9 VAFA players named in Leader’s ‘Golden Oldies’

Nine VAFA players have been recognised as ‘golden oldies’ by Leader Local Sport as they continue to light up the field well into their 30’s.

From a Woodrow Medallist to PEGS’ greatest-ever player and a St John’s goal kicking machine, these are the nine players who made the list. The bios for each were published by the Leader and you can read the full list from all local competitions HERE

Adam Bentick (St Bernard’s)

The former AFL and VFL onballer returned to St Bernard’s mid-season and was named in the best in two of his four matches. The 36-year-old has been an outstanding player since joining the amateur competition in 2013, sharing the Woodrow Medal as Premier section best and fairest in 2015. Played 16 games in 2019 and was named in the best 13 times, coming equal fourth in the Woodrow. Has had a tremendous career – premiership captain of Calder Cannons, 68 AFL games for Carlton – and it might not be over yet.

Adam Collett (Prahran Assumption)

The 36-year-old crossed to Prahran last year as a playing assistant coach to Matt Boland. He will, however, always hold a high standing at Power House, where he was captain for seven years, was a best and fairest and made more than 200 senior appearances. Collett played under-age football at Dromana and senior football at Rosebud before linking with Power House when he moved to Melbourne with work.

Danny Corp (Hampton Rovers)

The midfielder is 36 and his coach, Anthony Quon, describes the premiership Rover and best and fairest as a “gun’’. Corp came through the Rovers juniors and went on to play at the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup in 2003-04 and then Sandringham and Frankston in the VFL. Since then he’s played many good games for the bayside club, totting up some big possession counts and bags of goals.

Elliot Costello (South Melbourne Districts)

Costello – “Goblet’’ to everyone at his club – has played a stack of football for South Melbourne Districts and added 10 games to his tally this year. He’d be up to 300 matches if not for injuries and the occasional trip overseas. At 36 he’s held his own this year for a team that will play in the finals if the season resumes. “The coach still picks me because I’m the most competitive blokes in the team!’’ he said with a laugh. Costello has played all of his football at South – he started as a 10-year-old in the juniors – and had his best years in the senior team as a backman.

Daniel Flaherty (PEGS)

Flaherty joined the VAFA club in 2000. More than two decades on he’s still a force at senior level. A few years ago strong-marking forward “Fez’’ was named the club’s greatest player, in recognition not only of his sustained excellence at PEGS, but his performances for the VAFA. His career also took in stints in the VFL for Coburg and Bendigo Bombers, and in the QAFL. Flaherty is 40 and has played more than 400 senior games. He says the two hours playing on Saturday is the highlight of his week. A champion of amateur football.

Kristan Height (Whitefriars)

Height has just turned 38 but the former Hawthorn AFL rookie and Box Hill Hawks star continues to play excellent football as coach of Whitefriars in Division 1 of the VAFA. He’s been with the club since 2018 and took it to the premiership a year later, in the process winning the section best and fairest. That gave him four league medals; he’d earlier topped senior vote counts in the Goulburn Valley (Echuca), Ovens and Murray and Bendigo league. That is surely a record in local football.

John Meesen (Collegians FC)

The 35-year-old former AFL ruckman joined the Lions as an assistant coach but ended up playing as the club took whack on the injury front. Meesen joined the VAFA from Modewarre, where he shared the Bellarine league medal and was co-coach of the premiership team in 2018. Had a successful time at Balwyn in the Eastern league too.

Shaun Payze (Old Peninsula FC)

Possibly the most golden oldie of them all. The big forward played his 400th senior game – just the second VAFA player to do so – this year as he continued a senior career that began in 1998. The son of former St Kilda premiership player Travis Payze counts as his club’s greatest player, having won six best and fairests, kicked more than 1000 goals (including a century in 2005) and claimed a league medal.

Aaron Thornton (St John’s Old Collegians)

Thornton, 37, joined the Dandenong club in 2015, crossing from Elsternwick, where he was captain and a leading goalkicker. He left St John’s in 2019, heading for Hampton Park, but he’s back at Thomas Carroll Reserve and back booting goals (he had 41 from 11 matches before the latest Covid interruption). Taking into account six seasons at Maroochydore he’s booted 933 goals from 284 games.