Blues hang on in heart-stopping, history-making Grand Final

University Blues have returned to the top of the VAFA mountain for the first time in 7 years, making history in the process by becoming the first A-Grade premiers to kick three fewer goals than their vanquished opponents.

Thousands flocked to Elsternwick on a near-perfect day for football at Revo Fitness Park, and they were treated to a white-knuckle Grand Final Day thrill ride that had them roaring all the way to the final siren.

It was a classic Ammos premiership decider, and here’s how it played out:-

FIRST QUARTER:

With no breeze to speak of, and sufficient cloud cover to keep the temperature warm rather than hot, the stage was set for a fantastic contest – and the two teams certainly delivered.

Fittingly, it was Old Xavs’ leading goalkicker Charlie Macisaac who booted the first goal of the Grand Final, after he marked Campbell Lane’s well-weighted pass tight against the line in the left forward pocket.

Charlie coolly stepped around and bent through the first major 4 minutes in, after the league’s leading goalkicker James Stewart had left his opening shot wide right at the other end.

Xavs didn’t have to wait long for their second. Jack O’Sullivan took a strong mark in the middle, handed off to Marcus Stavrou, who launched it long to the right pocket. Macisaac gathered and dribbled it back towards the goalsquare, and the fickle bounce popped up for Ben Andrews, who cleverly tapped it to Stirling Phipps-Parsons, who ran into the open goal.

Two goals in two-and-a-half minutes and the Xavs were up and about, as the big Red & Black crowd found its voice. The Blues needed an early steadier to settle their nerves and temper Xavs’ early excitement.

Four minutes later, a quick delivery Inside 50 saw Xavs’ defenders illegally grasping at Stewart as he contested the high ball. He duly went back to slot the Blues’ first of the afternoon – a steady set shot from 35 metres out on a slight angle, reducing their deficit to 4 points at the 11-minute mark and preventing the underdogs from slipping away early.

The early stages were physical and played at breakneck speed, with the ball pinging all over the ground and putting both defences under pressure as the two teams played attacking football.

Archie Lord bobbed up and marked a helicopter pass from Brad Ebert just inside the arc, then converted his long-range shot to give the Blues the lead 17 minutes in. When Sam Grimley was shoved in the back but ended up all alone out the back of the contest, the advantage was paid, and he walked in Uni’s second goal in a minute. 

The Blues had scored the last three goals of the game – a good response after Xavs kicked the opening two – and their lead extended to 9 points shortly after, when James Curran’s set shot from 40 metres out swung left.

It would be a portent of things to come for the Blues, who were generating opportunities, but unable to fully capitalise. Xavs then went coast-to-coast from the kick-in, with Sam Fisher somehow pulling down a contested mark in the middle of three Blues defenders and Charlie Macisaac.

It loomed as an important kick from 35 metres out in the right pocket, and the Woodrow Medallist guided it through for an 11-point swing after Curran’s miss at the other end.

It would be the final major for the opening term, as the Blues headed to the first huddle with a 2-point lead, and the crowd buzzing with anticipation at what was already shaping as a tight, fascinating contest.

QTR TIME:          UNI BLUES 3.4 (22) led OLD XAVS 3.2 (20) by 2 pts.

KEY Q1 PREMIER DATA STATS:

Xavs, as is typical of their high possession style, had more of the footy in the opening term (Disposals 87-76; Uncontested Marks 17-12). The Blues were sloppier with ball in hand (54% Disposal Efficiency to Xavs’ 63%) but still managed a slight territorial advantage (Inside 50s 15-12).

Sam Fisher was the highest ranked player on the ground (10 disposals, 8 contested, 3 clearances and a goal), while ruck Joe Furphy started well for the Blues (5 disposals, 3 tackles, 8 hit-outs and 4 clearances).

---

SECOND QUARTER:

The Blues took complete control of the scoring in the first 17 minutes of the second term, but unfortunately, their inaccuracy kept Xavs in touch. The Blues had the first six scores of the quarter but only added 2.4 to get out to an 18-point lead that could have been much larger.

Twin towers James Stewart and Sam Grimley were causing major headaches for Dan Donati and the Xavs defence, but of those first six shots, they booted just 1.3 between them – Stewart getting particularly frustrated with his inability to nail his chances.

You can’t leave points on the table against a quality side like Old Xaverians and, sure enough, they stepped up and took their chance to counter against the flow when it eventually came.

Ollie Sestan thundered out to mark on the lead 17 minutes in, then passed it off to Ed Delany in a better position, 30 metres out, directly in front. The big forward went back and made no mistake – his set shot sailed through, and the Red & Black were back within 12 points approaching time-on.

The Blues were dominating general play, but their inability to finish their opportunities was becoming a concern, and a sense of anxiety was creeping in as the pressure to find the middle of the goals mounted.

Charlie Cotter launched a set shot from beyond the arc that missed left, and as the kick-in was about to take place, a scuffle between Blues youngster Tom Hill and gritty Xavs defender Alex Trigar ensued in the right pocket. The umpire blew his whistle and awarded a free kick to Hill, who was therefore marched to the goalsquare (where the ball was about to be kicked out from).

The umpire tossed the ball to Hill to take his shot, while Sam Ralph did the disciplined thing and ran across to position on the mark, literally on the goal line. But rather than going back to set up and methodically take his shot, Hill caught the ball and, laconically, snapped it immediately. 

However, Ralph’s leap into the air allowed him to flick it with his fingers, and another gilt-edged opportunity to extend their lead went begging in the most unbelievable (and distressing) of circumstances for the Blues faithful.

If their players hadn’t previously felt the pressure to nail their shots, they certainly did now. The gently worried undertone amongst the Blues crowd was palpably turning into tension as “I hope we don’t lose by less than a kick” was muttered en masse around Revo Fitness Park!

Hill’s error was compounded when Xavs surged to capitalise on their late chances to get back into the game.

Less than two minutes later, Ben Andrews was tackled high on the front edge of the centre square. Rather than launch a long attempt, he set it up for Marcus Stavrou in the left pocket, who charged out and marked in front of his face, then nailed the conversion. Margin back to 8 points with 22 minutes gone.

The reigning Woodrow Medallist then had the final say of the first half when he once again marked in the left pocket and converted from 45 metres out.

That quality long-range finish from a tightish angle stood in stark contrast to much of the Blues’ finishing, and somehow Old Xaverians had clawed their way back into the contest to be just 2 points down at the major break, despite conceding 16 scoring shots to 9.

As the two teams headed to the dressing rooms, it was clear that while Xavs had some excellent bursts with momentum on their side, Uni Blues were the more dominant team overall. They had played an excellent half of high-level, high-pressure football, creating many opportunities through their inside work, outside pressure and solid set-up behind the ball. They had simply failed to put their chances away.

However, it was also clear that Old Xavs weren’t going to be deterred by the Blues’ periods of dominance, nor were they going to beat themselves.

They were in this game for the long haul, prepared to weather the storm and seize their chances when they came. One of their key values all year had been resilience – and it had been on full display throughout the opening half.

The 2026 William Buck Premier Men’s premiership hung in the balance at the major break – particularly if the Blues’ scoring woes continued into the second half.

HALF TIME:       UNI BLUES 5.11 (41) led OLD XAVS 6.3 (39) by 2 pts.

KEY Q2 PREMIER DATA STATS:

Uni Blues dominated territory (Inside 50s 14-7), thanks in part to Joe Furphy helping them control centre clearances (5-0). However, they weren’t connecting with their forward targets, retaining possession on just 4 of their 14 Inside 50 forays.

Marcus Stavrou took over from Sam Fisher in the second term, collecting 6 touches and 2 goals to be the highest ranked player of the quarter.

Blues’ skipper Marty Gleeson rose to the challenge, racking up 9 disposals and 3 clearances for the quarter.

---

THIRD QUARTER:

The second half opened with a rushed behind to the Blues, and the resulting kick-in led to the standout Goal of the Day to that point. A wobbly kick from Woodhouse pitched at centre half-forward for Xavs and saw Nick Guiney charge through the middle, gather the bouncing ball and launch a magnificent raking drop punt from 50 metres out to give Xavs the lead 3 minutes in.

Having conceded the last 4 goals of the game, the Blues needed a response and it was delivered via some excellent forward pressure from James Curran. Stewart tapped a ball-up to a dangerous position at the top of the goalsquare, and when Nick Guiney ran onto the ball to mop it up, he was mowed down by Curran.

The ball spilled to James Hayter and the VAFA Rising Star nominee bent through a much-needed goal to spark the Blues faithful and return them to the lead after 8 minutes.

The contest continued to rise in intensity, and when Blues skipper Marty Gleeson (who had been amongst the best players on the ground) rushed a handball under pressure to the line, he was pinged for insufficient intent, handing Charlie Macisaac the ball 50 metres from goal.

Rather than launch at the sticks, he sat the kick up to the goalsquare, where a huge pack of players flew. Somehow it cleared the pack and found the chest of an unmanned Ollie Sestan. He calmly stepped around and snapped the set shot through to return Xavs to the lead after 13 minutes.

To this stage of the quarter, the Blues had added 1.3 to 2.0 as the pressure on their finishing continued to mount, with the flag favourites trailing by a point despite having had 20 scoring shots to 11.

Who would rise for the Blues to straighten them up and build some scoring momentum?

Their next major also came off the back of forward pressure. Tom Hart’s clearing kick was affected by a well-timed bump, and it sailed over the fence. James Curran took the free kick from hard against the fence in the left pocket and bent it through magnificently to put the Blues back in front 14 minutes in.

Somehow, their toughest shot of the afternoon had curled through, while more kickable chances had repeatedly drifted wide of the mark. Were the Blues’ fortunes in front of goal finally changing?

James Stewart had looked the most dangerous forward on the ground all afternoon, racking up opportunities, but only having 1.5 to show for it. Surely, if he kept creating those chances, he would eventually make them count.

He thundered out from the restart and marked 40 metres from goal. This time, his long-range shot split the middle as he pumped his fists and released a bellow of frustration.

Tempers were starting to flare as the Blues tried to wriggle free of their pursuers. Their 11-point advantage became 17 points when Stewart was taken over the shoulder on the lead, and his set shot sailed through for his third goal at the 18-minute mark.

After two-and-a-half quarters of struggle, was this finally the favourites breaking the game open?

The Blues had kicked 3 goals in 5 minutes and now the gauntlet was back at the feet of Old Xavs as the Blues set about putting the game out of reach in the final 15 minutes of the term.

However, their newfound accuracy deserted them as quickly as it had arrived, and they could only add 7 consecutive behinds to close out the quarter.

Still, they took a commanding 24-point lead to the final huddle of the season, and it would require a massive turnaround in the game for Old Xavs to find a way back. 30 scoring shots to 11 clearly told that story.

But Uni Blues fans didn’t want to hear that optimism. They knew how the Footy Gods can frown upon inaccurate finishing. Coach Matt Smith told VAFA Media, “You can’t be unhappy with a 24-point three-quarter time lead, but if we’d had a little bit more reward for effort, that would be great. We’re playing some good football, we’ve just got to tidy up a little bit.”

Xavs remained determined to hang in and try to get close enough to create some late panic amongst the Blues, with coach Dan Donati telling his men, “We’ve got to win the ball at the source. We’re getting smashed around the contest. But they’ve left the door open. Not much has gone our way. We’ve got to be tighter at the contest, and tighter with our tackling technique, and if we kick one or two, the game can be on.”

Despite the game-high margin, the Grand Final still felt well and truly alive.

THREE-QTR TIME:        UNI BLUES 9.21 (75) led OLD XAVS 8.3 (51) by 24 pts.

KEY Q3 PREMIER DATA STATS:

Blues’ ruck Joe Furphy continued his dominance in the third term, with 9 disposals, 12 hit-outs and 5 clearances as the most dominant player on the field. Marty Gleeson continued his impact, collecting another 9 disposals.

And Furphy and Gleeson weren’t just getting the ball at will; they were also creating for their team, combining for 8 Inside 50s for the term.

The Blues smashed Xavs on the inside as a result, racking up 18 clearances to 8 and kicking 2.3 to 0.0 from stoppages.

Their turnover game was also creating repeat opportunities, but they weren’t seizing them, kicking 2.7 from Xavs’ turnovers in the third quarter.

Xavs desperately needed a final quarter lift from their engine room, with none of their starting mids ranked in the Top 18 players on the field in the third term.

---

FINAL QUARTER:

The first goal of the final term felt critical.

If the Blues landed that telling first punch, they would hold a game-high 5-goal lead and could force Xavs into risks they otherwise wouldn’t take.

However, if Xavs nailed it, anything felt possible.

Blue James Curran saw the first opportunity just 35 seconds in, but his shot agonisingly hit the post, just adding to the tension and sense that this game wasn’t over yet.

2 minutes later, the Xavs generated their first shot. It began with a run-down tackle on Campbell Lane by Mo Akoch that was deemed holding the man at centre half-forward.

Lane wasted no time hitting a quick pass to Charlie Westcott, who marked 40 metres out in the left pocket as VAFA media expert Hugo Higginbotham pondered, “Is this the moment? Is this the thing that gets them going? Is this the thing that sparks the run?”

Westcott stepped up and slotted just his fifth goal of the season.

Again, Xavs’ superior finishing was keeping them alive. 9.3 to 9.22, and the margin was literally 19 behinds.

Could one goal become two? Well, not immediately, as we waited 14 minutes for the next major – the Blues frustratingly adding another 2 behinds to lead by 21 points approaching time-on, with both teams defending like their lives depended on it, turning back foray after foray with sheer desperation and pressure.

Despite still getting hammered on the inside, Xavs continued to win more than their share of possession around the ground, as they had all afternoon. But their tackle pressure had lifted, as they racked up 26 for the quarter. The Blues’ Kick Efficiency plummeted to just 36% as a result (compared to 62% for Xavs).

Suddenly the Blues were struggling to retain the ball, but the clock was on the verge of becoming a factor for Xavs. There was plenty of time left, but they needed a scoreboard burst to shift the flow of the game and spark some panic amongst the Blues in the process.

Time and space were hard to find, as they had been all day. Sam Hansen earned a holding-the-ball free kick smack bang on centre wing. His kick to right half-forward bounced off the top of the pack to Ed Delany at the back, and his forward handball released Alwyn Davey Inside 50. Davey’s sizzling kick to Ollie Sestan at the far behind post brought back memories of their last-minute heroics of the Preliminary Final.

Ollie wasted no time in stepping out and bending it through, and the margin closed back to 15 points with 17 minutes expired – a little tighter, but not yet at panic levels for the Blues, who had managed to repeatedly answer challenges all afternoon.

What Xavs needed now was another quick goal to ignite their crowd and place a bit of doubt in their opposition.

They won the next clearance (their only centre clearance for the quarter) and surged it to the forward arc, where Sam Fisher showed poise and composure to spin out of trouble and hit up Ed Delany in the left pocket. The big man went back and calmly converted his shot, and now it was officially game back on – the margin down to 9 points with 19 minutes gone, and the Red & Black Mafia whipped into a frenzy!

It was gut-check time for the minor premiers, who had shown no shortage of grit and mental toughness all season. How would they respond to this relentless pressure?

Joe Furphy rose to win yet another hit-out and Captain Courageous Marty Gleeson surged it forward. A last-disposal free kick saw the ball launched deep to the square by Cotter. It spilled off hands for Ben Townson to throw a boot at. It missed left – the Blues’ 25^th behind – and the margin was an even 10 points entering time-on.

It felt like the Blues just needed a goal to steady themselves and take a bit of wind out of the Xavs’ sails.

But this incredible premiership decider had other ideas.

A long spiral in from youngster Sam Niklaus landed 30 metres from the Xavs’ goal, where it was expertly roved off the pack by Stirling Phipps-Parsons. He didn’t break stride as he weaved onto his left boot and bent it across his body, as the hill behind the goals at the southern end exploded in a mass of jubilant Xavs’ arms and fists.

Xavs had kicked 3 goals in just under 4 minutes, and it was suddenly a 4-point game with just 21 minutes gone.

Even VAFA Hall of Famer Simon Petch, who has been calling Ammos footy for decades, could barely process what he was seeing. “Dear me, this is extraordinary!” he sighed in disbelief.

Blues’ hearts were sinking around the ground as the prospect of ‘defeat from the jaws of victory’ started to feel real.

But they were still in front, and there was still plenty of footy to be played.

First, they had to find a way to stem the bleeding and shut down Xavs’ momentum.

They won the clearance and got it deep into their left pocket, where Sam Grimley cleverly gathered and handballed back over his shoulder to James Stewart, whose quick left snap from the tightest of angles sailed across the face for their 26^th behind, and a 5-point lead with 23 minutes expired.

Xavs were now going for broke. Play on at all costs, switch aggressively, keep the ball in motion and try to find the go-ahead goal.

The Blues’ defence, ranked #1 in the comp this season, steeled itself for one last extended effort. They needed to draw on decades of collective experience to make the right decisions in the dying moments that would decide the premiership.

One false move, one lapse in concentration could see the cup slip from their grasp.

The Xavs surged forward and found Charlie Macisaac on a long lead 60 metres from goal at left half-forward. Will Goss streamed past and hit Charlie Knott deep in the pocket. Incredibly, he would be kicking for the lead from 40 metres out against the boundary line, after his team had trailed by 25 points earlier in the term.

Two-time VAFA premiership coach Hugo Higginbotham summed up the significance of Knott’s kick.

“Grand Finals are made of moments. This is the moment right now. This is it. Right here.”

But Knott’s drop punt landed short of the goal line and bounced harmlessly through for a minor score. Blues by 4 points with 25 minutes played.

The next 90 seconds were played inside the Blues’ forward 50, with Brad Ebert taking a critical intercept mark to hold it in their front half. His percentage kick headed deep into the right pocket, where it went out for a throw-in.

The ball was flung back in, and James Stewart tapped it down to Ben Townson, who immediately threw it on his boot. His up-and-under kick pitched 15 metres from goal, allowing Sam Grimley to muscle his opponent off the ball and throw a desperate lunging boot at it.

Despite a defender charging towards him, he got enough purchase on the awkward half-volley to send it through the middle for his third major of the afternoon.

THAT was a moment.

The margin was back out to 10 points with 27 minutes gone, as Blues fans shared a huge collective sigh of relief.

Simon Petch summed up the absurdity of the Blues’ 10.26 scorecard: “They can’t kick them looking at them, so they may as well kick them NOT looking at them!”

But this epic Grand Final wasn’t over yet.

Old Xaverians hadn’t come this far to give up now, while the Blues now just needed to manage the remaining minutes.

A desperate struggle ensued, with the Blues defence repelling multiple attacks by just bombing it out of the zone, only for it to come back Inside 45 moments later.

As the clock hit 29 minutes, a long raking kick from Xavs’ Jack O’Sullivan was marked adjacent to the goalpost by Ollie Sestan. He ran around and snapped it through from the right pocket, and the game was alive again!

The Blues by 4 points as their nightmare scenario returned from the dead.

It set the stage for the single most important centre clearance of the entire VAFA William Buck Premier Men’s season.

If Xavs could win it, a quick kick forward could potentially lead to the go-ahead shot.

If the Blues won it, they could launch it forward and try to lock it safely away in their own front half to run out whatever remained on the clock.

Ed Delany thumped it forward for Xavs, but standing in the way was Blue Geordie LaCava, who was taken high. However, his kick to a contest came straight back to another desperate scramble for the ball right on the front edge of the centre square for Xavs.

Jack O’Sullivan gathered the ball and looked to charge Inside 45, only to be run down by the best man on the ground, Blues skipper Marty Gleeson.

That was ANOTHER moment.

“Goal-saving, FLAG-saving from Gleeson!” screamed VAFA Media commentator Matthew Donald, as the crowd drowned out the final siren.

Uni Blues had defied the indefatigable Xavs to claim their first William Buck Premier Men’s premiership since 2019, after a monumental struggle that no one who witnessed it will forget.

Xavs players slumped to the ground, utterly spent after giving their heart, soul and every ounce of energy to drag themselves off the canvas and all but pull off one of the VAFA’s greatest upsets.

The Blues players embraced, equally exhausted yet energised by a heady mix of adrenaline, jubilation and relief.

Fittingly, it was Gleeson with the ball in his hands at the end. He had delivered a true captain’s performance in his first Grand Final at any level of football and would soon receive the Jock Nelson Medal as best afield.

It was a magnificent Grand Final, befitting of two teams that could barely be separated all season, with both teams enhancing their reputations on the biggest stage of all.

University Blues had somehow survived their chronic inaccuracy – 36 scores to 17 – to hang on for a 4-point victory that made history as the first A-Grade premier to concede three more goals than their Grand Final opposition yet still hoist the cup.

In fact, it was only the third time in VAFA history that an A-Grade premier had kicked fewer goals than their opponent, after De La Salle kicked two fewer than North Old Boys in 1977 and Caulfield booted one fewer than Coburg in 1970.

It was that kind of quirky, unpredictable, ground-breaking day, the likes of which we’d never seen before.

A September afternoon of pure theatre that will live forever in VAFA folklore.

---

University Blues        10.26 (86)

Old Xaverians           13.4 (82)

GOALS:               

UB:         Stewart & Grimley 3; Lord, Hayter, Curran & Bain 1.

OX:         Sestan 3; Delany, Phipps-Parsons & Stavrou 2; Macisaac, Guiney, Westcott & Fisher 1.

BEST:                    

UB:         Martin Gleeson, Joe Furphy, Cam O’Shea, Max Irving, James Curran, Mojwok Akoch

OX:         Ollie Sestan, Sam Fisher, Marcus Stavrou, Campbell Lane, Charlie MacIsaac, Charlie Westcott

---

LEADING STAT-GETTERS:

UB:        

Marty Gleeson: 26 disposals (18 contested), 5 tackles, 7 clearances, 11 Inside 50s

Joe Furphy: 19 disposals (16 contested), 33 hit-outs, 11 clearances, 7 Inside 50s

Jack Hayter: 17 disposals (12 contested), 10 tackles, 8 clearances, 1 goal

James Stewart: 16 disposals, 4 marks, 3.7

OX:        

Will Goss: 41 disposals, 17 Rebound 50s, 7 tackles

Sam Fisher: 29 disposals (19 contested), 4 tackles, 5 clearances, 7 Inside 50s, 1 goal

Marcus Stavrou: 21 disposals (10 contested), 11 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 goals

Tom Dunne: 22 disposals (14 contested), 4 marks, 5 Rebound 50s

---

Matt Smith (Uni Blues): “The first quarter was a real arm wrestle, as it has been in our last few encounters, and we knew Xavs were going to come out firing. We knew we just had to weather the storm and be in touch at the first turn.

“We felt like we had the game on our terms for the majority of the first three quarters; we controlled territory and were able to keep the ball locked in our forward 50 for long periods.

“However, we were uncharacteristically inaccurate in front of goal, which hurt us on two fronts. Firstly, we denied ourselves an opportunity to put the game beyond any doubt at three-quarter time. Secondly, 26 behinds gives 26 free uncontested possessions to Xavs.

“Xavs are an incredibly skilful side, and their use of kick-ins put that skill on full display. We had a really difficult time stopping them from kick-ins, and they often went coast-to-coast with little difficulty. They took full advantage of every opportunity and kept giving themselves a chance.

“It came down to a battle of attrition in the final term, and it seemed all we could do was hang on. Xavs took full control and denied us any real possession.

“It came down to a couple of moments of brilliance that inevitably proved to be the difference: a Sam Grimley miracle goal off the ground, and a late goal-saving tackle from Marty Gleeson.

“Marty was enormous for us all day; he led from the front as he has all year, and was crucial in multiple moments throughout the game, a worthy winner of the best on field medal.

“All in all, the 2026 season was an incredible year for the club as a whole. Having two of our three senior sides playing off in a Grand Final is an amazing achievement and holds us in great stead for the seasons to come.

“As always, the VAFA remains the premier competition in the state, given how closely contested each and every game is regardless of ladder position.”

Dan Donati (Old Xavs): “Obviously some very mixed emotions. I mean, what a game of football?!

“In these things there can only be one winner, and that wasn’t us, so disappointment for the boys and the wider supporter base is what I’m feeling the most.

“Full credit has to go to Blues. They got things right in the back half of the season and maintained their high level of performance right through until the end.

“It was a huge privilege to play on Grand Final Day. It was a fantastic week with a great build-up, and my boys were just super grateful for the opportunity. We’d done it the long way, but that suited us as we needed to get the game time into a few of the boys.

“We knew we needed to improve a lot from the Second Semi, so we focused hard on a few areas and matchups for the game.

“The first half was tight; it felt like we had marginally the better of the first quarter, lost momentum for a fair bit of the second before settling and getting the game back on even terms before half time.

“It was the third quarter dominance by the Blues that set up the game for them. We struggled to find a way to curb their centre bounce dominance, although we certainly tried many things! We lost the territory and just couldn’t find a way out.

“I thought at three-quarter time, they’d left a few easy chances out there though, and the door was ajar for a look if we were good enough. We were confident we’d run the game out, so it was just an all-out effort for the last 30 minutes.

“Urged on by one of the loudest local footy crowds I’ve ever heard, we managed to claw our way back. We had a few chances to edge ahead but couldn’t quite get our noses in front.

“One last desperate effort was denied by a great tackle, and the Blues, who brought immense pressure all day, got the win on what was no doubt a great game for the spectators!

“Congrats to Matty Smith and his team. They’re bloody hard to win, and they had a great season. We need to continue to improve.

“It’s emotionally difficult to lose a Grand Final. So much effort and time from so many, yet there is a huge sense of pride in a group that didn’t get it all their own way this year. They put in a great shift, and hopefully the last couple of years’ experience of playing when it matters most can set us up for a strong period ahead.”

2026 VAFA WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S GRAND FINAL – University Blues V Old Xaverians