Can the Bloods make history? VAFA William Buck Premier Men’s Round 7 Preview

With the ladder suddenly split in two, there will be an urgency amongst the bottom 5 to start closing the gap to the leading pack. Here’s a closer look at our Round 7 match-ups.

ST KEVIN’S vs OLD HAILEYBURY (Saturday 2pm – TH King Oval)

Are the Bloods the story of Premier Men’s so far in 2025?

From Premier B champions to sitting inside the Top 4 after the opening third of the season, Daniel Ward’s men have been impressive in their victories over Collegians, Blacks, De La Salle and the Blues.

However, all of these teams sit in the Bottom 5 of the ladder, while their 2 losses have come to teams in the Top 5 (Old Brighton and Old Xavs).

A big-name scalp would confirm what most of us suspect – that the Bloods are the real deal. Their performance against Xavs, when they led until the 28-minute mark of the final term, suggests they are capable of hanging with the best.

If they can roll into TH King Oval and knock off SKOB on their own deck, we’ll know that they are.

Beating St Kevin’s at home has been one of the steepest mountains to climb in the entire VAFA this decade.

Beating SKOB anywhere has proved difficult for the Bloods, who have lost 6 of their last 7 to St Kevin’s by an average of 51 points since 2013. They are 0-4 from their most recent meetings in 2014 and 2023, with their last victory coming by 2 points in Round 10, 2013 at Haileybury Keysborough.

They have NEVER won at TH King Oval, with their three visits resulting in heavy losses:

• Rd.7, 2012 – 47pts (Premier B)
• Rd.4, 2014 – 48pts (Premier B)
• Rd.18, 2023 – 50pts (Premier Men’s)

That last defeat had the added sting of costing Old Haileybury their place in William Buck Premier Men’s in 2024 as they were relegated by just 1.6%.

They won’t have forgotten.

If they are to make history and win at TH King for the first time, how will they do it?

Their Attack is ranked #3 (averaging a healthy 92 ppg), and getting the ball into the hands of a white-hot Andreas Stefanakis as often as possible would be a great start. The dynamic small forward has booted 14 goals in his past 4 games, including 4 in each of his last two starts against De La Salle and University Blues.

Harrison Jones is another in sparkling form up forward for the Bloods, having booted 13 for the season, including multiple goals in 5 of his 6 games.

Can they continue to hit the scoreboard against the notoriously miserly SKOB defence? Only the Tonners have been tighter defensively this season and kicking goals at TH King is always an added challenge.

At the other end, Old Haileybury will have to deal with the twin towers of Sam Barnett and Paddy Kerr, who have combined for 29 goals themselves.

But the Bloods’ defence is ranked #4 itself, so given both teams are more than handy at each end, this one will likely come down to midfield ascendancy and there appears to be very little between them – the major stat categories are merely a few points each way, if at all (with Disposal Efficiency tied at 62%, for example).

The Bloods tend to use their hands a little more than SKOB, who tend to share it around to uncontested marks more. The Bloods will need to apply the pressure to prevent that from happening.

Can Old Haileybury make history and win at TH King for the first time or will SKOB defend their fortress yet again?

It’s third versus fourth. The winner will consolidate their share of second spot, while the loser will fall a game off the pace.

Tune into KOMMUNITY TV for our double-header, live streaming from 11.35am (Reserves into Seniors).

ST BERNARD’S vs OLD SCOTCH (Saturday 2pm – Snakepit)

The other two big stories of Premier Men’s so far are the rise of the Snowdogs and the fall of the Cardinals. Now those stories intertwine in a critical game at the Snakepit.

St Bernard’s went winless on the road in 2024, going 0-9 away from home. Remarkably, they’ve flipped their form around to go 4-0 on the road this season and 0-2 at home. In fairness, their two home games have been against the Top 2 teams – the Tonners and Xavs – who both comfortably handled the Dogs.

Old Scotch’s brilliant premiership win has delivered the by-product of 15 players being listed on VFL lists in 2025. While Mark Gnatt and the Cardinals see the bigger picture and are delighted to be assisting so many talented players chase their footballing dreams, the reality is that the Cards are digging into their depth when injuries also bite.

This inevitably leads to short-term pain as newcomers are blooded but may ultimately hold the club in good stead by getting games of experience into their next emerging tier quicker than they otherwise would.

Their challenge is to win enough games to remain in the finals race, in the hope they can then get their best line-up on the park come September to mount a back-to-back tilt.

But the first part of that equation is their current dilemma. Two superb wins to open their premiership defence have been followed by four consecutive losses – Collegians 38, Old Xavs 81, Old Brighton 45 and Uni Blacks 5 points after being 43 points down at the half.

Their second-half revival last week provides hope that the Cards are starting to click. Comprehensively beaten in the first half, they stabilised in the third, then came roaring home in the last, only to fall agonisingly short.

Coach Mark Gnatt will be hoping they can start like they finished last Saturday. If so, they will be right in the hunt against the Snowdogs.

If not, their finals equation becomes even tougher. 2-4 isn’t insurmountable, given it’s two games plus percentage out of the Top 4. But to slip to 2-5 and 3 games behind starts to raise serious doubts.

The Cards don’t face the Old Brighton-Old Xavs double until Rounds 13-14. They need to start banking some wins between now and then, particularly over the teams above them. St Bernard’s, Uni Blues, St Kevin’s and De La Salle await over the next 4 rounds.

If they can get over the Snowdogs, it might just spark their season to life.

But that will be easier said than done. Steve Alessio’s team has added valuable pieces to a core that showed exciting glimpses in 2024. Add in the experience of being their second year back in the top flight, plus the confidence of knowing they are much improved and the Dogs are a team to watch in the race for September.

Can they hand the reigning premiers a fifth straight defeat or is this the challenge the Cards need to ignite their title defence?

Find out LIVE & FREE with our live stream from 1.55pm Saturday on VAFA.com.au!

UNIVERSITY BLUES vs OLD XAVERIANS (Saturday 2pm – Melbourne University Oval)

The University Blues are the most unpredictable team in the competition. This week, it’s Old Xavs’ turn to roll the dice and see which Blues outfit turns up – the one which matched it with St Bernard’s, Collegians and De La Salle, or the one which fell short against Blacks, St Kevin’s and the Bloods?

No-one would love to know the answer to that question more than their first-year coach Matt Smith, who has been frustrated by the Blues’ ups and downs.

Last week’s fade-out against the Bloods was a case in point. The Blues kicked 7 first-half goals to lead by 16 at half-time, only to be held goal-less in the second half and fall 20 points short. Smith wasn’t impressed.

“It was a really promising first half of footy, which we were able to control the majority of, and at times felt like we should’ve been further in front than we were on the scoreboard,” said Smith.

“To come out and perform how we did is really difficult to accept.

“Our backs are to the wall now, and we will see how we can respond in a must-win game versus Xavs this weekend.”

Meanwhile, the Xavs have been solid in 2025, entering Round 7 in second position at 4-2. Their only blemishes have come against fellow contenders St Kevin’s (3 points away in Round 2) and Old Brighton (61 points at home last week).

Last week was just the second time all season that the Xavs looked uncompetitive for an extended period (the first was their opening half against the Bloods). The Tonners booted 13 goals to 4 after quarter-time last week and dismantled the Xavs in the wet.

Dan Donati’s men will be keen to atone for that disappointment.

It will start at the source, with Alec Spralja (#1 Hit Outs) looking to feed his fleet of star midfielders. Xavs are #2 for Clearances, while the Blues are #9. Matt Smith’s team have to find a way to at least close the exits or will find themselves chasing all afternoon.

Fortunately, the Blues do have a strong intercept game (#1 Intercept Marks) if Xavs cut them up on the inside. Nick Conway leads the comp for Intercept Marks, while Mitch Lloyd & Marty Gleeson are both in the Top 10.

Xavs will have to avoid those interceptors to find their array of targets Inside 50. Xavs are #1 for Marks Inside 50, led by Charlie MacIsaac and Wade Brusnahan, who slotted 3 goals in the wet last week.

At the other end, James Stewart has been busy over the past fortnight, booting 5 and 3 goals in his last two starts. Supply continues to be the challenge, with the Blues ranked last for Inside 50 differential.

Can the Blues put together four quarters and create the upset, or will Xavs bounce back from last week’s glitch and consolidate second spot?

Join our award-winning VAFA SEN Match of the Day commentary, simulcast live on VAFA.com.au from 1.45pm Saturday!

COLLEGIANS vs OLD BRIGHTON (Saturday 2pm – Harry Trott Oval)

‘Close but not close enough’ has been the story of Collegians’ campaign so far, with their three home matches resulting in heartbreaking losses by 5, 7 and 7 points.

Win those games and they’d be a game clear in outright second, but instead they’ve fallen two games plus percentage off Top 4 pace and now host the unbeaten Tonners to avoid slipping three behind.

The Lions are not only sixth on the ladder, but they’re also sixth in Attack and sixth in Defence – a mid-table team looking for some competitive advantages that can convert these close results into wins in the final minutes.

Their success over the past couple of seasons has come largely from their superb intercept & uncontested possession game – set up well behind the ball, create the intercepts & then play keepings off to control the match. This method led them to being #1 last season for Inside 50 differential.

But other clubs started to pick this apart during 2024 and this year, despite still being #4 for Intercept Possessions, the Lions are ranked #7 for Uncontested Marks (compared to #2 last year).

Those numbers confirm that they are not stringing the possession chains that previously left the opposition grasping at thin air, and their Inside 50 differential has slipped from #1 to #5.

In simple terms, teams are forcing them to evolve and find other ways to win games. The good news is that they are close, as evidenced by their string of single-digit defeats.

There is no more dominant team at getting the game on their own terms and keeping it there than Old Brighton.

Ranked #1 for Disposals, Contested Possessions, Ground Balls, Clearances, Hard Gets, Loose Gets, and Intercept Possessions, the Tonners can win the football every way possible.

Their excellent use (ranked equal 1^st for Disposal Efficiency) then means they don’t cough it up easily. As a result, they are #1 for Inside 50s.

Can Collegians hang in, keep it close and then find a way late? The manic pressure around the ball from Max Pinchbeck, who has had 20 and 25 tackles in his past two games, will be critical.

If he can link up with the Walker boys to provide enough quality supply to leading goalkicker Alex Lukic and the clever Dylan Thomas, the Lions can give themselves a chance.

They will need to minimise the influence of midfield quartet Harry Hill, Luca Macnab, Tom Fisher and Tom Burnell, who have knocked up getting touches this season.

Otherwise, the likes of Jamie Hope (15 goals) and Felix Flockart (11) can put any game out of reach quickly. Hope leads the competition for Marks Inside 50, while Flockart is always a danger forward of the ball.

It’s a huge game for the Lions and another opportunity for the Tonners to expand their advantage atop the league ladder.

DE LA SALLE vs UNIVERSITY BLACKS (Saturday 2pm – Waverley Oval)

The final game of the round sees the Blacks chasing back-to-back victories as they head to Waverley Oval.

Their first half against the Cardinals last week was as good a footy as they’ve played in recent memory, as they put the reigning champs to the sword in the wet at Camberwell.

However, their final quarter, when they conceded 6 goals to 1 and almost lost what had shaped as a comfortable win, sums up their need for consistency in effort and output.

Coach Dale Bower summed it up neatly in the post-game: “We need to put four quarters together to reach our full potential as a team.”

This week, they head to the Dairy Bell to face the winless De La Salle, who are suffering from similar lapses in concentration and intensity.

A quick glance at De La’s losing margins might suggest that Nick Hyland’s team are getting blown away week after week. But, the reality is that they are stretching teams for extended periods, before getting beaten by goals in bunches.

A fortnight ago it was the first 4 goals of the second half from the Bloods. Last week, it was the first 5 goals of the game from the Snowdogs. But beyond those periods, De La squared those matches. 8 goals apiece against Old Haileybury and 7 apiece against the Dogs.

Their challenge for both these teams remains damage minimisation.

History suggests they will both have their competitive periods when the game is on their terms. But it also suggests they will both have lapses, and it may come down to who mitigates the damage inflicted upon them during those downtimes.

Can De La do a better job of making their periods of dominance count on the scoreboard, or will the Blacks repeat their scintillating first half of last week and continue their rise?

Amateur Footballer Record – Week 7

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 7

SATURDAY MAY 24

University Blues  vs        Old Xaverians       SEN MOTD & LIVE STREAM on VAFA.com.au – 1.45pm      

St Kevin’s             vs         Old Haileybury      KommunityTV double header from 11.35pm

St Bernard’s        vs          Old Scotch             VAFA.com.au LIVE STREAM – 1.55pm

Collegians           vs          Old Brighton        

De La Salle         vs           University Blacks          

Watch matches on-demand on VAFATV