William Buck Premier Men’s Round 17 Preview

It’s the penultimate round of Premier Men’s footy for 2025, with both the Finals & Relegation races still well and truly alive! Here’s your preview of Round 17:-

UNIVERSITY BLACKS vs OLD SCOTCH (Saturday 2pm – Melbourne University Oval)

It’s a sudden-death showdown at Melbourne Uni as two teams on the outside looking in fight to keep their September dream alive.

The Blacks sit a game plus 16% behind the 4^th placed Old Haileybury, so they’ll need to win both and hope the Bloods drop their last two to St Bernard’s and Old Scotch.

The Cardinals are a game further back (so two behind the Bloods, plus 8%), but given they play Old Haileybury in the final round, if they can win here and see the Bloods lose to the Snowdogs, they will arrive at Round 18 within striking distance of stealing fourth spot at the death.

It’s been a stop-start season for both the Blacks and Cardinals – hence they sit in mid-ladder limbo, safe from relegation but outside the Top 4.

Demotion looked like a possibility for Blacks after they lost 4 of their first 5 games, but their upswing was one of the stories of the season as they peeled off 5 straight wins between Rounds 6 & 10 to emerge as a finals contender.

However, the rollercoaster ride wasn’t over, and they dipped again, losing 4 of their last 6 to be fighting for survival.

Old Scotch’s premiership defence has never really found stride, with unavailability due to injury and VFL commitments resulting in constant shuffling of Mark Gnatt’s magnets. Hence, the Cards have also ridden the rollercoaster, with two 4-game losing streaks broken by 3 sets of back-to-back wins.

With the VFL home & away season wrapping up last weekend, they might be boosted by some very useful returns. Is it too late, or can the Cards finish strongly and have other results go their way to sneak into September?

One thing is for certain – no contender would relish the idea of facing the reigning champs at full strength in a must-win final.

But first, they need to get there, and for that to happen, the BLOODS MUST FALL this weekend. Then:

IF THE BLACKS WIN – the Cardinals’ flag defence is officially over & the Blacks join the Bloods on 9 wins with one game to play.

IF THE CARDINALS WIN – they join the Blacks one game (and percentage) behind the Bloods & it’s all to play for in the final round.

Catch one of the most important matches of the season, live streaming on VAFA.com.au from 1.45pm Saturday!

THE RUN HOME:

Uni Blacks:                          Old Scotch (H)                                   Old Xaverians (A)

Old Scotch:                        Uni Blacks (A)                                    Old Haileybury (A)

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

Plenty of eyes will be on this live stream from the Snake Pit, given it has massive connotations for both the Finals AND Relegation races. This is THE pivotal game of the weekend on multiple fronts.

St Bernard’s has lost 6 of their last 7 games, leaving them stranded in the bottom 2 on percentage behind Collegians with a fortnight to play. They haven’t beaten any team other than the winless De La Salle since Round 4, but that needs to change this weekend, or the Snowdogs may find themselves heading back to Premier B next season.

And while Old Haileybury sit fourth on the ladder, their recent form hasn’t been much better. The Bloods have dropped 5 of their last 7 matches, putting them in grave danger of being overhauled by the Blacks or Cardinals if they can’t steady themselves and snatch the 4 points this weekend.

Victory at the Snake Pit would all but carry them into September, given they’d be at least a game plus considerable percentage clear with one to play.

We saw what Old Scotch managed to achieve when they snuck into the finals in 2024… You just have to get there, take the week’s break to freshen up, and then anything is possible.

But lose this weekend, and the Bloods might find themselves drawn into a tense final-round virtual Elimination Final with the Cardinals.

It’s the 2023 Premier B champs hosting the 2024 Premier B champs as the Bloods climb down into the Snake Pit for the first time since 2018.

Both have massive stakes to play for and the winner will take a giant leap in the right direction.

The big question is – will it be the Bloods taking a giant leap towards September, or the Snowdogs leaping up out of the drop zone?

Don’t miss what promises to be a desperate affair, streaming LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm!

THE RUN HOME:

St Bernard’s:                     Old Haileybury (H)                         St Kevin’s (H)

Old Haileybury:               St Bernard’s (A)                                Old Scotch (H)

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

Snowdog fans will also have one eye on our Kommunity TV live-stream as Collegians try to scramble to safety at Brighton Beach.

There has been no tougher away game in Premier Men’s footy over the past two seasons, and no one has managed to conquer Fortress Brighton – the Tonners on an incredible 17-game winning streak that stretches back to Round 17, 2023.

But Collegians are a lot more dangerous than their 8^th position on the ladder suggests. Just ask Old Xavs, who scraped home over the Lions by 2 points (and maybe 10-15 seconds) last weekend.

Narrow losses have plagued Jordie McKenzie’s team – they have 5 defeats and a draw to show from 6 single-digit thrillers this season. But while immensely frustrating, it also shows that the 2023 premiers are more than capable of hanging with any team in the competition. And maybe they’re overdue to win a tight one?

Last time around, the Tonners put the game to bed early, slamming on 7 goals to 1 in the opening quarter. But it was 7 goals to 6 from quarter-time onwards, and the Lions are playing better football now than they were then.

On the other hand, this Brighton team has proved itself as a model of consistent excellence over the past two seasons, winning 31 of 36 games. You must beat the Tonners – they don’t beat themselves. Win here, and they will have one hand on their second consecutive minor premiership.

But Collegians will be desperate and carrying no expectations.

They’ve been in Premier Men’s since 2007, and an upset victory here would be the perfect way to all but secure their safety for 2026. A loss, however, could see them slide into the bottom 2 entering the final round.

Expect to see a ferociously aggressive Lions outfit. An honourable loss will do them little good. It will be a ‘swing for the fences’ type of afternoon as they grit their teeth and attempt to storm the Fortress!

Enjoy what promises to be a great battle as Part 2 of our Kommunity TV double-header. It’s our live-stream coverage of the Reserves into the Seniors from 11.35am on KTV!

THE RUN HOME:

Old Brighton:                     Collegians (H)                                    Uni Blues (A)

Collegians:                          Old Brighton (A)                                De La Salle (H)

OLD XAVERIANS vs UNIVERSITY BLUES (Saturday 2 pm – Toorak Park)

Despite currently sitting in 7^th position, two games plus 10% behind the Bloods in fourth, there’s a strong argument to be made that the Uni Blues are actually the fourth-best team in the comp right now, given they have knocked off the three teams immediately above them in the past three weeks (the Bloods, Cards & Blacks).

They’ve lost just twice since Round 8 – to the first & third-ranked teams – and have proven themselves capable of stretching anyone, anytime, anywhere.

In fact, all that has prevented another September campaign is their frustrating record in close finishes, which has included 2 draws, a 1-point loss (after the siren) and a 2-point loss (after leading Old Xavs all day until the 31-minute mark of the final term).  

As it currently stands, they remain a chance to sneak into the finals – but this would take several things to fall into place:-

• Defeat the Top 2 teams in the final 2 rounds
• Old Haileybury lose both games (ideally heavily)
• Uni Blacks lose at least one
• Old Scotch lose at least one (or if they win both, they drop a couple of percent relative to the Blues)

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance??”

It’s not quite one in a million, but all Matt Smith’s men can focus on is their own performance and block out the rest.

Even if those other variables don’t fall their way, it would be a sensational finish to the season (and a huge statement of intent & useful recruiting tool for 2026) if they could topple the Top 2 and end their campaign as THE form team of Premier Men’s.

Old Xavs held that moniker for most of the season, but a recent run of injuries to key players has brought them back to the pack. Sam Fisher’s done for the year, Josh Kennedy re-injured his hamstring, Tex Wanganeen injured his ankle, plus no Marcus Stavrou to go with a sore Alec Spralja is testing their depth, which remains exceptional.

They have run up the scoreboard on teams for much of the season, with their powerful midfield feeding their deadly forward line, which VFL returns will further strengthen.

But in the past fortnight, they were overpowered and neutralised by the Tonners, then held to 9 goals to survive by the skin of their teeth against Collegians.

They certainly won’t be underestimating Uni Blues, but a strong win here and over Blacks next week would be the ideal launching pad for a September campaign.

However, a couple of losses on the back of the fortnight they’ve just had would be the opposite.

Two teams keen to make a statement at the expense of the other – it should be an absolute cracker, and you can enjoy it streaming LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday!

THE RUN HOME:

Old Xaverians:                 Uni Blues (H)                                       Uni Blacks (H)

Uni Blues:                            Old Xavs (A)                                         Old Brighton (H)

ST KEVIN’S vs DE LA SALLE (Saturday 2pm – TH King Oval)

The final game of the round is the only one that CAN’T impact the finals or relegation races as SKOB hosts De La at TH King.

St Kevin’s is effectively locked into a third-placed finish, while De La Salle will finish on the bottom.

So, this match-up is all about things OTHER than ladder position.

For St Kevin’s, who have been successfully battling a lengthy injury list, it’s about tuning up for September.

They have been quietly going about their business, one out & one back in third spot behind the pace-setting Tonners & Xavs. But take a closer look and they arrive at Round 17 on a 6-game winning streak that includes the scalps of Old Brighton, Old Haileybury, Uni Blacks and Uni Blues – fine form, indeed.

No team has timed its run to September better than SKOB in the past decade. Seven straight finals series and 5 of the past 6 Grand Finals are a testament to that.

First and foremost, Anthony Lynch will be looking for finals-like intensity that pressures De La into error and allows SKOB to take control of the game. But he will also realise that, while winless, De La inevitably have patches of the game where they are in the driver’s seat.

This has been Nick Hyland’s greatest frustration all season. Week after week, his team have shown themselves capable of hanging with the opposition, but unable to capitalise on the scoreboard. Then, when the game turns against them, they’ve been scored upon relatively quickly.

They’ve worked overtime all season. Can they get some overdue reward and pull off one of the upsets of the year?

THE RUN HOME:

De La Salle:                        St Kevin’s (A)                                      Collegians (A)

St Kevin’s:                           De La Salle (H)                                   St Bernard’s (A)

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 17

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 – 2pm:

Old Xaverians             vs             University Blues                   VAFA.com.au & SEN app – 1.45pm

Old Brighton               vs             Collegians                              Kommunity TV double-header – 11.35am

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

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

St Kevin’s                    vs             De La Salle

Watch matches on-demand on VAFATV

Amateur Footballer Record – Week 18