North Brunswick secure minor premiership as top four teams stroll into September

After 18 weeks of Division 3 Men’s football, the final siren has sounded on six teams’ seasons, whilst five more will duke it out in September to achieve Premiership glory.

Box Hill North have finished their year on a high against cross-town rivals Eley Park with a 41-point victory. The Demons capitalised on their attacking transition, whilst the Sharks’ connection into the forward 50 struggled early on.

The Sharks, led out by retiring record-game holder at Eley Park Terrence Dingeldei, started the second-half on their terms, yet continued to shoot wastefully in front of goal. Aaron Gove kicked a goal on the run to bring the scores within touching distance, however the Demons replied instantly to remain out of reach.

The final quarter was evenly matched, however Box Hill North found Marcus Lorkin and Matthew Hoey inside 50 for game-sealing goals.

The Demons secured their fourth win of the season, concluding a campaign initially wrecked by injuries.

“We had a year described as the worst in club’s history with season ending injuries and all to key players. We really never gained momentum with only three times in 16 games finishing with a bench,” Box Hill North coach Jeff D’Amato said.

Reflecting on his side’s efforts in 2024, D’Amato was keen to improve for next year, on-field and off-field.

“We performed well against the lower teams but really struggled to play four quarters against the top five teams. We managed to pinch a quarter or two against the top teams, which means the boys really never gave up.

“We look to bring in a fresh coach for 2025 and with some of our key personnel returning and some solid recruiting we firmly believe we can bounce back quick in 2025.”

Eley Park coach Matt Embling was pleased with the improvements seen by his Sharks in the second-half of the year. Despite playing in a stronger division this season, Eley Park won two more games in 2024 than 2023, as a young core playing group formed.

“The most pleasing aspect of the season was the improvement week-on-week, as well as the opportunities to blood several younger players into senior footy,” Embling said.

Canterbury head into finals action full of confidence after a 67-point win over La Trobe University. The Cobras dominated from the outset, scoring 35-1 in a one-sided opening term.

La Trobe fought doggedly after the halftime break, outscoring Canterbury by two goals, but a three-quarter-time reset sprung the Cobras back into action to secure a victory surpassing 11-goals.

“[We were] outclassed in the first half, Canterbury were forcing us to make a lot of panicked errors. They were super polished,” La Trobe coach Andy Castles said.

“We talked at half time about absorbing the pressure a bit more and it seemed to work. Once again, couldn’t fault out effort, just lacked polish.”

The win was not enough for Canterbury to overcome Power House’s percentage however, leaving the Cobras in fourth place and making every final to come a potential eliminator.

La Trobe finish their season with just three wins, after a strong start to the season had them in the top-five after the fifth round. Castles remains upbeat for the future however, with a young brigade coming through the ranks.

“Overall, it’s been a year of growth for us. We really focussed on trying to build a brand that suits us and keep exposing our young talent. We only have three senior players over the age of 26, so I am pretty excited about what the future holds.”

North Brunswick have secured the Div 3 minor premiership in dominant fashion with a compelling away victory over Richmond Central. The Snakes were held goalless to halftime, as the Bulls piled on the scoring to lead by 53 at the main break. Mitch Hicks continued impressive form, snagging six goals, to extend North Brunswick’s lead into triple figures. The final scores paint a telling picture of North Brunswick’s return to form, winning 18.21 (129) to 2.7 (19).

With the minor premiership secured, the Bulls also land a critical week off. Fresh legs in a high-intensity finals series could be the key for North Brunswick, as they hunt win back-to-back premierships.

Power House have earned themselves a double chance for their 2024 finals campaign, after an early scare against Swinburne University. PHAFC kicked woefully to start the contest, with two goals and a whopping ten behinds, compared to a sharpshooting five-straight from the Razorbacks.

Power House’s relentless attack continued in the second, slightly improving their accuracy with 3.6. Swinburne were held to just seven points, Power House gaining a halftime lead of nine.

In the third and fourth terms, Power House’s defence continued to stem any Razorback attack, limiting Swinburne to just seven points per quarter again. Power House stacked on 11 goals in the second half, running out 69-point winners.

Luke Stubbs continued to shine for Power House, scoring four goals and finishing second in the competition’s goalkicking tally. Justin Burch and Bradley Field were best on for Swinburne.

A solid season for Swinburne concludes, with three losses to finish the season impacting what could have been a 2024 finals berth.

St John’s head into their finals campaign in ripping form, dismantling Chadstone by 218 points. The JOC’s rampaged on offence, tallying 61 scoring shots to the Synners’ eight. Matthew Carnelley solidified his competition-leading goalkicking with 11 majors, as Shannon Marsh and Tyler Neal booted six and five respectively.

“It was a good way to finish off the home and away season, the boys are feeling really good coming into finals,” St John’s coach Tim Edwards said.

Excited for the challenge of finals football, Edwards gave credit to the fellow finals competitors awaiting his men.

“I’m looking forward to a great finals series. All teams involved have had great years and it’s been a really even and open competition, any team on their day can win it. Can’t wait to crack in next week.”

With an 11-team competition, the Div 3 finals series is different to others in the VAFA. Here’s how week one shapes up:

North Brunswick earn a week off after finishing first. Second-placed St John’s host Power House in a qualifying final, with the winner to play the Bulls the following week. The loser remains alive however, playing the winner of the elimination final between fourth-placed Canterbury and fifth-placed Richmond Central.

Two epic clashes await the first weekend of Division 3 finals action, as the path to premiership glory begins.