William Buck Premier Men’s Round 15 Preview

The biggest round of the year so far is packed full of blockbusters not to be missed! Here’s your in-depth preview of a pivotal Saturday of high-stakes footy!

OLD BRIGHTON vs OLD XAVERIANS (Saturday 2pm – Brighton Beach Oval)

The biggest game of the season to date will see the second-ranked Tonners host the league-leading Xavs.

Both arrive at Fortress Brighton with a 12-2 record, separated only by less than 8 percentage points, so the winner will kick a game clear in the race for the minor premiership with just three rounds to play.

But more important than that, the victor will gain a significant psychological advantage over a rival they appear destined to meet again in the first week of September.

If Old Brighton win – it will be their fourth consecutive win over Xavs, including their comprehensive 61-point victory at Toorak Park in Round 6.

If Old Xaverians win – they will snap Old Brighton’s 16-game winning streak at home, which stretches back to Round 17, 2023.

What a game this promises to be, with so little between them as the numbers show:

Old Brighton		Old Xaverians
#1	Disposals	#2
#2	Disp. Eff.	#1
#1	Cont. Poss	#7
#2	Clearances	#3
#1	Centre Clears	#2
#2	Cont. Marks	#5
#6	Uncont. Mks	#1
#2	Marks I50	#1
#1	Inside 50s	#2
#2	Pressure Pts	#6
#2	Pts. For	#1
#1	Pts. Against	#2

It’s the #1 Defence against the #1 Attack, and the #2 Defence against the #2 Attack.

Old Brighton’s pressure game against Old Xavs’ possession chains.

Catch the Game of the Year so far – streaming LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday!

ST KEVIN’S vs UNIVERSITY BLACKS (Saturday 2pm – TH King Oval)

The other top-end clash of the afternoon will see the 3^rd placed St Kevin’s host 5^th placed Blacks in a game that could effectively punch another finals ticket for SKOB or throw the race for third & fourth spots wide open.

St Kevin’s endured a mid-season rough patch, dropping 3 games in a month to the Bloods, Blacks and Xavs, before stabilising their season with 4 straight wins that have consolidated them in third with a reasonable run home.

However, a loss here could see the Blacks and Bloods join them on 9 wins and set up a desperate sprint to the September finish line.

SKOB just got over the line against a plucky Collegians last week, in a performance that coach Anthony Lynch described as frustrating.

“But it was pleasing to learn some valuable lessons whilst getting the 4 points, rather than the alternative,” said Lynch.

“Our previous 3 weeks were really strong, so we will need to return to that form in the coming weeks if we want to challenge the better teams.”

And Blacks have certainly been one of the better teams over the past couple of months, winning 7 of their last 9 matches to rocket up into finals contention after starting the season 1-4.

The last meeting between these two teams (in Round 8) turned out to be one of the most incredible finishes imaginable, when Blacks came from 12 points down at the 31-minute mark of the final term to kick 3 goals in 3 minutes and pull off one of the greatest heists in VAFA history.

Dale Bower’s men followed up by defeating then league-leaders Old Brighton in a 3-point thriller the following week to frank their credentials as a team capable of stretching anyone in the comp.

They’ve won 3 of their last 4 over SKOB. Can they do it again and throw a huge curveball into the finals race?

UNIVERSITY BLUES vs OLD SCOTCH (Saturday 2pm – Melbourne Uni Oval)

The two most unpredictable teams in the comp meet at Melbourne Uni in a game that could deliver absolutely anything.

The Blues are coming off their best performance of the season – a stirring come-from-behind 12-point away win over Old Haileybury – that elevated them out of the drop zone, temporarily at least.

It was their first victory over a side other than the winless De La Salle since Round 2, and has provided a boost of confidence and belief that could propel the Blues to safety.

To get there, they will likely need to win at least one more game in a tricky run home that begins with the reigning champs this week, followed by in-form arch-rivals Uni Blacks and the Top 2, Xavs and Brighton.

So, this week’s four premiership points loom as critical. A bit of breathing room could change the entire complexion of how the Blues attack their final three weeks.

However, this W is just as vital for Old Scotch’s premiership defence, which is currently under threat.

The Cardinals sit two games plus percentage outside the Top 4, with just four matches remaining. There is no more margin for error, and not only will they need to win and keep winning, but they’ll also need other results to go their way.

Finals are certainly still possible, however. For example, should the Bloods and Blacks both lose this weekend, and Scotch win this game, they’d suddenly only be one game outside the Top 4 with three to play.

So, coach Mark Gnatt will just be focusing on themselves – and that begins with taking care of the dangerous Blues this week.

We described last week’s Old Haileybury-Uni Blues game as a ‘banana peel’ for the Bloods. Well, so is THIS one for the Cardinals. One slip and their dreams of back-to-back flags might be gone.

Enjoy the game LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday.

ST BERNARD’S vs COLLEGIANS (Saturday 2 pm – Snake Pit)

It’s a critical game in the race to avoid relegation as the Snowdogs host the Lions at the Snake Pit.

Collegians have been in the top flight since 2007, but their string of narrow losses (including last week’s 4-point heartbreaker to SKOB) has left them fighting for survival in 2025.

They’ve been highly competitive most weeks, but their inability to close out the tight ones (they are 0-4 with just a draw to show from 5 single-digit games) has left them half-a-game behind Uni Blues in the drop zone.

Given they have the Top 3 teams in the run home, their games against the Snowdogs and De La Salle (in the final round) loom as critical if they are to avoid the hangman’s noose.

The Dogs are one game ahead, but well behind on percentage – so a Lions win would see them leapfrog the Snowdogs out of the danger zone.

Steve Alessio’s men started the season so brightly, winning 4 of their first 6 before injuries started to bite. They’ve won just one game since – against the winless De La in a last-gasp Round 13 thriller.

Their last three losses (to the Top 3 teams) have all been blowouts, so it’s hard to get a read on how their form might stack up against Collegians this weekend.

And honestly, what’s happened in recent weeks doesn’t matter much now. It’s all about which of these teams can perform for longer over the next four quarters. Both can play quality footy, but who can make the most of their chances during their periods of dominance?

Their first clash was a Round 4 nailbiter at Harry Trott, with the lead swapping multiple times in a tense final quarter. The Dogs ultimately held on for a 7-point victory that day, and we might be in for another high-stakes thriller this time around!

Find out with our award-winning SEN Match of the Day coverage, LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au & the SEN app from 1.45pm Saturday.

And if you’re going to the game – TAKE YOUR HEADPHONES/EARBUDS & enjoy our commentary in REAL TIME with no delay as you’re watching the action via our VAFA SEN Stadium technology!

DE LA SALLE vs OLD HAILEYBURY (Saturday 2pm – Waverley Oval)

The final game of the round is a rematch of the 2024 Premier B Grand Final, in which the Bloods belted De La by 94 points as both teams progressed to the top-flight.

And for most of the year, that form line has stayed strong as Old Haileybury soared into the Top 4 while De La has struggled to secure its first win.

Looking solely at the current ladder, you could be excused for thinking this is a slam-dunk game for the Bloods.

But dig a little deeper, and you’ll soon see that all the pressure is on Old Haileybury, not De La.

The hosts are headed for relegation, so every game from here is a free swing. Play with freedom, try new things, and see what happens, with nothing to lose.

However, Old Haileybury are up to their eyeballs in a battle to hang onto fourth spot and play finals in what would be a magnificent achievement in their first season back in the top tier.

They were flying high at the halfway mark of the season, having won 6 straight to be entrenched in the Top 4. But since Round 9, they have dropped 4 of their last 5 matches, including an 86-point thumping from Old Xavs and a shock 2-goal loss to the 9^th placed Uni Blues over the past fortnight.

The Bloods are more than vulnerable. They are beatable, and De La will run out for this game determined to land a savage blow on the team that humbled them last September. Nothing would be sweeter than scoring their first win of the season at the expense of their Premier B rivals.

The biggest question mark over the hosts is injuries. They finished as the walking wounded last weekend, so how many of those players have recovered and who can step in to replace them if they haven’t?

Is the week Old Haileybury breathe some life and confidence back into their finals assault, or will De La pull off arguably the upset of the season?

If you like your footy passionate, then make sure you log onto Kommunity TV for our double-header coverage of the Reserves from 11.35am, into the Seniors coverage from 1.50pm!

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 15

SATURDAY AUGUST 9 – 2pm:

De La Salle               vs             Old Haileybury          KommunityTV double-header – 11.35am  

St Bernard’s             vs             Collegians                  VAFA.com.au & SEN app – 1.45pm

Old Brighton             vs             Old Xaverians            VAFA.com.au LIVE STREAM – 1.55pm

University Blues       vs             Old Scotch                 VAFA.com.au LIVE STREAM – 1.55pm

St Kevin’s                  vs             University Blacks                  

Watch matches on-demand on VAFATV

Amateur Footballer Record – Week 16