Premier B Men’s 2026 Season Preview

Premier B Men’s was arguably the most hotly-contested section in the entire VAFA last season, with 7 of the 10 teams still a live chance to play finals all the way through to the last afternoon of the home & away season.

So what does season 2026 have in store for us?

VAFA Media reporter Matthew Donald gives us his Season Preview:

AJAX – 2nd in Premier C (promoted to Premier B): 12-6 record, 147.25% – lost GF v Beaumaris by 21 points

Of all the great stories to come out of the VAFA last year, one could make the argument that AJAX’s promotion into Premier B is the best of all.

After finishing the campaign two games clear inside the top four, the Jackas went on a memorable run through September, holding off the fast-finishing St Bede’s Mentone in the First Semi-Final, before producing a clinic in the Preliminary Final, stunning all to account for Parkdale by 45 points.

Their dream run to the flag came to a halt at the final hurdle, falling just short of Beaumaris in the decider, but pushed the Sharks all the way ‘til the final siren, and secured passage in Premier B for the first time since 2018.

Now bracing for the prospect of sterner competition at the next level, coach Lachlan Buszard is armed with a host of exciting youngsters, highlighted by the fact that the average age of its Grand Final side was just 21 years old, and the overall squad is set to get even younger in 2026, with over 20 players graduating from their junior program.

But despite the talent and potential that Buszard’s charges possess, the aim is to circle back to old-fashioned hard work.

“For us, our focus has been working hard on fitness and running out games as we look to work our way up to B level,” Buszard said when asked.

“It’s been the focus for us all summer. Hopefully the games won’t go as long this year – we had 35, 36-minute quarters at times last year.”

As for what the key for AJAX will be in an on-field sense, Buszard believes that the Jackers established a strong blueprint last season and will aim to build on that heading into 2026.

“Last year, we were ranked No.1 in Prem C for clearances,” Buszard said, “So for us, it comes back to winning the ball and making sure our contest game is strong. It is a big gap (From Prem C to Prem B), but for us, the key is still winning the ball at the source.

AJAX will be a fascinating watch in 2026, given the combination of returning to Premier B for the first time in eight seasons and the influx of a host of youngsters.

But with an abundance of enthusiasm and a strong desire to hunt football, Buszard’s men will be aiming to consolidate their status in Premier B and stay up this season.

BEAUMARIS – 1st in Premier C (promoted to Premier B): 16-0-2, 216.28%, won GF v AJAX by 21 points

After a dominant 2025 campaign in Premier C, Beaumaris will also be facing an entirely new challenge in 2026, stepping up to the next division after taking out last year’s Premier C title in a campaign that saw them lose just twice for the whole year.

Having lost two of their first three games of the year, the Sharks proceeded to finish the year winnings its last 17 games in a row, including a comfortable 51-point win over Parkdale in the Second-Semi Final, before defeating AJAX in the decider.

Despite the stellar form that they produced last year, the Sharks, led by coach Josh Bourke, will face a new set of challenges in this campaign, namely the turnover rate, which has seen several star Sharks replaced by the next generation of young talent.

“This year we are going to have a really young group,” Bourke said. “The reality is we’ve lost a lot of talent. Cal Heath is one example. He has been the Premier player in B-Grade for us. To lose a player of his quality is hard to cover.”

Despite the reality, Bourke said that he has been buoyed by what he has seen throughout the course of the summer.

“That said, we’ve had a really good pre-season. There’s lots of new young talent coming, and there’s real optimism. The benefit of losing key players is that it creates opportunities for young players to fill. We’re rather optimistic about the year ahead.”

While the Sharks have introduced a wealth of young players to its ranks, they have also been able to add some seasoned VAFA talent to its list as well, including St Bedes/Mentone duo Keaunu Nadji and Max Hoult over the off-season.         

However, Bourke remains realistic about the challenges that face the Sharks in 2026.

“I think to talk about anything other than staying up and winning 6-7 games would be naive. We understand it’s a big transition and jump up (from Premier C to Premier B). Our focus is on being competitive first and foremost, and being competitive for long periods of time. It’s the reality of going up. The expectation is just to be really competitive, and whatever happens from there will happen.

“We’re not going in with the mindset that we’re not good enough to win games. But at the same time, we’re not naive to the task that faces us.”

When asked about where the focus will be when it comes to the Sharks improving this year, Bourke was clear that it all starts in the middle.

“I think when you go up a division, being contest-heavy is something that we really focus on, particularly as a young group. We like to think our offence and defence are in good shape. Being ready in the contest will be important for us.”

“But at the same time, we still want to be quick and aggressive. Anyone who watched us play that when we’re playing well, we move it quickly. We’ll continue to be aggressive.”

The challenges that the Sharks face with the absence of some top-end talent are evident as we approach the start of 2026, but given how strong they were last year, you would think the youthful and exuberant Sharks have the belief that they have what it takes to remain in Premier B in 2026 and keep themselves firmly entrenched in the division.

COLLEGIANS – 9th Premier Men’s (relegated to Premier B): 6-1-11 record, 95.62%

In the relegation scrap that played out in Premier Men’s last season, there was always one team alongside De La Salle that was going to be desperately unlucky to go down to Premier B. In 2025, it turned out to be Collegians, who were unable to stave off the drop despite victory on the final day of the season, falling just half a game short of safety.

It was a brutal result for Jordie McKenzie’s men, who went down despite collecting 6-and-a-half wins (including twice beating runners-up Old Scotch) with a percentage of over 95. Further adding to the heartbreak, they also lost five games by seven points or fewer.

Undeterred by the disappointment of dropping down a division last year, McKenzie is instead determined to use the year as an opportunity to reinforce the standards necessary to be a top side in the Premier Division.

“Our focus over the summer has really been about training standards,” McKenzie said.

“We’re striving to be a Prem A side, and we want to train at an A-Grade intensity. We’re disappointed to go down, but we’re excited by the new challenge.”

The club has made a few changes to its playing list over the summer, headlined by the departures of long-time stalwarts Sam Hibbins and Dylan Thomas. But their departures have been offset by the arrival of former AFL star Sam Frost, who will be a valuable commodity at both ends of the ground for the Lions. 

Despite the loss of some of the club’s longest-serving veterans, McKenzie is certain of what the Lions’ objectives are this season.

“That’s definitely the aim,” McKenzie said when asked if promotion was the ultimate goal in 2026.

“We’re under no illusion that it’s everyone’s aim – there are a lot of good sides in this division. It’s a significant challenge. We’ll have to bring our A-game, but we are striving to go all the way.”

As to how the Lions play their way back into the top flight, McKenzie has a clear focus on that, too.

“We’re at our best when we have speed on the ball and defending the ground well,” he explained.

“We’ve got an aim on wanting the game to be played in our forward half.”

DE LA SALLE – 10th Premier Men’s (relegated to Premier B): 0-0-18 record, 47.49%

Around 18 months ago, De La Salle played off in the Premier B Grand Final, courtesy of a famous one-point Preliminary Final victory.

Fast forward to 2026, and De La find themselves back in Premier B after a challenging campaign in Premier Men’s last year.

Despite the disappointment and frustration of last season, there was plenty of promise shown and some very encouraging team performances in the middle of the season – most notably against St Bernard’s where they fell just two points short of a memorable victory.

De La will have learnt a lot about what it takes to compete at the highest level of amateur football, something that should hold them in stead both this season and in the coming years.

Despite losing several of its better players from last year, including Rob Amendola, Jake Williams, Will McKinnon, and Trent Shannon, De La is still armed with an array of young talent, and coach Nick Hyland is looking forward to waving in the next generation as they look to the future.

“Growth and development are the focus for us. We’re looking for youngsters to stand up and take that next step,” Hyland said.

“We’re really excited about blooding the kids this year.”

Hyland is also intent on maintaining a positive approach in respect to what the club can achieve in 2026, as De La look to work their way back into Premier A.

“The expectation is to win as many games as possible,” he said.

“Playing exciting footy is the aim. We’re confident in the work we’ve put in, but until the season starts, it’s hard to be sure.”

OLD CAMBERWELL – 6th in Premier B, 10-0-8 record, 111.66%

With a staggering seven teams still vying for a finals berth heading into the final day of Premier B last season, there were always going to be some desperately unlucky sides in the race to September.

In 2025, that misfortune befell Old Camberwell, narrowly missing out on finals after losing to Williamstown CYMS on the final day of the home and away season.

Despite the heartbreaking finish, Old Camberwell has proved its ability to compete in this division, and coach Neil Connell has stressed that the focus on improvement this off-season has largely been player-driven.

“When we did our exit interviews after last season, every player said that they wanted to get fitter, so we’ve invested a fair amount into a conditioning program. So fitness has been our focus as a group,” Connell said.

One advantage that Connell and the Wellers have over other teams is that they have managed to retain most of their playing group from last year.

They will be looking to build on the team chemistry established in 2025, hoping that some of their younger players will be ready to shoulder extra responsibility around the ground this year as they seek to build on what is already entrenched in the lineup.

Established stars include the imperious duo of Liam Thomas and Harry Laukens, who combined for 93 goals last season to finish 1st and 4th in the league goalkicking charts, respectively, while James Allen had a stellar season in the midfield, eventually being named captain of the Premier B Team of the Year.

With that in mind, it’s hard to see the Wellers not at least putting themselves in the frame for finals again, with Connell determined to lead his charges into September, and he has already mapped out exactly what they need to improve on to get there.

“We’re just looking to establish ourselves as a really solid Premier B side. (We) fell at the last hurdle last year, so want to take that next step. We want to be in the mix right until the end of the season.”

“We want to win the contested ball… sometimes last year we leaked multiple easy goals. We’ve got to work on bringing back momentum our way when it goes the other way.“

OLD CAREY – 4th in Premier B, 11-0-7 record, 110.28%, lost to Caulfield Grammarians in SF by 40 points

In one of the most hotly-contested finals races around the VAFA competition last year, Old Carey were able to hold their nerve in a competition that swung on its head almost by the week, storming home to win the last five games of the home-and-away season.

They ultimately secured their spot by defeating Old Geelong in a virtual Elimination Final in the final round of the year.

It was a fitting reward for the Panthers, who secured several impressive victories throughout the season, including beating both Prem B Grand Finalists in Old Trinity and Caulfield Grammarians.

The dream run would come to an end in the first week of September, going down to eventual runners-up Caulfield by 50 points.

There’s no doubt that the Panthers games made for compulsive viewing last year, as high-scoring matches almost became a guarantee. But while the Panthers scored the second-most points of any team last year, only Fitzroy and Hampton Rovers conceded more points than them, and they were both relegated to Premier C.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that coach Luke Giles has placed a particular emphasis on wanting to improve the defensive side of the Panthers’ game this year.

“Our focus is mainly on just the way we want to defend,” Giles said, “We’ve had the same group for 3 years, so the systems are things we’re getting better at and improving rather than learning a new system. It’s the benefit of keeping the same group.

“It’s just a matter of polishing a few things. We want to be really positive. Most sides want to do the same thing, but it starts with our running pattern. We want the backline to be really selfless with their running pattern”

A few familiar faces have returned to supplement the Panthers’ list. Max Thompson and Zane Cochrane are both back from VFL duties, while Tom Jepson returns following a stint in Queensland.

The big name arrival is for Old Scotch ruckman and Old Carey graduate Sam Grant, who will be a big addition for the Panthers when he does play, as he is also tied with Port Melbourne’s VFL program in 2026.

After making finals last year, Giles is aiming to get at least that far again this time around.

“We want to play finals, we finished 4th last year. We think it’s realistic to play finals, but we know we can beat anyone or lose to anyone.”

OLD GEELONG – 7th in Premier B, 9-0-9 record, 99.58%

Another team that pushed its rivals all the way to the line last year, Old Geelong were right in the mix for finals last year, only to fall short after losing three of its last four matches.

Despite the disappointment of falling short of finals, the OGs proved themselves a formidable contender throughout 2025, picking up several impressive victories, most notably against both eventual Premiers Old Trinity and runners-up Caulfield Grammarians. 

Under the tutelage of coach Nick Dixon, the OGs have set themselves up nicely to be in finals contention again in 2026, but the club have had to navigate its fair share of challenges this summer.

“It’s been an off-season of change,” Dixon said. “Lots of ins and few experienced outs (but) it’s an exciting time with a lot of youth being brought into the club. A big focus has been put on connection and coming together as a group. It’ll take us some time to gel.”

Much of that youth will come in the form of players from Geelong College, who have graduated straight into the senior ranks.

Supplementing the influx of new talent is Matt Harvey, a midfielder who was based in Queensland last season, and Monty Velthuis, an experienced ruckman who has even managed to represent the Sydney Swans at VFL level.

It’s hoped the new arrivals will offset the departures of Jack Sheridan, Harry Kol, Reef Page and Hamish Pearson.

But despite the excitement of a strong campaign last season, Dixon isn’t putting a ceiling on what the group can achieve.

“We’re trying not to focus too much on expectations and not putting a lid on what we’re trying to do. The new boys might take a bit of time to become really established players, but we’re really bullish on what the boys can achieve. We’re really confident that we’ve got the talent to compete. 

“It’s a case of finding what works best for us. We really want to try and use Como as a home-ground advantage. It’s big and wide, so we want to be utilising our running ability, and a quicker ball movement style of play. 

OLD IVANHOE – 1st in Premier B, 14-0-4 record, 135.03%, lost PF to Caulfield Grammarians by 59 points

Given how strong their performances were over the course of 2025, Old Ivanhoe can consider themselves desperately unlucky not to have been promoted to Premier Men’s for the 2026 season.

Sitting on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season, the Hoers held a 14-4 record heading into September, only to suffer a straight-sets exit, losing to Old Trinity by 17 points in the semi-final, before being outplayed by Caulfield Grammarians in the Preliminary Final.

However, despite the disappointing end to the campaign, there is much optimism that the Hoers can bounce back and once again launch an assault on promotion to Premier Men’s in 2026.

Starting with a change of coach, Xavier Naish takes over following the successful tenure of the Gieschen’s, and the changes don’t end there, with a host of new arrivals from the underage program graduating into the senior setup, with the hopes that the injection of youth will bring about an added layer of enthusiasm among the group.

“The main focus has been identifying the squad that we have and the key areas of strength over the summer and building a game plan from that,” Naish said.

“The expectation is to learn and grow from each game and training session. It’s been exciting to see the kids take it in their stride and the changing period from what has been into what can be.”

Some of the young faces include Will Hanlon, Jasper Hopkins, James Shadbolt, Angus Watson, Brodie Mierisch and Isaac Dugdale – all who were involved in the Hoers U19 Division 2 Premiership success last year.

With an influx of youngsters who already know how to win, Naish is hoping to build on what was achieved last year and continue to enhance Old Ivanhoe’s reputation as a side that is tough to beat.

“The goal is to strive for success,” Naish said. “We’re all competitors at the end of the day. We hope that we’ve installed a competitive environment that aims to get the best out of everyone.

“We’re young. We’re quick. We’re high energy. We play that way, we train that way. When we’re on top, we hope no one can keep up with us. We’re hard at the ball, we’re aggressive, we’re smiling. That’s what we hope to do. 

“We’re ready to play.”

OLD MELBURNIANS – 8th in Premier B, 7-0-11 record, 102.33%

While most teams were heavily involved in some of the finals race last year, Old Melburnians were one of the few Premier B teams that didn’t really have much to play for come the end of the 2025 season.

The OM’s ultimately finished 8th, although their status as a Premier B side was never really under threat, having ultimately finished four games clear of the drop zone. They were also a lot more competitive than what their 7-11 might suggest, having lost a total of five games by nine points or less.

With a clean slate and a fresh opportunity in 2026, coach James Byrne isn’t taking any chances, working to ensure that his chargers are as prepared as possible to climb their way up the ladder.

“In terms of capacity and workload, we have done a lot. We started in early November, so it’s been a long pre-season. We’ve had some good hitouts against A-Grade sides, but the biggest thing has been availability. We picked up a few niggling injuries over the break (and a) few surgeries in the new year, but most have come back.”

In addition to the amount of work that the OMs have engaged in over the summer, Byrne has also had a clear focus on exactly where his team needs to improve in the months ahead.

“Old Melburnians have always been an aggressive attacking side. We don’t want to take away from that, but we have built a bit of a system around defence. Teams I’ve coached, I’ve always had a philosophy on how we move the ball and how we set up behind the ball. So that’s been a big learning from the group because they haven’t had that before.

“They’ve really attacked it and enjoyed it. You can see there’s a lot of energy around the group because they’re learning a new system.

“What we aim to play will be an exciting brand footy. We want to be good and strong in the contest and a damaging side when we got it. We’ve got a real aim to look different to past OM sides.”

As for what the aspirations are for 2026, Byrne is focused on competing at the very top end of the ladder.

“You play footy to achieve things. We want the group to be strong in beliefs. We’re not going to make up numbers. We’re focused on working hard and getting the most out of our season.”

WILLIAMSTOWN CYMS – 5th in Premier B, 10-0-8, 120.22%

In such an even competition last year, Williamstown CYMS could mount a strong case that they were the unluckiest of the teams to miss out on finals in Premier B.

In 2025, the CY’s finished the year with the fourth-best attack in the league, and their defence was the third-best across the board. 

However, the team ultimately finished 5th with a 10-8 record, missing out on the top four by just one game, with a four-game losing streak in the second half of the season proving particularly costly. Of their eight defeats, four were lost by nine points or fewer.

However, despite the finish to the season, coach Con Terzoglou is focused on driving the CY’s into the top and guiding them towards September action.

“Finals is the aim,” Terzoglou said.

“Want to get better. We finished 5th, so getting better would be finishing 4th. We want to play finals. It’s a natural progression for us.”

“There was a strong focus on how last year ended.”

A large part of that desire to get better has been invested in the tactical part of the game, which has been the key focus over the summer for the CY’s.

“Our focus has been more football-based. Set plays like kicks-ins and stoppages. It’s been more about specifics rather than a general approach.

Terzoglou hopes that the added attention to detail will prove valuable for the CY’s this time around – a side who had developed a reputation for being a defensively sound outfit in 2025, but one that is looking to add more flow to its game this year.

“Statistically, we were the No.1 tackle team in the competition. From a pressure perspective, it’s a badge of honour that we’ve been a good contested team,” Terzoglou said.

“But now there’s been a good focus on moving the ball as a Prem B team does. We’ve been trying to add that run to our game.

I think we’ve got a good mix as an inside and outside team, we want to be a really fierce, running, contested side.”

With 10 high-quality teams once again taking to the start line in 2026, Premier B Men’s promises to be every bit as exciting and unpredictable as the competition that captivated us all last season.

Best of luck to all teams as they begin their journey to the top of the mountain this weekend.