William Buck Premier Men’s – SHOWCASE ROUND Preview: EVERY GAME LIVE & FREE!

Round 3 is SHOWCASE ROUND for William Buck Premier Men’s, with all five matches streamed LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au!

We’ll even have a MEGAWALL set up so you can kick back and flick between all 5 games at your leisure, with clubs able to screen them all at once in the clubrooms!

Let’s dive into what we have to look forward to:

OLD SCOTCH vs OLD XAVERIANS (Saturday 2pm – Camberwell: VAFA TV & Kommunity TV)

This one has been circled on the calendar since the fixture was announced.

Their last meeting was one of the great VAFA finals of the modern era – the 2025 Preliminary Final.

It was a truly incredible game of football – tied at quarter-time, and with 1-point margins at three-quarter time and the final siren, after Angus Jones snapped his fifth goal with the last kick of the game to send the Cards into another Grand Final, after they had trailed by 11 points at the 28-minute mark of the last term.

Virtually nothing separated the teams that day – just 2 disposals (326-324), 2 intercept possessions (83-85), 2 hard gets, 2 turnovers and contested possessions finished on 150 apiece.

But both teams have had a slightly clunky start to 2026, so the four points on offer here take on even greater significance.

Old Scotch managed to overcome a gritty and persistent Caulfield in the opening round, before the grit and persistence of St Bernard’s got the Snowdogs over the line against the Cards last week.

Old Xaverians were superb against SKOB in the opening round, before being humbled at Toorak Park by Old Trinity last weekend.

So, both enter this showdown 1-1, with the winner to stay in touch with the leading pack and the loser to slip a game further off the pace.

Xavs have been at their usual ball-winning best in the first two weeks (av.352 disposals to Scotch’s 259). They’ll be hoping to generate an advantage around the stoppages, and no-one has laid more tackles in the opening fortnight than Xavs. They’ll need that sort of pressure to prevent the Cards getting their famed uncontested possession game going.

Both teams are stacked with A-grade ball magnets, and that midfield battle is going to be an absolute beauty!

Old Scotch have Alex Noblet (av.34 disposals) and Henry Brown (32) leading their engine room, and they’ll go head-to-head with Xavs’ duo Campbell Lane (av.35) and Will Goss (33).

Up front, Charlie Macisaac is the main man for Xavs (6 goals in 2026) and will attract plenty of attention as always. The Cardinals have scored a little more by committee, with Ben Fergusson booting 4 goals and Will Clark 3 so far this season.

Old Xavs won 3 of their last 4 against the Cardinals, including two thumping home & away wins in 2025 (by 81 points in Round 4, then 45 points in Round 14) before falling a point short on Preliminary Final Day.

Are we in for another classic? We can only hope so!

Watch this blockbuster LIVE on Kommunity TV or VAFA TV from 1.45pm Saturday!

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UNIVERSITY BLACKS vs OLD TRINITY (Sat 2pm – Melb Uni: VAFA TV & SEN app)

The biggest story of Round 2 may well have been Old Trinity’s scintillating victory over Old Xavs at Toorak Park.

Arguably the second toughest away game in the comp at present, the T’s launched out of the blocks and controlled Xavs all afternoon to post a superb win full of high-octane football, with plenty of grit to withstand the inevitable challenges from the Red & Black.

Irrespective of what transpires in the coming weeks, it was a performance that immediately reframed how we will view the T’s this season, given we now know that last year’s Premier B champions are capable of rolling into the stronghold of one of the league’s power clubs to dominate them and walk out with the 4 points.

They played super efficient football – 11 less Disposals for 31 more Inside 50s! They held Xavs to just 37 Inside 50s for the day, largely due to the home team’s 63 Midfield Turnovers – many of those due to the pressure being applied by the T’s – and won the Clearance count 55-39.

As pleased as Donald McDonald was, he has also been around long enough to know that a performance like that needs to be backed up the following week. His T’s will need to show the same spark, chemistry and resilience on the road for a third straight week if they are to string back-to-back wins together and begin establishing themselves in the top half of the table.

Uni Blacks may be 0-2 for a fourth straight season, but don’t be mistaken into thinking they’re playing poorly, because upon closer inspection, they aren’t travelling as badly as the win-loss record suggests – they just haven’t finished their work.

They had the better of Old Haileybury for three quarters in Round 1 at Princes Park and were leading Uni Blues by a couple of goals entering time-on in the third term last week until Sam Grimley turned the game with a 4-goal burst off his own boot.

However, coach Dale Bower knows better than anyone that ‘honourable losses’ are of little use when the whips are cracking in the back end of the year. Points in the bank are what matter, and Blacks do not want to be chasing their season once again.

They staggered out of the blocks, losing 4 of their first 5 last year, then lit the comp up with a brilliant streak that saw them win 7 of their next 9 before running out of gas and troops on the run home.

He knows his team is good enough to be squarely in the finals mix, but they just have to start closing the deal and banking points sooner rather than later to avoid the mental and physical fatigue of chasing a season.

That needs to start this week against Old Trinity.

The Blacks are winning plenty of the footy (#2 Disposals) and lead the comp in Contested Possessions and Clearances, led by dominant ruck Sam Conway, who leads the competition for Hit-Outs and Clearances. Talented duo Harry Broderick and Patrick Smith are both averaging 30 touches a game.

But that inside dominance needs to translate into more Inside 50s and goals – the Blacks ranked #9 in Attack for the first fortnight. Zaine Cordy and Harry Broderick lead their goalkicking with 3 apiece. Can they generate more avenues to goal to capitalise on their ball-winning ability around the ground?

It’s a huge game for both teams, but for very different reasons.

Can the Blacks get into a winning position and close the deal to get on the board, or will the T’s prove that last week was no fluke and claim another away scalp of a potential finals contender?

WATCH LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au or LISTEN via the SEN app from 1.45pm Saturday!

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OLD HAILEYBURY vs OLD BRIGHTON (Saturday 2pm – Princes Park & VAFA TV)

The ‘Baby Bloods’ (as coach Guy Martyn has dubbed them) might also be known as the ‘Cardiac Kids,’ given their two tight finishes to begin season 2026.

The first fell their way when they stormed home from 26 points down at three-quarter time to roll the Blacks, but then the roles were reversed in Round 2, as they coughed up a late lead with some loose checking against the Fields that ultimately cost them a 4-point thriller.

They’ve shown enough to suggest that their impressive return to William Buck Premier Men’s last season was not a one-off, and that, at their best, will be good enough to stretch any team in the league.

Their challenge – as is the case for most teams in this very tight competition – will be consistency, and Martyn realises this is tied to doing the fundamentals well. He made a pointed statement about that post-game last week:

“We were really poor at some fundamental basics – spoiling from behind, defensive accountability, talk/ communication… The two goals Caulfield kicked in the last quarter are really hard to watch and simply not acceptable at this level,” said Guy.

“This week, we’ll acknowledge the non-negotiable football stuff we were really poor in. These are mindset, not talent or ability. Two games in with a new group means we can continue to refine our style – we learnt a lot, and we’re looking forward to challenging the best team in the comp this coming week.”

And that IS the challenge the Bloods now face – Old Brighton on a 10-game winning streak that saw them collect their first top-flight flag last September, and then comfortably account for St Bernard’s and St Kevin’s in the first two rounds of 2026.

But Old Haileybury will remember that they all but defeated the Tonners at Princes Park last season, leading at half-time after a burst of 5 unanswered goals, and were still in front entering time-on in the final term before a couple of behinds saw Old Brighton scrape home by a single point.

Tonners coach Marcel Bruin commended the Bloods as “probably the most dynamic team in the competition… forward momentum, chain handballing, offensive game working so well for them. It is a really difficult method to limit.”

And that’s what we saw when they blitzed the Blacks late in Round 1. If Old Haileybury can find that groove again this weekend, they can certainly trouble the league-leaders.

They boast the league’s leading kick-getter and rebounder (Jasper Russell) who can launch attacks from the back half, but they are going to have to tidy their disposal (#9 for Disposal Efficiency) to avoid handing the Tonners opportunities that they tend to cash in better than anyone. In fact, these are the top 2 intercepting teams in the comp so far this year.

The Bloods lead the competition for Inside 50s, so generating forays isn’t the issue – converting them is, and they rank last for Goal Accuracy in the opening fortnight. If they are to break the Brighton streak, they are going to need to take their chances.

Old Brighton wants for little. Ranked #1 for Disposals and Top 3 for numerous other key categories, they boast strength and balance on every line. They win the hard ball (#1 for Ground Balls) and control possession well (#1 Intercept Marks & #2 Uncontested Marks), with a spread of dangerous avenues to goal that are difficult to completely close down.

Luca Macnab leads the competition for Disposals through the first 2 rounds (av.38) and his tireless 2-way work sums up what the Tonners are all about, while skipper Harry Hill just keeps on keeping on, racking up touches week after week.

So, Old Haileybury will have their work cut out for them, but we know their best is good enough to challenge the reigning champs for a full four quarters. Can Guy Martyn’s ‘Baby Bloods’ make an early statement here?

Find out LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday!  

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CAULFIELD GRAMMARIANS vs UNIVERSITY BLUES (Sat 2pm – Glen Huntly Park & VAFA TV)

Just like Old Trinity, the Fields made a statement last weekend – “we’re not just here to make up the numbers.”

In fact, that’s a message that should have been received loud and clear by all other teams in the competition across the first fortnight, given Caulfield refused to yield and just fell short against the Cards in Round 1, then refused to yield and found a way to win a thriller over the Bloods in Round 2.

Coach Paul Satterley has instilled what he calls a ‘fight ‘til the final siren’ mentality into his team, and it’s serving them well. The Fields aren’t going to roll over – to beat them, you’re going to have to put them away, and that’s easier said than done.

It’s the perfect mindset for a team rising back up to the top flight, because they know that not everything is going to go their way across the course of four quarters, but the ability to forget quickly and go again keeps you in the fight, and, as the Fields found out last weekend, can see you pinch unlikely wins at the death.

Uni Blues coach Matt Smith will be well aware of Caulfield’s resilience, but also knows that his forward line is as capable of putting an opposition team to the sword as quickly as any in the comp. With the two-headed monster of Sam Grimley and James Stewart roaming that forward line, the Blues have two genuine match-winners who can turn a game in a heartbeat.

Stewart booted 6 goals in 13 minutes to shred Collegians last season, and last week, Grimley cracked open an arm wrestle with 3 in 4 minutes late in the third term (plus another to start the final quarter). There’s never been a question about the Blues’ potency when those two are in the line-up.

The question has been quality of supply, and so far this season, they are getting what they need. Grimley leads the comp with 11 goals in 2 weeks, 3 goals clear of Stewart, who sits second with 8. They are also the Top 2 players for Marks Inside 50 – so the Number #1 challenge for Caulfield this week must be restricting their supply.

This needs to happen up the field. The Blues are as dangerous as anyone at launching from the back half, with the likes of Cam O’Shea and Geordie LaCava joined this season by Brett Ebert.

Marty Gleeson has been released into the midfield with great effect, averaging 23 touches, 10 contested possessions, 7 clearances and 6 tackles in the opening fortnight. His penetrating ball use is being harnessed forward of centre to help feed Grimley, Stewart and Co. Inside 50.

Neither of these teams have relied on contest in the first two weeks – both have been able to score from turnover. Caulfield have tackled hard (#1 Tackles) and racked up Intercept possessions (#3), reinforcing their ‘fight on’ mentality.

Can one of them seize the initiative from the inside out this week, or will it once again become a game built around who can disrupt the other’s possession chains?

The Blues hold the firepower advantage, although Oscar Roberts proved himself a more than useful swingman when sent forward to boot 4 goals last week, while opportunist Dylan Ting turned out to be Caulfield’s match-winner with 3 late majors.

Can the ‘Electric Blues’ remain undefeated and start building a position of strength at the top end of the table, or will the ‘Fighting Fields’ harass and hassle their way to another impressive win?

Catch the big game LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday!

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ST KEVIN’S vs ST BERNARD’S (Saturday 2 pm – TH King Oval & VAFA TV)

The final game of the round got a whole lot more intriguing after St Bernard’s gritty win over the Cardinals last weekend.

The Snowdogs overcame a 2-goal deficit entering time-on in the final term to score a superb bounce-back victory against last year’s runners-up after being overwhelmed by the reigning premiers in the opening round.

The next challenge for Steve Alessio’s emerging group is to take that form on the road and start winning away from the Snake Pit as well. The Dogs have lost their last 6 away games, stretching back to Round 6 last year, compared to winning 4 of their last 5 at home.

Alessio knows that consistency is his team’s next step, and this weekend would be an ideal time to stand up and deliver a fighting four-quarter performance at a venue they haven’t conquered in the modern era.

They will need to deliver more scoring power to give their defence more to work with at the other end, given the Dogs have only booted 15 goals in the first two weeks to be ranked Last in Attack.

Spearhead Matthew Watson could hold the key. Always a threatening presence, he put the team on his back in the final quarter last week. He and speedster Karan Bharathi were magnificent in landing the winning set-shot blows down the stretch, and both will be called upon to provide their X-factor once again.

The Snowdogs have had their share of footy around the ground (#3 Disposals vs SKOB #9), so the hosts will be keen to flex their muscle around stoppage and control the game from the source (SKOB #4 Clearances vs STB #9). Ruck Billy Coates is always a key factor for SKOB, so the Dogs will need to be mindful of trying to minimise his influence – not an easy thing to do!

Luke Said leads the way in contested footy for the Snowdogs, and he will combine with Ethan Schumann around the stoppages once again, while Cam Hodges, Xavier Duke and Zane Greenham will take up that challenge on the inside for SKOB.

With the departure of Patty Kerr, Sam Tucker leads the St Kevin’s goalkicking with 6 in the opening fortnight. But he needs more support, and a couple of late goals from Jacob Koschitzke last week are hopefully a sign of things to come for SKOB.  

St Kevin’s has been renowned for its consistent excellence year after year – 7 straight finals series attest to that – and hasn’t started a season 0-3 since 2016. So, you know that Anthony Lynch’s men will be hellbent on securing the 4 points to kick start their campaign before their rivals disappear over the horizon.

It feels like we are going to learn quite a bit about both these sides, for different reasons. It should be a fascinating afternoon at TH King!

Enjoy it LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday!

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WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 3

SHOWCASE ROUND – EVERY Premier Men’s match STREAMED LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au:

University Blacks             vs             Old Trinity                VAFA.com.au & SEN app – 1.45pm

Old Scotch                        vs             Old Xaverians          VAFA.com.au & Kommunity TV – 1.55pm

Caulfield Grammarians    vs             University Blues      VAFA.com.au – 1.55pm

Old Haileybury                   vs             Old Brighton           VAFA.com.au – 1.55pm

St Kevin’s                            vs             St Bernard’s            VAFA.com.au – 1.55pm