2025 Men’s Premier B – Division 3 Centenary squad announced

The VAFA congratulates the 49 players selected in the Big V Premier B-Division 3 Men’s initial squad ahead of the clash against the Bendigo Football League at Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo on Sunday, July 13.

Former Big V player and Fitzroy coach Luke Mahoney has taken the reins for a second consecutive season, having led the side to a thrilling 13-point victory at Elsternwick Park in 2024.

This unique team represents five different sections of the VAFA Men’s competition from Premier B to Division 3. Luke and his coaching panel found this year’s squad selection even more challenging than last year.

“We got there in the end, but it wasn’t easy because of the increase in talent, especially in our Divisions, which really stood out to us. There were a lot more options this year,” said Mahoney.

“Being our second year doing the exercise, we had a better starting point with our whole coaching group on board again. We have a clear understanding of how we want to play, so we knew who to target and why, which was a big advantage for us.

“We grouped players into the roles we know we need – for example, running backs, inside mids and outside mids. We then saw plenty of footy live and on tape and worked our way through those groups.

“We’re very happy with where we’ve ended up, given the quality we’ve got. It’s a good, well-rounded, balanced squad.”

Mahoney also has a better understanding of the opposition.

“Bendigo surprised us with their launch ability off half-back last year,” he said.

“They got a lot of momentum from their rebounding defence, which caught us unawares a bit. They got their transition going, so we have to be mindful of that on the longer ground at QEO, which is suited to more run and carry.

“We’ll adjust accordingly and also have some very good running rebound defenders to consider – the likes of Nathan Ligris and Matt Clarkson – that could perform a similar function for us.

“Our overall mantra is fit, fast and flexible.

“We know Bendigo’s midfield will likely be a strength for them and ours will be for us too. We have three very handy rucks in our squad – Alex Mirkov, Jack Sheridan and Boston Dowling. So we’ll have some big decisions to make about how we structure our ruck division. Our forward line set-up might partly dictate that.”

Mahoney has a healthy mix of returning players and fresh faces in his initial squad.

“We have around 10 guys who played last year – a good core group who know each other and us as coaches. Plus, we have another half-dozen or so who were in the 2024 squad but didn’t play. We can lean on our leaders – what worked well last year? What can we do differently?

“Then, we have a big injection of fresh talent as well, which is exciting. This Big V experience can be something they’ll treasure in their footy careers. Something they can look back on in future years with pride, knowing they were part of this particularly significant year – the Big V Centenary – which adds a special layer to what’s already an incredible privilege.

“Last year, we were all about embracing the history of the Big V and being able to attend the Friday Big V lunch was a real eye-opener for our players. They immediately realised that this is not a ‘kick and giggle.’ There is a lot of history and stories created over a century of competition, and they will write their own against Bendigo.

“They will make some great connections beyond their own club. When you pull on the Big V, you join a new club – the Big V Club – and with that comes new connections and memories.

“I personally got so much out of that as a player and am really looking forward to the Big V Gala on the Thursday night. There will be plenty of guys there that I played with and coached over the journey, so to catch up with them will be special.

“The Big V experience is something unique to our competition. It means more to the VAFA than rep footy does to some other comps.

“When our players walk into that room full of 800 people, they will immediately understand the privilege they have earned to become a part of 100 years of football history.”

“And bringing it back to a pure football perspective, our Big V program is a fantastic opportunity for the guys coming in from the lower divisions to showcase their talents and challenge themselves at a higher standard of footy. They’ll go back to their clubs as better players and hopefully take great confidence from this experience.

“Enthusiasm is our starting point. We want every player to arrive at camp with a real positive attitude and embrace the experience. We all know that 49 doesn’t go into 22. But each player has the opportunity to shape this experience for themselves and what they get out of it, irrespective of whether they make the final cut.

“There will be chances to take positives away from what we provide throughout the program. It might be a little thing they can take back to their club – a new drill, a new idea, a conversation with a team-mate or a coach.

“We will focus on connection and getting to know each other. As we get closer to gameday, we’ll layer in simple messages around how we want to play. Each player has his own understanding of what they’ll need to do week-to-week to prepare, and we’ll bring it back a fair bit to a style they can adapt to. We’ll train those specifics in our last couple of sessions.”

All sections are represented, with:

• 24 players from Premier B
• 10 from Premier C
• 8 from Division 1
• 4 from Division 2
• 3 from Division 3

Training begins next week and will include five sessions between now and gameday in Bendigo on Sunday, July 13.

VAFA BIG V PREMIER B – DIVISION 3 SQUAD 2025

Thomas Wilson	Albert Park
Harry Flack	Aquinas
Riley Virtue	Beaumaris
Callum Linehan	Beaumaris
Riley Mihailovic	Beaumaris
Blake Williams	Box Hill North
Fletcher Banfield	Brunswick
Seb Gotch	Canterbury
Archie Loughnan	Caulfield Grammarians
Matthew Clarkson	Caulfield Grammarians
Darcy Lowrie	Fitzroy
Nathan Ligris	Fitzroy
Max Waters	Kew
Adam Tomaro	Marcellin
Matt Fewings	Mazenod
Lachie Harker	Old Camberwell
James Allen	Old Camberwell
Liam Thomas	Old Camberwell
Luke Kelvie	Old Carey
Jack Sheridan	Old Geelong
Michael Nicholls	Old Geelong
William Horsfall	Old Geelong
James Adams	Old Geelong
Alex Mirkov	Old Ivanhoe
Will Nichols	Old Melburnians
Ned Nicholls	Old Melburnians
Sam Laube	Old Melburnians
Christos Manoussakis	Old Trinity
Boston Dowling	Old Trinity
Louis Davidson	Old Trinity
Hugo McGlashan	Old Trinity
Charles Beasley	Old Trinity
Jackson Hille	Ormond
Oliver Green	Parkdale Vultures
Matt Holden	Parkside
Mitchell Baker-West	PEGS
Max Kleverkamp	Old Peninsula
Bailey Payze	Old Peninsula
Luke Green	Preston Bullants
Benedict Douglas	Preston Bullants
Ben Murphy	St Bedes/Mentone Tigers
Mitchell Rowe	St Bedes/Mentone Tigers
Mitch Barry	St John’s
Sean Callander	Therry Penola
Harry Davis	Wattle Park
Ben Ablett	West Brunswick
Jordan Busuttil	Williamstown CYMS
Will Bokma	Williamstown CYMS
Zachary Provest	Williamstown CYMS

The VAFA Big V Premier B-Division 3 Men’s squad will be trimmed to 23 in the lead-up to the match against Bendigo FNL on Sunday July 13, at Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo, which will be live-streamed at VAFA.com.au.

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Book your tickets today for the 2025 Big V Gala Dinner, presented by CitiPower – a landmark event celebrating 100 years of Big V Representative Football.

This prestigious event will bring together past and present players, coaches, officials, club representatives, partners and supporters for a night of celebration, storytelling and recognition of the proud legacy of the Big V.

Big V Gala Dinner Event Details

Date: Thursday evening, 10th July 2025
Location: CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park
Tickets: $195 per person (includes three-course dinner, beverages & entertainment)