Hill City Oval | |
| | 8.2 (50) 11.4 (70) 14.6 (90) 14.7 (91) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 0.1 (1) 5.5 (35) 12.7 (79) 15.14 (104) | JW Manton Medal: Robert Baddeley (PEGS) | JW Manton Medal: Robert Baddeley (PEGS) |
| L. Dykes 4, M. Dolan 4, D. Ryan 2, S. Jones, C. Angley, D. Grant, B. Andrews | L. Dykes 4, M. Dolan 4, D. Ryan 2, S. Jones, C. Angley, D. Grant, B. Andrews | Goals | T. Skurrie 3, A. Romanyk 2, J. Young 2, H. Schiavello 2, T. Black 2, M. Wilson, J. Rogers, D. Cerantonio, B. Jones | T. Skurrie 3, A. Romanyk 2, J. Young 2, H. Schiavello 2, T. Black 2, M. Wilson, J. Rogers, D. Cerantonio, B. Jones |
| T. Dudgeon, J. Perriam, C. Angley, J. Elliston, J. Kenyon, L. Dykes | T. Dudgeon, J. Perriam, C. Angley, J. Elliston, J. Kenyon, L. Dykes | Best | R. Baddeley, D. Ryan, A. Khallouf, B. Jones, B. Hannah, S. Whillas | R. Baddeley, D. Ryan, A. Khallouf, B. Jones, B. Hannah, S. Whillas |

## Division 2
### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Prahran Assumption (P) | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 2001 | 951 | 210.4 | 64 | Finals series |
| 2 | West Brunswick | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1591 | 1203 | 132.3 | 56 | Finals series |
| 3 | MHSOB | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1507 | 1221 | 123.4 | 44 | Finals series |
| 4 | Old Paradians | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1402 | 1368 | 102.5 | 40 | Finals series |
| 5 | Yarra Old Grammarians | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1476 | 1487 | 99.3 | 36 |
| 6 | Emmaus St Leo's | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1450 | 1594 | 91.0 | 36 |
| 7 | Bulleen Templestowe | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1449 | 1488 | 97.4 | 28 |
| 8 | Old Eltham Collegians | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1327 | 1390 | 95.5 | 28 |
| 9 | Glen Eira | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1414 | 1560 | 90.6 | 28 | Relegation |
| 10 | Hawthorn | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1023 | 2378 | 43.0 | 0 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 2017 VAFA Division 2 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 2 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 2 Grand Final | |
| Sunday, 17 September (2:10pm) | Prahran Assumption | def. | West Brunswick | Elsternwick Park |
| | 6.4 (40) 6.6 (42) 9.9 (63) 10.11 (71) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 0.1 (1) 1.3 (9) 1.6 (12) 6.10 (46) | |
| E. Kuret 2, T. Maya 2, J. Hogarth, G. Hogarth, B. Dickinson, A. Steinberg, T. Quinn, J. Simonetta | E. Kuret 2, T. Maya 2, J. Hogarth, G. Hogarth, B. Dickinson, A. Steinberg, T. Quinn, J. Simonetta | Goals | J. Iacono, S. Fleming, M. Booth, D. Muscat, B. Irving, D. Ferrier | J. Iacono, S. Fleming, M. Booth, D. Muscat, B. Irving, D. Ferrier |
| E. Kuret, T. Freeman, J. Musster, L. Kerr, D. Freeman, J. Stocker | E. Kuret, T. Freeman, J. Musster, L. Kerr, D. Freeman, J. Stocker | Best | C. Mitchell, E. Lloyd, A. Schipp, T. Stokes, D. Sinnott, B. Simpson | C. Mitchell, E. Lloyd, A. Schipp, T. Stokes, D. Sinnott, B. Simpson |

## Division 3

This was Point Cook's final season in the VAFA, with the club moving to the Western Region Football League (WRFL) for the 2018 season.

### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Power House | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1870 | 1341 | 139.5 | 64 | Finals series |
| 2 | UHS-VU (P) | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1871 | 1062 | 176.2 | 60 | Finals series |
| 3 | Swinburne University | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1734 | 1408 | 123.2 | 44 | Finals series |
| 4 | Westbourne Grammarians | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1595 | 1354 | 117.8 | 44 | Finals series |
| 5 | Canterbury | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1674 | 1396 | 119.9 | 40 |
| 6 | La Trobe University | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1480 | 1427 | 103.7 | 32 |
| 7 | Richmond Central | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1533 | 1487 | 103.1 | 32 |
| 8 | Point Cook | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1312 | 1622 | 81.4 | 28 |
| 9 | Albert Park | 18 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 1357 | 1802 | 75.3 | 16 | Relegation |
| 10 | South Melbourne Districts | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 820 | 2356 | 34.8 | 0 | Relegation |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 2017 VAFA Division 3 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 3 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 3 Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 16 September (2:20pm) | UHS-VU | def. | Power House | Elsternwick Park | |
| | 5.2 (32) 7.5 (47) 11.11 (77) 13.14 (92) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 0.5 (5) 4.10 (34) 5.12 (42) 9.17 (71) | VB Zanin Medal: Brandon Jackson (UHS-VU) | VB Zanin Medal: Brandon Jackson (UHS-VU) |
| B. Jackson 4, M. Sweeney 3, S. McSweeney 2, C. Mccutcheon 2, E. Ramsay, M. Legudi | B. Jackson 4, M. Sweeney 3, S. McSweeney 2, C. Mccutcheon 2, E. Ramsay, M. Legudi | Goals | N. Nagel 3, P. Healey 3, R. Yak, A. Collett, D. Mitchell | N. Nagel 3, P. Healey 3, R. Yak, A. Collett, D. Mitchell |
| B. Jackson, J. McGee, M. Legudi, J. Turner, S. McSweeney, B. Anderson | B. Jackson, J. McGee, M. Legudi, J. Turner, S. McSweeney, B. Anderson | Best | T. Sardone, G. Bell, P. Healey, A. Reynolds, B. Circosta, A. Collett | T. Sardone, G. Bell, P. Healey, A. Reynolds, B. Circosta, A. Collett |

## Division 4
### Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Aquinas (P) | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2065 | 750 | 275.3 | 56 | Finals series |
| 2 | North Brunswick | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1716 | 859 | 199.8 | 56 | Finals series |
| 3 | Manningham Cobras | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1652 | 971 | 170.1 | 52 | Finals series |
| 4 | Mt Lilydale | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1160 | 1443 | 80.4 | 30 | Finals series |
| 5 | Elsternwick | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1349 | 1427 | 94.5 | 28 |
| 6 | Eley Park | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1384 | 1588 | 87.2 | 28 |
| 7 | Parkside | 16 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 957 | 1491 | 64.2 | 20 |
| 8 | Masala | 16 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1016 | 1819 | 55.9 | 10 |
| 9 | St Francis Xavier | 16 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 991 | 1871 | 53.0 | 8 |
Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (P) Premiers

### Finals

| | 2017 VAFA Division 4 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 4 Grand Final | 2017 VAFA Division 4 Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 16 September (2:20pm) | Aquinas | def. | Manningham Cobras | Garvey Oval | |
| | 2.3 (15) 6.7 (43) 9.9 (63) 14.10 (94) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.1 (13) 6.5 (41) 8.8 (56) 10.9 (69) | AK White Medal: Nick Morrison-Storey (Aquinas) | AK White Medal: Nick Morrison-Storey (Aquinas) |
| S. Williams 5, P. Mahon 2, J. Butcher 2, A. Naulty, N. Morrison-Storey, S. Ragozzini, P. Jurkovsky, J. Perrett | S. Williams 5, P. Mahon 2, J. Butcher 2, A. Naulty, N. Morrison-Storey, S. Ragozzini, P. Jurkovsky, J. Perrett | Goals | M. Parkes 2, M. Muller 2, K. Maghamez 2, A. Sukkel, A. Baltruweit, C. Jolly, J. Stephens | M. Parkes 2, M. Muller 2, K. Maghamez 2, A. Sukkel, A. Baltruweit, C. Jolly, J. Stephens |
| N. Morrison-Storey, A. Naulty, M. O'Malley, J. Fisher, S. Ragozzini, A. Guthrie | N. Morrison-Storey, A. Naulty, M. O'Malley, J. Fisher, S. Ragozzini, A. Guthrie | Best | M. Parkes, M. Muller, K. Maghamez, A. Baltruweit | M. Parkes, M. Muller, K. Maghamez, A. Baltruweit |