Welcome To VFL Footy
If this is your first visit, be sure to register so you can post. Click the register link above to proceed. The site is undergoing some maintenance and upgrades, so please be patient. Maintenance on the site may reactivate some historical posts.

Cats thrash Scorpions

By administrator May 06, 2007
From the Sunday Age

Reported by Sean Cusick
Full article Click here

GEELONG has continued its hot VFL form by smashing the Scorpions by 81 points at Casey Fields, but the win was marred as former captain Steven King was reported for tripping.

The Cats were bolstered by three of last week's AFL players, Mathew Stokes, Brent Prismall and King, and all were instrumental in the match.

King, the 189-game AFL veteran, threw his right leg out and collected Casey captain Nigel Carmody late in the final quarter. King was falling down at the time and completely off balance and Carmody was able to jump straight up to take his kick, which may work in King's favour at the tribunal.

The star-studded Geelong line-up was too strong for Casey, which had flogged Box Hill by 129 points at the same ground three weeks ago.

Stokes was best on ground, collecting 32 touches and kicking two goals. Prismall looked the matchwinner at half-time, with 23 possessions and two goals. But due to emergency duties in Geelong's twilight showdown with Richmond today, he didn't return to the field after the break.

Hawks too steady for fighting Devils

By Robbo May 06, 2007
From Sunday Examiner
Reported by Phil Edwards

THE Tassie Devils fought valiantly but suffered their fourth straight loss of the season going down to the Box Hill Hawks by 13 points in their VFL clash at Bellerive Oval yesterday.

The Devils played with plenty of commitment and desire and refused to give up in a frenetic last quarter in which they kicked four goals against the wind to twice get within six points of the Hawks.

But a Jarryd Morton goal at the 24-minute mark steadied the Hawks as Tasmania pressed the advantage before Beau Dowler's after-the-siren shot gave Box Hill a 13.17 (95) to 12.10 (82) victory.

Devils' coach Daryn Cresswell would have been heartened by his side's work rate and effort but frustrated still by skill errors and poor decision-making in disposal which proved costly throughout the game.

The bottom of the ladder Hawks were winless before yesterday's game but fielded their best side so far this season against the Devils with 10 AFL-listed players including the senior experience of Joel Smith, Beau Muston, Josh Thurgood and Zac Dawson.

Tassie left in limbo

By Robbo May 05, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

AFL Tasmania will not enter a new three-year agreement with AFL Victoria while the future of the VFL remains unknown.

The Devils three-year VFL license expires at the end of this season.

AFL Tasmania chairman Dominic Baker and general manager Scott Wade discussed the situation with AFL Victoria chairman Bob Tregear and chief executive Peter Schwab late yesterday.

The AFL is currently reviewing the second-tier competition. A report is to be handed down later this year.

The review is believed to focus on the competitions or teams where AFL-listed players will play when not selected in their senior teams.

Schwab, a former Hawthorn player and coach, said the review has made it hard for VFL clubs to plan for the future.

"Until they complete that review we are all sort of guessing really," Schwab said yesterday.

Ballantyne latest addition to Carlton Mid WA State squad

By Robbo May 02, 2007
From WAFL website

Peel Thunder midfielder Hayden Ballantyne has been added to the WA State squad that will take on Victoria on Saturday, May 26.

Ballantyne kicked three goals in his team's loss to Subiaco last Saturday. The 19-year-old from Baldivis who made his WAFL debut in 2005 and has played 26 senior games, has kicked 11 goals in five games so far this season, including four goals against East Perth in Round 4. The training squad now stands at 34 with the omissions of Mathew Seal, Tallan Ames, Justin Sprigg and Blake Broadhurst. Broadhurst injured a shoulder in the Lions win over Perth in Round 5 and was always going to be in a race against time to be fit for the game against the VFL at TEAC Oval in Victoria.

WA State coach Ashley Prescott said the inclusion of Ballantyne was proof that if players continued to show good form there was still room for inclusion in the State squad.

"He is just a genuinely quick player who could be used to burst through the middle and he is also capable of kicking a few goals," Prescott said.

Devils plot to end losing streak

By Robbo May 01, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

DEVILS co-captains Brett Geappen and Scott Stephens held player-only meetings in their respective regions last night to address the team's three-game losing streak and try to come up with a plan to form closer bonds with the Kangaroos players.

After starting the season with an away win, the Devils have dropped their past three games, including a home 52-point loss to Frankston on Saturday that prompted Geappen (South) and Stephens (North) to address their squads.

Geappen said high on the agenda would be the relationship with the Kangaroos players ahead of Saturday's Bellerive game against winless Box Hill.

"It is about making that work. We are going to put some steps in place to get the group gelling more," Geappen said yesterday.

"That is one area we are going to talk about."

Dolphins run all over Devils

By Robbo April 30, 2007
From Frankston Independent/Mornington Mail
Reported by Michael Robinson

Despite flight delays and a rush to get to the ground, Frankston have beaten Tasmania by 52 points in the Alec Campbell Cup game at Aurora Stadium in Launceston.

It was a cool but clear night with Frankston getting off to a good start against the breeze with goals to Matthew Burns and Justin Berry got the Dolphins a handy 9 point quarter time lead.

Frankston used the wind to their advantage in the second quarter as they piled on 5 goals to lead by 39 points shortly before the break. Tassie then had their best period of the game kicking three unanswered goals to get within 21 points at half time.

After half time the Dolphins midfield continued to dominate as Frankston added another 4 goals to 2 to lead by 34 points going into the final change.

In the final quarter the Dolphins finished the domination with 4 goals to Tasmania's 1 to win the game by 52 points.

Justin Berry won the Frank McDonald Medal for Frankston's best player. Marcus Marigliani, Sam Carpenter and Nick Benbow were among Frankston's best but it was a great team performance.

"It's always tough to come down here and win," Frankston coach Brett Lovett said.

"This was the best four quarters we've played all year, our pressure was great, and I couldn't be more proud of the boys."

Leaders display their credentials

By Robbo April 30, 2007
From The Age
Reported by Sean Cusick

LAST year's grand finalists, Sandringham and Geelong, have asserted themselves as the VFL's dominant clubs after convincing wins yesterday.

Sandringham struggled to shake a determined Casey Scorpions outfit and led by only 27 points at the final break, before a nine-goal final quarter delivered them a 79-point win and kept them a game clear on top of the table.

With spearhead Nick Sautner enjoying an absorbing duel with St Kilda's James Gwilt, Melbourne youngster Michael Newton played his finest senior game to date, booting six goals.

Newton showed goal smarts and looked strong on a fast lead.

Taken with pick 43 in the 2004 draft, 2007 shapes up as a defining season. At 20, he is yet to make his Demons debut and last season played half the season in the Sandringham reserves after struggling to consolidate a place in the seniors.

Pages