Sharks’ attack proved the difference in Premier B 2016

By Nick Armistead – @NickArmistead

While the middle of the Premier B ladder was constantly changing throughout the 2016 season, the two constants sat just above them; Beaumaris and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers. For 10 of the 18 rounds throughout the season, these talented sides held the top two spots on the ladder, with no other team getting a look-in from Round 10 onwards.

When it all came to the crunch, the Sharks were able to back up their 2016 minor premiership with their first senior flag since 2010 as they defeated the Tigers by 31 points in the Premier B Grand Final at Trevor Barker Oval.

31 scoring shots to 20 doesn’t exactly give an accurate account of the match as the Tigers took a 14-point lead into the main break after a dominant second term of four unanswered goals. However, the Sharks were relentless in the final two quarters of the year and piled on 11.12 to 5.3 to run away with the four points and earn the right to compete in William Buck Premier after just one year in Premier B.

Big V star, Tom Dean, was awarded the Ian Cordner Medal for his starring performance for the Sharks alongside three goals from Adam Schneider and Daniel Gribbin. Matthew Petering and Anthony Carroll were sensational, while Stephen Milne, Josh Ward and Drew Kelly added two each. Paul Wintle and Chris Mangoni fought valiantly for the Tigers, but the Sharks were ultimately too strong and came together when it mattered most.

After suffering relegation on the back of just two wins and a tie in 2015, the Sharks rose to prominence once again with the strongest recruitment of the off-season. Former St Kilda teammates, Stephen Milne and Adam Schneider, joined at various stages of the year, with Milne making an immediate impact and claiming third spot on the goal-kicking leader board with 43 for the home and away fixture despite playing just 13 games. Captain and Spirit of the Big V Award recipient, Thomas Dean, starred for the Sharks and deservedly polled 13 votes in the GT Moore Medal count to finish fifth. In the same vein as St Kevin’s and Old Melburnians did this year, expect Beaumaris to consolidate their position in William Buck Premier in 2017. A premiership in the reserves showcases the depth of talent at their disposal and a midfield with Dean, Robert Cathcart, Anthony Caroll and young gun, Luke Globan, promises success for years to come.

Despite the disappointment of a grand final loss, it was a stellar year for the Tigers with 13 victories and a strong finals campaign. They earnt direct passage to the grand final with a 27-point win against the Sharks in the second semi-final, but failed to capitalise on a strong first-half performance in the big dance. Michael Barnes was the highlight as he ran riot across half-forward and booted 43 goals from 20 games, while Jaryd Robertson and Chris Mangoni represented the Big V against the SAAFL in June. Robertson’s ability to read the flight of the ball across half-back was second to none in Premier B and should hold the Tigers in good stead as they make the jump to William Buck Premier for the first time since 2014.

Old Scotch came out of the blocks all guns blazing in Premier B, winning six of their first seven matches for the year as they looked to return to the VAFA’s top tier. However, the Cardinals were unable to maintain their early season form as injuries took their toll and they slumped to five losses from six outings between Rounds 10 and 15. This made the competition extremely interesting as the Cardinals joined Monash Blues on eight wins and sat half a game behind Fitzroy. Not to mention, Old Brighton and Parkdale were only a game behind. The final three rounds proved what most of us believed to be true since season’s commencement; the Cardinals were the third best side. They won their last three home and away matches to finish behind the eventual grand finalists before edging past the ever-impressive Blues in the first semi. The run of wins stopped on preliminary final weekend but the Cardinals will look to use their sublime end of season form heading into next year. Lachlan Byrne-Jones received the Spirit of the Big V Award in the U19’s loss to AFL Vic Country, while Tim MacMillan, Gene Van Den Broek and Jack Bull were outstanding all season.

Monash Blues were given little chance heading into the season after falling to Old Haileybury on the last day of Premier C in 2015. How we were wrong.  11 wins, a finals berth and an unbelievably impressive showing in the first semi against the Cardinals highlighted the talent and endeavour on Paul Groves’ young list. Andre Headberry (37) and Nick Petering (34) combined for 71 majors, or 36% of their side’s total goals, while Daniel Easson and Maddison Hardiman continued the form which earnt them Big V honours in 2015. The kings of the tight contests, the Blues played in seven matches decided by eight points or less for five wins and just two losses.

Fitzroy’s pre-season aim to secure a spot in in the finals was narrowly missed as they finished fifth and just half a game behind the Blues and the Cardinals. The Roys had a slow start to the year and lost their first four on the trot. The return of captain, Rory Angiolella, standout performances from Daniel Bisetto and Aiden Lambert, and increased confidence helped the Roys out of their slump and into finals contention for the remainder of the year. Angiolella and Bisetto were particularly impressive and finished equal-third in the GT Moore Medal count with 14 votes each.

Old Brighton were a rollercoaster of form in 2016 but only missed out on finals in the last couple of rounds. Sitting 2-1 after three rounds, the Tonners went on to lose seven in a row and relegation looked a likely outcome. With leading goal kicker, Dan Anthony, Grill’d Rising Star, Harry Hill, and a multitude of other young guns all stepping up, the Tonners turned their fortunes around with seven victories from their last eight games and a sixth-place finish.

Ajax had a year of mixed fortunes in 2016, finishing seventh with seven wins and 1.37% above Parkdale. They defeated the Roys twice and had the measure of the teams below them, but couldn’t make the leap and notch a win against any of the top four sides. The Jackas will look to recruit goal kickers and improve upon their 71.6ppg– the second lowest in the competition.

The Vultures were primed for a top four berth prior to the season’s commencement, but a season-ending knee injury to star forward, Matt Boland, in Round 1 made things difficult. The Vultures rallied in Boland’s absence for seven wins over the course of the year, with Charlie Dillon starring and taking home the GT Moore Medal on 16 votes.

Old Haileybury were unable to reach the supreme heights of 2015’s premiership and will return to Premier C as they continue to develop their young and exciting list. The Bloods won three of their first four games but could manage just one more for the remainder of the year. Corey Connolly headlines the pool of young talent coming through after he played Big V U19’s in July.

Joining the Bloods in Premier C next year will be Hampton Rovers after they finished on the bottom with four wins for the season. Nathan Smith was a highlight for the Rovers with 40 goals, while Nick Pavlou kicked one of the goals (and subsequent celebrations) of the season in his side’s seven-point victory over the Tonners in Round 10.