VFA / VFL News

From the Port Phillip Leader
Reported by Paul Amy
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A NEW VFL season and a fresh young hope for Port Melbourne.

Blake Pearson popped up for three senior appearances for the Borough last year after being recruited from the Dandenong Stingrays.

After one, teammate Hugh Sandilands gave him a prank phone call, pretending to be a pressman and mixing questions with put-downs. It was a classic stitch-up.

On Saturday Pearson, a stocky but pacy 174cm right-footer, stitched up the Northern Blues for four goals to help Port to a 23-point victory at a cold and wet North Port Oval.

Two of his goals came in the final quarter, which the Borough had started only two points to the good.

In tough conditions they slowly got on top of the Blues, a touch stronger, a tad cleaner and steadier for the experience of captain Chris Cain, Nathan Batsanis, Hugh Sandilands and key defenders Will Johnson and Dan Noonan.

From the Moonee Valley Leader
Reported by Tim Michell
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IT WOULD have surprised no one if Marcus Marigliani woke with leather poisoning on Monday.

The Essendon VFL captain had the ball on a string in his side’s 32-point VFL win over Collingwood on Sunday at Windy Hill, gathering 33 disposals and 13 marks.

The Magpies had no answer for Marigliani’s dominance as the Bombers skipper helped his side lead at every change in an 11.9 (75) to 5.13 (43) victory.

“(It was) really important,” Marigliani said.

“It was a bit of a funny vibe we had against Sandringham, but it just felt on the weekend like we were back to the way we were playing our practice matches.

“If we’re winning the contested and inside footy we back ourselves to win the game and that’s what it felt like all game.”

VFL Round 3

SATURDAY MAY 2
Richmond vs Geelong at Punt Road 11am
Coburg vs Frankston at Piranha Park,Coburg 12:12pm(Channel 7)
(Development League Match follows at 3:10pm)
Collingwood vs Footscray at Victoria Park 1pm
North Ballarat vs Williamstown at Eureka Stadium 1pm
Port Melbourne vs Werribee at North Port Oval 2pm
(Development League Match at 11am)

SUNDAY MAY 3
Essendon vs Casey Scorpions at Windy Hill 12pm(Casey Radio)
Sandringham vs Northern Blues at Trevor Barker Oval,Sandringham 2pm(VFL Radio)
(Development League Match at 11am)

VFL Bye: Box Hill Hawks
Development League Byes: Box Hill Hawks,Casey Scorpions,Williamstown

VFL Round 2 (ANZAC Centenary weekend)

SATURDAY APRIL 25
Werribee vs North Ballarat at Avalon Airport Oval 2pm(VFL Radio)
(Development League Werribee vs Casey Scorpions at 11am)
Port Melbourne vs Northern Blues at North Port Oval 2pm
(Development League match at 11am)
Frankston vs Richmond at Frankston Park 2:15pm

SUNDAY APRIL 26
Essendon vs Collingwood at Windy Hill 11:42am(Channel 7)
Footscray vs Casey Scorpions at Whitten Oval 12pm(Casey Radio)
Box Hill Hawks vs Coburg at Box Hill 2pm(3WBC)
(Development League match at 10:45am)
Williamstown vs Sandringham at Burbank Oval 2pm
(Development League match at 11am)

VFL Bye:Geelong
Development League Bye: Frankston

From the Maribyrnong Leader
Reported by Mark Smith
Full article - Click here

THE Footscray Bulldogs will kick off its 2015 VFL campaign this weekend with a rematch against last year’s grand final opponent the Box Hill Hawks.

The club will unfurl its 2014 VFL premiership flag ahead of the round 1 clash on Saturday, April 18 at Whitten Oval.

Bulldogs president Peter Gordon urged Bulldogs supporters to make it down to the game.

“We don’t unfurl a premiership flag at the Whitten Oval that often,” he said.

He said the day would include a host of children’s activities and was being marketed as a family event.

It will be the first of nine home matches at the ground this season.

The club’s decision to field a stand alone VFL side under the Footscray name for the first time since 1996 has proved a popular one with fans in the west.

From the Herald Sun
Reported by Paul Amy
Full article - Click here

THE 2015 VFL season kicks off on Friday with Werribee hosting Geelong under lights. Leader sports editor Paul Amy rounds up each club’s ins and outs.

BOX HILL HAWKS

Coach: Marco Bello

Last year: runner-up to Footscray Bulldogs

In: Cadeyn Williams (Richmond), Jack Sandric (Hobart City), Lochie Adey, James Handley (Blackburn), Matthew Burt, Chris Jones, Liam Kidd, Matthew Traynor (Eastern Ranges), Billy Murphy, Sam Switkowski (Northern Knights), James Sullivan (Tatura), Patrick Dillon (Donvale), Xavier Dimasi (Assumption/Calder Cannons), Ben Fitzpatrick (Korumburra/Bena), Dalton Graham (Sandringham).

Out: Luke Andrews, Callan Burns, Corey Cassidy, Sam Cust, Jackson Eade, Tom Goodwin, Jake Kalanj, Tom Miles, Xavier Murphy, Matt Northe, Nick Papadopoulos, Kalem Post, Michael Thompson, Brandon Wood.

The verdict: the Hawks have lost top-line midfielders in Xavier Murphy and Luke Andrew as well as the emerging Brandon Wood. But they’ve picked up former Tiger Cadeyn Williams and have good young players coming through in support of senior men Sam Iles, David Mirra, Marc Lock and Liam Tobin. Premiers in 2013 and runners-up last year, there’s no reason to think there will be a slackening of standards.

Player watch: Mitch O’Donnell. He’s as hard as a coffin nail and he’ll be granted more opportunity after an excellent pre-season.

Celebrating season 2014 with the Casey Scorpions and A Positive Move

Click on read more for a full club by club report.

VFL Round 1

FRIDAY APRIL 17
Geelong 12.12.84 def Werribee 10.6.66

SATURDAY APRIL 18
Footscray 7.15.57 def by Box Hill 11.4.70
Coburg 15.10.100 def Richmond 12.13.85
Northern Blues 12.17.89 def by Williamstown 13.12.90
SUNDAY APRIL 19
North Ballarat 11.14.80 def Collingwood 6.9.45
Casey Scorpions 13.21.99 def Frankston 5.9.39
Sandringham 12.11.83 def Essendon 12.10.82

VFL Bye: Port Melbourne

Practice Games (Saturday April 11)

Northern Blues(VFL) vs AFL/AIS Academy at MCG 10:25am (C/R to Rich vs WB)
Richmond vs Footscray at Punt Road 11am
Essendon vs Geelong at True Value Solar Centre 12pm
Collingwood vs North Ballarat at Victoria Park 12:30pm
Port Melbourne vs Coburg at Northport Oval VFL 10am DL 1pm
Williamstown vs Box Hill Hawks at Burbank Oval DL 11am VFL 2pm
Casey Scorpions vs Werribee at Casey Fields DL 11am VFL 2pm
Frankston vs Sandringham at Frankston DL 11am VFL 2pm
Northern Blues(Dev League) vs North Ballarat City at Ikon Park 3pm

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