William Buck Premier Men’s – Round 4 Preview

Three rounds in, and the Premier Men’s landscape is beginning to take shape.

But now is the time for clubs to start banking wins to get themselves into a decent position before the ladder begins to stretch out in the coming weeks.

Round 4 presents some mouth-watering match-ups that will influence the path forward. Here’s a closer look:

OLD HAILEYBURY vs OLD SCOTCH (Saturday 2pm – Princes Park: VAFA TV & SEN app)

These two teams last met in a ‘virtual Elimination Final’ in the last home & away round of 2025, with the Cardinals advancing to the finals, while the Bloods lamented a lost opportunity.

Both arrive at Round 4 needing a win to solidify their start to 2026.

The Bloods have played some scintillating football, but as yet, not for four quarters. They rocketed home to roll the Blacks in Round 1, then fell short in a tight tussle against the Fields, before exploding out of the blocks last week to have the Tonners on the ropes early against Old Brighton, only to be overpowered after quarter-time.

Coach Guy Martyn summed up that performance by saying, “The first half was pleasing. We showed what we’re capable of doing when we play our best footy. But as the game went on against an experienced outfit, we just couldn’t sustain our intensity.

“We just need to keep building and developing with this young group. Over the first three rounds, we’ve shown great signs in all facets of the game, but just not all at once or over the entirety of the game.”

To do this, Old Haileybury needs to control more footy. Currently ranked Last for Disposals, the problem isn’t so much WINNING more ball – they’re mid-table for Clearances (equal fifth alongside Old Scotch), and #2 for Intercept Possessions and Hard Gets.

It’s RETAINING it more that is the pressing need – they are LAST for Disposal Efficiency (#8 Kicks & #10 Handballs), which flows into them being ranked #8 for Loose Gets & Uncontested Marks. They keep turning the footy over instead of stringing together meaningful possession chains that both lead to scores and deny the opposition chances to hit them on the counter.

Uncontested chains have been Old Scotch’s strong suit in recent seasons, making it even more imperative that the Bloods hit their targets and don’t gift the Cardinals turnover opportunities to kick their uncontested game into gear.

The Cards haven’t been their usual sharp self in this area either (#8 Disposal Efficiency), and Guy Martyn certainly doesn’t want to risk playing them back into form!

Last year’s runners-up are yet to really hit their straps. Ranked last in Contested Possessions, Hard Gets, and Total Groundballs, which is exacerbated by also being last for Disposal Efficiency coming out of Clearances they win. So they’re going to need to roll their sleeves up to win more inside ball and then be a little tidier in traffic against the Bloods.

Ranked #6 in Attack and #8 in Defence, coach Mark Gnatt will be keen to see a little more solidity behind the ball after Xavs booted 18 goals against them last week – the most the Cards have conceded since Xavs booted 19 against them in Round 4 last year.

Their renowned Intercept game – led by ever-reliable skipper Charlie Cormack – holds them in good stead, but if the Bloods can click into that irresistible surge footy they displayed early against Brighton last week, Charlie and his mates will be trying to hold back the tide. Their Pressure Game is currently ranked #2, so if anyone can do that, it might just be the Cards!

Both teams enter this critical clash at 1-2. The winner will keep in touch with the leading pack, while the loser will potentially slip 2 games off Top 4 pace.

It’s a HUGE game, and you can watch it LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au & LISTEN to our award-winning VAFA SEN Match of the Day radio coverage on VAFA.com.au & the SEN app from 1.45pm Saturday!

---

UNIVERSITY BLUES vs ST KEVIN’S (Sat 2pm – Melb Uni: VAFA TV)

Uni Blues have emerged as the first potential challenger to Old Brighton’s throne after an impressive start to the season, with three weeks of high-powered football that has proven too tough for their opponents to handle for four quarters.

Their ‘Twin Towers’ of Sam Grimley and James Stewart lead the competition with 16 and 12 goals respectively, and this week, it’s Anthony Lynch’s turn to endure restless nights trying to come up with ways to keep them in check for an entire afternoon – because we know that if either of them gets off the chain for just 5 or 10 minutes, a close game can quickly become less so.

Grimley, in particular, is developing an appetite for taking games by the scruff of the neck. A fortnight ago, he kicked 3 goals in 4 minutes late in the third term, then scored the opening goal in the last quarter to break the Uni Derby open. Last week, he and Stewart combined for 5 third-quarter goals that saw the Blues crack Caulfield.

However, the Blues’ early 3-0 form is more about the effort higher up the ground. Yes, they are fortunate to have two weapons to finish it off, but without supply, Grimley & Stewart are just two big blokes standing in the forward 50 getting cold.

The Blues are ranked #2 behind the Tonners not only in Attack but also in Defence, conceding just 63 points a game through the first 3 rounds.

Youngster Tom Hill has been an early revelation down back, collecting 33 touches last week to be the VAFA’s Rising Star Nominee. Cam O’Shea and Geordie La Cava have also been impactful – La Cava named in Daniel Harford’s preliminary Big V squad this week.

With last year’s Premier Men’s leading ballwinner Darcy Chirgwin currently on permanent assignment with Sandringham VFL, Woodrow Medallist Marty Gleeson has stepped into that role and is leading the Blues’ midfield superbly, averaging 26 disposals (12 contested), 6 clearances, and 7 score involvements.

St Kevin’s enter with a 1-2 record after their breakthrough win last weekend, but this record might be a little deceptive, considering their first two matches were against Top 3 teams from last year – Old Xavs and Old Brighton – who are many people’s picks to reach the Grand Final in 2026.

SKOB hasn’t quite reached their standard just yet, but they are young and developing, with some promising talent and an undeniable ability to work their way into seasons. On their day, they are capable of hanging with anyone, and now they get to test the Blues.

They will arrive buoyed by their demolition of the Snowdogs last week, which saw them kick 12 goals to 3 after quarter-time to salute by 65 points.

Noah Walsh – another Big V squad member – is having a brilliant start to 2026, averaging 29 touches, 6 tackles and 6 Score Involvements in his first 3 VAFA appearances after joining the League from Bendigo. He, along with emerging youngster George Delimitrou (averaging 24 touches and 6 Inside 50s), has become a prominent piece of this next-generation SKOB midfield.

Up forward, Sam Tucker has been the #1 focal point in the post-Patty Kerr era, and has 9 goals from his first 3 games. But help has arrived, with ex-AFL Jacob Koschitzke starting to find his feet, and last weekend’s 4-goal debutante Doug Kerr both showing signs that they could combine into a very handy attacking combination.

Already ranked #3 for Attack, the focus now shifts to the other end – defending the best teams in the comp, and this week will prove a stern test for previously mentioned reasons.

SKOB have won their last 3 over Uni Blues, including two thumping wins in 2025.

A big statement is about to be made. But which team will make it? Will it be the Blues starting 4-0 for the first time since 2019, or will St Kevin’s announce their arrival as a potential contender by claiming a scalp and squaring their ledger at 2-2?

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

---

OLD XAVERIANS vs CAULFIELD GRAMMARIANS (Sat 2pm – Toorak Park; KTV & VAFA TV)

Old Xavs entered the season as warm favourites to go deep into September, and they currently sit in third position after a win-loss-win start to their campaign, which featured a solid win over SKOB, followed by a huge upset loss to Old Trinity, then a strong bounce-back win over Old Scotch at Camberwell.

The Red & Black were efficient and effective against the Cards, with coach Dan Donati pleased by a solid four-quarter performance against a quality opponent.

Ranked #4 in Attack and #3 in Defence, Xavs are balanced right across the park, with plenty of upside still to be explored.

Only Old Brighton handles the footy more, but despite being #2 for Disposals, they are currently #8 for Inside 50s, so they don’t necessarily need a lot of territory to kick winning scores. That’s because the likes of Charlie Macisaac (10 goals) and their fleet of contributors (Tommy McRae, Wade Brusnahan, Jack O’Sullivan & Ed Kennedy) are always a threat to seize upon any goalscoring opportunity.

Down back, they exit Defensive 50 more effectively than any other team, hitting an Effective Disposal with 63% of their D50 exits. This is where the likes of Will Goss and Campbell Lane can become so dangerous. When they are working in tandem, Xavs can be quickly off to the races.

Goss is the competition’s Number 1 Rebounder across the first 3 weeks, averaging an impressive 31 disposals and 10 Rebound 50s, providing Xavs with plenty of launch power.

But Caulfield Grammarians have already proven themselves to be well worthy of their return to Premier Men’s in 2026. They hung with the Cardinals for three-and-a-bit quarters, then scraped past Old Haileybury, before getting overwhelmed by the Blues after half-time last week when the floodgates opened.

Coach Paul Satterley has been around long enough to know that his team is better than that, and that many sides could get blasted off the park when the Blues hit top gear this season. His job – and the job of his team – is to dust themselves off quickly and get back into the fight this week.

They saw Old Trinity head to Toorak Park in Round 2 and do a number on Xavs like few other teams have done in recent times. That has given the Fields a glimpse into what Old Xaverians don’t like and couldn’t handle. It will be interesting to see what he and his team do with that information.

Caulfield are middle-of-the-road in most statistical categories at this point, but ranked poorly in Disposal Efficiency, which is negatively impacting their ability to effectively clear Defensive 50 and hit up targets inside their own Forward 50.

They are a young outfit finding their way after promotion to the next level, and their DNA is obvious – gritty, resilient and high effort.

As the #1 Tackling team in the comp, they will keep on coming at you. However, ‘Satts’ knows that they need to win more of the footy themselves, so they don’t spend all their energy chasing all day, as they did last week, when they were a whopping -133 Disposals and -29 Inside 50s.

Those huge discrepancies stemmed from being -50 in Contested Footy, and they cannot allow Xavs to exert the same dominance this week.

With gun ruck Alex Spralja back in the saddle (26 disposals and 11 clearances in his return last week), the Fields need to find a way to minimise his influence – not easy to do when you’re Last for Hit-Outs yourself. Can the Caulfield mids shark Spralja’s taps or at least close the exits to prevent clean takeaways from congestion?

Old Xavs have won their last 3 over the Fields, who last saluted in Round 4 of 2022. They haven’t won at Toorak Park in the modern era, so if they can find a way here, not only would it square their ledger and keep them in touch with the Top 4, it would provide an enormous burst of confidence to carry them forward in the weeks ahead. Just ask Old Trinity!

Catch this game on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday, and as Part 1 of our Old Xavs-Caulfield Grammarians KTV DOUBLE-HEADER, to be followed by their Holmesglen Under 19 Premier clash, LIVE & EXCLUSIVE on Kommunity TV!

---

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

This may be one of the more even ‘Top versus Bottom’ clashes we’ll see this year.

The Blacks may be 0-3, but they’re not playing that badly.

They led Old Haileybury by 28 points at three-quarter time, then got bitten by the Blues’ two-headed monster up forward, before getting jumped by the T’s last night, only to fight back superbly but eventually fall away.

Their third-quarter effort last week, which saw them reduce a 46-point deficit to just 8 points in 26 minutes, was a reminder of just how effective the Blacks can be.

But they will need to bring every bit of that and more if they are to snap the Tonners’ 20-game winning streak at Fortress Brighton, which stretches all the way back to Round 17, 2023.

The team that beat them that day? University Blacks, who overcame a goalless opening term to boot 7 goals to 2 after half-time and post a hard-fought 19-point win.

However, not only has Old Brighton not lost at home since then, they’ve won 38 of 44 anywhere, including the last 11 straight.

The Tonners want for nothing right now, with strength and balance on every line, and their first 3 weeks have reflected that, with a 91-point demolition of St Bernard’s followed by a comfortable win over SKOB, then an 8-goal victory over the Bloods.

They rank #1 Attack & Defence, and are elite in just about every major stat category.

They have 7 players named in the preliminary Big V squad – last year’s skipper Harry Hill, Campbell Tweedie, Jordy Segar, Finn Campigli, Hamish Dick, Felix Flockart and the comp’s #1 ball-getter, Luca Macnab, who is averaging almost 37 touches a game, as he wins his share on the inside, gets back to help his defenders, then delivers to his forwards.

But playing the Blacks is a bit like surfing – you’re never expecting to bump into a shark, but you should always be aware that danger could be lurking just beneath the surface.

Dale Bower’s men flashed their teeth mid-season last year, winning 5 in a row and turning the comp on its head. One of those victims was Old Brighton, who they hung on grimly to defeat by 3 points in a thriller at Melbourne Uni. That game was in Round 9, and the Tonners have lost just once since.

Mind you, they haven’t played the Blacks since…

Catch this game at Brighton Beach Oval from 2pm Saturday.

---

OLD TRINITY vs ST BERNARD’S (Saturday 2 pm – Daley Oval)

The final game of the round sees Old Trinity play their first Premier Men’s match at home since 2022.

The T’s have been on the road for the opening three weeks, as major renovation work continues at Daley Oval.

Yet they’ve managed to pinch 2 of that 3-game away stand, setting a very solid foundation for their return to the top tier.

They ran into the Uni Blues meat-grinder in the opening round but immediately shook off any potential concerns around their ability to compete at the highest level when they took Xavs to the cleaners at Toorak Park in Round 2.

Their first half last week, which saw them lead Blacks by 46 points before withstanding a third-term comeback to steady and win by 28 points showed maturity and resilience to go with their electrifying brilliance.

Coach Donald McDonald is as laconic and pragmatic as they come. He’s an old-school coach who focuses on what matters most and is well-versed at not getting too high or too low. He’d be quietly thrilled at how his young charges have adapted to the challenge, and they now have an opportunity to win 3 on the trot and cement themselves inside the Top 4.

Standing in their way will be the Snowdogs, who two years ago, sat where the T’s are now – newcomers to the top tier, full of energy and confidence after dominating the Premier B scene, and keen to claim some scalps and make their mark.

The Dogs scored a couple of good early wins that season before reality kicked in and the weekly grind of ‘no easy games’ steadily took its toll. Footy in Premier Men’s doesn’t get easier by the week – it gets harder. The exertion is relentless.

St Bernard’s coach Steve Alessio knows his team is better equipped in their third season at the top and will be keen to try and take Old Trinity out into the deep waters. To do so, his side needs to win more contested footy. They rank Last in Clearances, and were obliterated on the inside by SKOB last week, with Big V ruck Billy Coates taking their inexperienced bigs to the cleaners.

Can the Dogs get back to hunting the man and ball as they did the previous week against the Cardinals? They will need to, in order to provide more supply to a dangerous forward line led by spearhead Matthew Watson.

They are equal last (with Blacks) for Inside 50s & Scoring across the first 3 weeks, averaging just 52 points per game, but as Watson proved late against Old Scotch, if you kick it in his general area enough, he can win you the game.

The pieces are there. Their defence is plucky, they have a blend of combative and brilliant midfielders, and some forwards capable of finishing their work.

Can put all those pieces together this week and upset Old Trinity’s homecoming?

Find out at Daley Oval from 2pm Saturday.

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 4

SATURDAY MAY 9 – 2pm:

Old Haileybury                   vs             Old Scotch          VAFA.com.au & SEN app – 1.45pm

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

University Blues                 vs             St Kevin’s              Kommunity TV – 1.55pm

Old Trinity                           vs             St Bernard’s      

Old Brighton                       vs             University Blacks