With a month to go in the home-and-away season, no one is any surer of what the final ladder will look like in Premier B Men’s, with all ten teams still fighting for something.
As things stand, just one win separates De La Salle, Old Melburnians, Old Camberwell and AJAX, with only three spots left in the finals race, as Collegians sit well out in front in top spot.
However, further down the ladder sit Beaumaris and Old Geelong, who are only two games outside the top four and can’t be counted out of September action, either.
Then, as we drift towards the bottom, it’s a race between Old Carey, Old Ivanhoe and Williamstown CYMS for survival, with just one game separating all three teams, and only room for one team to ensure its place in Premier B next season.
With that in mind, it’s the perfect opportunity to reintroduce Premier B Showcase Round for 2026, with all five fixtures set to be broadcast live on VAFA.com.au this weekend, as we move one step closer to completing this exciting season!
OLD CAMBERWELL v COLLEGIANS, GORDON BARNARD RESERVE, SATURDAY 2:00PM
Kickstarting proceedings this weekend is a vital top-four battle, with plenty on the line for both sides.
Old Camberwell have been one of the in-form teams in Premier B, having won five of their past six matches, including an impressive come-from-behind win against Williamstown CYMS last week.
It’s a run of form that has seen the Wellers sneak inside the top four, and place their destiny in their own hands.
However, before that stretch of games, they faced off against Collegians, and the Lions accounted for them comfortably, winning by 68 points.
Collegians have been all-conquering this season after coming down from Premier Men’s and remain unbeaten so far in 2026, holding a 14-0 record and sitting a remarkable six games clear of anyone else in the league.
It’s hard to tip anyone against Collegians at the moment, but an in-form Wellers team at home could give the Lions something to think about with finals approaching.
TIP: Collegians by 44 points
DE LA SALLE v WILLIAMSTOWN CYMS, WAVERLEY OVAL, SATURDAY 2:00PM
This is an encounter featuring two teams at opposing ends of the ladder, but the stakes are equally high for both clubs.
The other side to have come down from Premier Men’s last season, De La Salle, have been as consistent as anyone this year, and in a highly competitive season have rarely strayed from the top four.
But De La are coming off an uncharacteristic defeat at the hands of the Old Melburnians last week, being comfortably accounted for by 38 points.
At the other end of the table, Williamstown CYMS are fighting for their lives in a relegation battle, but have shown encouraging form over the last fortnight.
Two weeks ago, they defeated AJAX in one of the upsets of the season, before being run down by Old Camberwell last week after leading all day.
It’s hard to imagine the CYs won’t be making life as difficult as possible for any of their opposition on the run-in as they look to secure safety, but the class of De La’s star players should see them through at home.
TIP: De La Salle by 24 points
OLD CAREY v OLD MELBURNIANS, CAREY SPORTS COMPLEX BULLEEN, SATURDAY 2:00PM
Another clash involving two teams fighting for completely different things as we approach the climax of the season.
Old Carey have been dragged into a relegation scrap following consecutive defeats over the past fortnight, and sit just one game above the drop zone with four to play, despite having already won five games this season.
Mathematically speaking, the Panthers do remain in the finals race, as they’re only three games outside the top four, but they will need just about everything to go right for them from here.
Old Melburnians, on the other hand, had compiled an impressive run of form over the past three weeks. They’ve comfortably defeated fellow top-four contenders in AJAX and De La Salle, which came either side of a thrilling comeback win away to Old Geelong.
Outside of Collegians, the OMs mount a case for being the most in-form team in Premier B right now, and they were too strong for the Panthers when they met earlier in the season, winning by 56 points.
TIP: Old Melburnians by 41 points
AJAX v BEAUMARIS, GARY SMORGAN OVAL, SATURDAY 2:00PM
In a rematch of last year’s Premier C Men’s Grand Final, it poses a massive opportunity for both to keep their finals hopes alive.
After finishing 4th at the end of the home-and-away season last year, AJAX have been one of the great stories of 2026, proving themselves to be one of the best teams in Premier B all season.
But they’ve had a stumble over the past fortnight, losing consecutive games and have slid outside the top four for the first time all season.
Despite winning two more matches than Beaumaris this season, the Jackers only sit one game clear of the Sharks, courtesy of the two draws the Sharks have played in this season.
The Sharks have been synonymous with close finishes over the past month, with three of their last four games decided by five points or fewer, including two tied matches.
They remain in the hunt for finals, and victory on Saturday can see them leapfrog AJAX and move to within one game of the top four.
The Jackers won by just two points when these two teams played earlier this season, and it’s hard to see anything other than another exciting finish.
TIP: AJAX by 3 points
OLD GEELONG v OLD IVANHOE, COMO PARK, SATURDAY 2:50PM
Speaking of draws.
There have been three draws in Premier B Men’s so far in 2026, and Old Geelong and Old Ivanhoe played off in the first one back in Round 8.
At the time, both were fighting at the lower end of the table, but Old Geelong has since picked up some strong form, and with a month to go, still remains in the race for finals.
The OGs are another side that has endured a stressful three weeks, playing in a draw and two close games. Their last three matches have resulted in a combined final margin of just 13 points.
The Hoers, meanwhile, are coming off a draw of their own, coming from behind to split the points with Beaumaris last week. It’s a result that still leaves them sitting inside the bottom two, but they remain only a game away from safety.
Given how this picture played out earlier in the season, and how their recent form has tracked, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if we saw another close game unfold in this match, but with Old Geelong’s improved form since these two last played, they’d be expecting to win at home.
TIP: Old Geelong by 21 points
The jostling for position in William Buck Premier Men’s continues to intensify by the week, and as we enter the final month of the season, the stakes are rising –
The VAFA congratulates Ollie Wilson from Caulfield Grammarians, who has been nominated as the Round 14 VAFA Men’s Rising Star. Ollie was the highest-ranked player in William Buck Premier Men’s
The VAFA congratulates Megan Orr from Fitzroy, who has been nominated as the Round 14 VAFA Women’s Rising Star. Megan was named Fitzroy’s best player in their William Buck Premier
