Xavs into William Buck Premier Men’s Grand Final after another epic Preliminary Final

Old Xaverians are into the William Buck Premier Men’s Grand Final after winning their first final in a decade – but only JUST after seeing off a persistent St Kevin’s in a thrilling Preliminary Final at Revo Fitness Park.

PRELIMINARY FINAL – OLD XAVERIANS 13.11 (89) d. ST KEVIN’S 12.11 (83) by 6 points

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FIRST QUARTER:

The tone was set early, with both teams cracking in hard from the outset. It was immediately clear this would be a tough, physical contest marked by intense, relentless pressure.

Woodrow Medallist Sam Fisher struck first with a tidy snap to open the scoring 7 minutes in, and when Xavs spearhead Charlie Macisaac slotted a long snap from 45 metres out to cap off a nice transition from defence 6 minutes later, it was 13-0 Xavs.

The favourites were threatening to seize the early initiative, fractionally shading SKOB around the contest, but far more effective with their ball use as St Kevin’s repeatedly turned the ball over between the arcs, handing territorial dominance to their opposition.

But it was a centre square turnover from Xavs that delivered SKOB their first major, when classy youngster Liam Gunson lit up the jets, zoomed inside the arc and nailed the long-range shot to provide St Kevin’s with the settler they were searching for 16 minutes in.

Powerhouse SKOB ruck Billy Coates headed to the bench with an injury concern and was in the process of getting his right leg strapped when Ollie Sestan was tackled high in the left forward pocket. He stepped around and slotted a tidy goal, giving Xavs some return for their early dominance entering time-on.

However, SKOB’s defence was holding up admirably under the wave of Xavs forays (20 Inside 50s to 7 for the quarter), and when Billy Bryan floated a clever snap through from the left pocket, St Kevin’s were successfully hanging in, back within 8 points at the 28-minute mark.

But Alwyn Davey and Sam Fisher had the final say of the quarter for Xavs, when Davey’s vision and sublime foot skills hit Fisher on the lead.

He went back from 45 metres out directly in front and nailed his second goal for the opening term, as Xavs headed to the first huddle with a well-earned 14-point lead – 6 scoring shots to 2 providing a clearer reflection of their early ascendancy.

SKOB with some work to do on their ball use, going at just 48% Kick Efficiency for the term (versus 65% for Xavs).

QTR TIME:          OLD XAVS 4.2 (26)      ST KEVIN’S 2.0 (12)

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SECOND QUARTER:

Rather than improving their own kicking, SKOB managed to drag Xavs down to their level in the second term, as Xavs slumped from 65% to 47% in a high intensity game that was seeing both teams struggle to hit targets and string meaningful possession chains together.

Regular turnovers were created as a result, and both teams managed to punish the other’s mistakes, with 4 of the 5 second-quarter goals coming from turnovers.

St Kevin’s began generating more Inside 50 forays, but were struggling to take their chances around goal and this inaccuracy threatened to see them lose touch.

In the first 20 minutes of the second term, SKOB booted 0.4 while Xavs (from fewer Inside 50s) kicked 3.0 to pull away to a handy 28-point lead entering time-on.

With Xavs duo Sam Hansen and Marcus Stavrou combining for 19 touches for the quarter, SKOB needed a spark.

It came via a long-range Andrew Mathieson bomb from beyond the arc 23 minutes in, and when promising 19-year-old Archie Dollman pulled down a strong, athletic pack mark 20 metres out directly in front, St Kevin’s had consecutive goals and were back in the contest, heading to the rooms with a much more manageable 17-point deficit.

HALF TIME:       OLD XAVS 7.4 (46)      ST KEVIN’S 4.5 (29)

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THIRD QUARTER:

The game shifted significantly after half-time, with St Kevin’s taking control as they muscled up around disputed ball, then controlled it with Uncontested Marks (18-5 for the quarter).

In the absence of Alec Spralja, SKOB ruck Billy Coates was getting first hands on the footy in the ruck, but it was more in general play that the underdogs started to gain supremacy, as Ben Mansfield, Cam Hodges, and Will Pfeiffer began to have a greater impact.

SKOB’s pressure began to take its toll on Xavs, as they laid 21 Tackles to 19, while also having 35 more Disposals. For a team that averages 377 Disposals per game, restricting Xavs to just 60 for a quarter is a remarkable effort, helped by their inability to hit targets under heat – their Kick Efficiency dropping to a lowly 39% for the term.

The effect of all of this was a scoreboard swing St Kevin’s way, and it was Sam Tucker who lifted his team back into the game.

The first goal of the second half came 5 minutes in, when he was grabbed over the shoulder in a ruck contest at the top of the goalsquare.

The second goal was one of the Goals of the Year across the entire VAFA.

A throw-in adjacent to SKOB’s left behind post was taken out of the ruck by Tucker, whose rushed kick skewed sideways across the face of goal and into the right pocket. A quick handball from Ollie Gill found Archie Dollman, who was heading to the boundary line, and he somehow twisted his body, snapped over his left shoulder and curled it through from under the scoreboard.

SKOB’s third goal in 7 minutes saw Tucker pluck a contested mark at the top of the goalsquare. He booted his second, and suddenly scores were level again, 11 minutes into the third term.

For the first time all afternoon, Xavs looked to be out of their comfort zone and needing to regroup.

A lovely Ed Delany set shot goal from 45 out was cancelled out by a fluid foray forward that saw Doug Kerr mark untouched at the top of the goalsquare to lock things up again.

4.3 to 1.4 had seen St Kevin’s revive their season and set the stage for a blockbuster final term as the two teams headed to the last break tied together, with the big crowd buzzing at the prospect of another heart-stopping Preliminary Final.

THREE-QTR TIME:        OLD XAVERIANS 8.8 (56)        ST KEVIN’S 8.8 (56)

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FINAL QUARTER:

Who would strike first?

A couple of behinds to Xavs saw them edge in front, before the crumb from a Jack Behnk marking contest deep Inside 50 was collected front-and-centre by Doug Kerr, who fired a handball to Ben Mansfield for the goal from 15 metres out.

SKOB were in front for the first time all afternoon 4 minutes into the final term, but their 4-point lead lasted less than two minutes when Marcus Stavrou sharked a Billy Coates tap, fed it to Campbell Lane, who shaped a kick Inside 50 to Ollie Sestan.

He goaled from 40 metres out dead in front and Xavs were back in front.

The teams exchanged behinds for the next 7 minutes, until Campbell Lane’s well-weighted kick Inside 50 found Alwyn Davey goalside at the top of the square. His conversion gave Xavs a 7-point buffer at the 13-minute mark, as the Red & Black Army took a moment for a quick sigh of relief.

But there was still plenty more footy to play, and the next punch in this heavyweight fight would be thrown by SKOB just over a minute later.

They say finals build reputations and elevate players to the next level. Archie Dollman did his reputation no harm at all, with yet another impactful moment at a critical time when his side needed him.

The ball returned to the centre after Davey’s goal, and after a secondary ball-up, it was a St Kevin’s clearance to skipper Tom Jok, who had another superb afternoon. His clean take off the ground and quick, clever looping handball bounced for Dollman to run onto on the edge of the centre square.

Dollman gathered, popped a quick handball over an oncoming opponent, then ran on to receive it back from Jack Darmody, straightened and launched a magnificent goal from 40 metres out to send the SKOB faithful behind the goals at the Glen Huntly Road end into raptures.

The 19-year-old’s third goal of the afternoon brought it back to a 1-point game with 14 minutes gone.

The pressure continued to mount over the next 9 scoreless minutes, as ghosts of Preliminary Finals past threatened to haunt Xavs yet again.

Both defences held firm as the opposition probed for an opportunity to break through – St Kevin’s with a slight advantage in weight of possession, but Xavs a touch tidier using it.

With a single point still separating the teams with 23 minutes gone, it was Xavs who again found the critical goal to keep their noses in front, and it came from a one-on-one contest between Alwyn Davey and Andrew Mathieson under the scoreboard at right half-forward.

Davey managed to keep his balance and nudge his opponent off the line of the ball, gathering and delivering a perfect lateral pass to Charlie Knott, who marked 30 metres out, directly in front. Knott’s kick sailed through the middle, and Xavs regained their 7-point buffer.

And when a SKOB Defensive 50 exit kick hung in the air at centre half-back, Nick Guiney thundered into Cam Hodges to spoil, with Charlie Macisaac there to swoop on the spillage and slot through the long-range goal from the arc as the Xavs fans at the southern end went berserk.

13 points up with 26 minutes gone. Surely that’s enough, right?

Did you see last year’s Preliminary Final?

St Kevin’s trailed by 12 points as the clock ticked past 30 minutes, but Anthony Lynch’s team had been gritty and resilient all afternoon, and they weren’t prepared to quit now.

A last disposal free kick smack bang on centre wing on the outer side provided SKOB with another opportunity to launch the ball forward, and Mansfield’s kick spilled off the hands of Tucker 50 metres from goal at right half forward.

St Kevin’s had numbers streaming through, and Will Pfeiffer’s tumbling kick was gathered up by Archie Dollman, who combined for a give-and-get handball with Liam Gunson, then calmly straightened up and nailed his fourth goal from 40 metres out on a 45-degree angle, and it was back to one straight kick with 31 minutes gone.

The ball returned to the centre for the most important clearance of the day, as VAFA Media expert Hugo Higginbotham mused: “Is this the ghost of last year coming back?” as Old Xaverians fans everywhere tried to force that exact thought from their mind.

Billy Coates soared through the air, tapped it to Mansfield, who spread it wide to Sam Cameron on the burst from the back of the square. His launch Inside 50 ended in a ball-up in the right pocket, 20 metres from SKOB’s goal.

For the second straight week, Coates’ ruck work directly delivered a critical score. This time, he smashed it forward into the corridor, where Liam Gunson pounced. He gathered and slammed it down on his right boot from 12 metres out, and through it sailed to level the scores with 31:45 expired in the final term.

St Kevin’s fans lost their collective minds, while Old Xavs felt like they were about to. Surely not again??!

Extra time now loomed as the most likely possibility, and a totally fitting one, given the epic contest we had witnessed over the past two hours of football.

The clock continued to tick, with the siren surely set to go at any moment as fans of both teams shook their heads in nervous disbelief at the magic they were witnessing.

The clock ticked over 33 minutes, with a ball-up 70 metres from the Xavs’ goal at right half-forward. Will Goss ran onto the spillage, and fired a handball to Charlie Macisaac, who launched it long to the top of the goalsquare.

Ollie Sestan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Liam Gunson, and some clever, well-timed bodywork got rid of his SKOB opponent just long enough for him to take the mark and dribble through the goal from a metre out as swarms of Xavs fans lurched forward over the fence to high-five the likely matchwinner.

The Red & Black Army implored the timekeepers to blow the siren, and it would finally sound 50 seconds later, sending Old Xaverians into their first William Buck Premier Men’s Grand Final since 2016 after yet another classic Preliminary Final for the ages.

Nick Guiney won the SKINS Player of the Game Award for his gritty performance, while Hayden Woodhouse was received praise from his coaches for his 16 disposals (12 contested), 8 clearances, 4 tackles and 5 Inside 50s.

Ollie Sestan had an influence all afternoon, culminating in the match-winner with his third goal, while Campbell Lane, Tom Dunne and Stirling Phipps-Parsons were all excellent in a win that the Old Xavs will never forget.

St Kevin’s lost no admirers for their wonderful performance, with Archie Dollman confirming his status as a potential VAFA star, finishing with 21 disposals and 4 goals, while fellow young gun Liam Gunson was also superb with 20 and 2.

Sam Tucker got SKOB back into the game when they needed a spark, while Jack Andriske, Billy Coates and Ben Mansfield could all hold their heads high as well.

But it will be Old Xaverians progressing to take another shot at University Blues in this Friday’s premiership decider after another truly monumental Preliminary Final.

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Old Xaverians         13.11 (89)

St Kevin’s                12.11 (83)

GOALS:               

OX:         Sestan 3; Macisaac, Davey & Fisher 2; Knott, Delany, O’Sullivan & Stavrou 1.

STK:       Dollman 4; Tucker & Gunson 2; Mathieson, Bryan, Mansfield & Kerr 1.

BEST:                    

OX:         Hayden Woodhouse, Nick Guiney, Oliver Sestan, Campbell Lane, Thomas Dunne, Stirling Phipps-Parsons

STK:       Archie Dollman, Liam Gunson, Sam Tucker, Jack Andriske, Billy Coates, Ben Mansfield

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Dan Donati (Old Xavs): “It’s always a genuine privilege to play in a Prelim Final.

“Both sides were outstanding for the entire four quarters, and just like last year, it came down to the final minute to separate from each other. After last year’s devastation of having gone so close, I just couldn’t have been any prouder of the boys for getting back here again and executing when it mattered most.

“We started the game really well, and it felt like we had the game on our terms for a lot of the first 40-odd minutes.

“Then SKOB wrestled back momentum. and from there, it was literally play by play. Both teams were hard and tough and had their moments.

“It’s hard to individualise in a game like that; our 22 all gave everything they had and have earned their spot in the big one.”

Anthony Lynch (St Kevin’s): “As the dust has settled, I have nothing but pride in my players and club.

“It was an amazing game of VAFA footy, and when there is a single kick in it… well, it’s a brutal way to lose, but in a finish like that, it could go either way.

“When we got to 13 points down with less than five minutes to go, plenty of sides would understandably concede that’s a margin too great. But the way our boys never gave up and were able to level up the scores shows the character of the group.

“Credit to Old Xavs; they had the weight of pressure on them, and they stood up when it mattered most, making some big plays at the most important times. Having been a Top 2 team for the past two years, they have earned the right to go on.”

“Our growth in 12 months has been significant, and that was displayed through our two finals games. Our list depth is strong, and we will stick together and be back with even more hunger in 2027.

“I wish Matt, Dan and their teams all the very best in Friday’s Grand Final.”

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And so, after another remarkable season, it will be University Blues hosting Old Xaverians in the William Buck Premier Men’s Grand Final!

Will minor premiers Uni Blues go on and win their first premiership since 2019?

Or will Old Xaverians finally end their decade-long premiership drought?

Two famous clubs collide for the next chapter in their long and storied rivalry.

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WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S GRAND FINAL –

Friday 2.30pm (Revo Fitness Park at Elsternwick Park)

University Blues vs Old Xaverians

LIVE coverage from 2pm Friday on VAFA.com.au & KTV, with our award-winning SEN Match of the Day radio coverage also on VAFA.com.au & the SEN app!

If you’re coming to the game, BRING YOUR HEADPHONES and enjoy our call of the action LIVE with NO DELAY on the SEN app!

Watch matches on-demand on VAFATV