VAFA’s Most Competitive Competition in 2023

2022 was a very competitive season for Division 4 with five teams truly in contention all through the season.

La Trobe was the team that ran the division for most of the season with both of their senior and reserve sides making it to the Grand Final.

In the seniors, La Trobe took out the Grand Final against Swinburne in a close game by 15 points. At the conclusion of the season, both La Trobe and Swinburne saw promotion to Division 3, whilst North Brunswick will be looking for redemption after relegation to Division 4.

Albert Park

The Falcons are a side that is incredibly hard to predict, over the offseason the squad has lost players during the transfer period but has managed to retain their core including 2022 OJ Meehan medal winner Sam Lee

The Falcons will be seeking to get on a run early and solidify itself in the top 4. Albert Park will have their back against the walls come seasons start with 6 of their first 7 games away from home however, the Falcons will take comfort with a good run home with 8 of their last 11 games at home.

The Falcons finished their 2022 season with a record of 6-9 and only finished one win outside of the top 4.

The club faces North Brunswick in what will be a major test for the team in their season opener. North Brunswick may have been relegated, but the Bulls still managed to put together 6 wins in Division 3 so they will be a tough task for the Falcons.

Box Hill North

The Demons are tipped to be the team that’ll take the biggest jump this season. Over the offseason, the Demons have reshaped their list injecting plenty of youth into the side and coach Jeff D’Amato will be looking to lead his side into the pointy end of the season. With a mix of youth and experience now at the club, it is a very exciting time for the team.

2022 saw the Demons struggle with only one win for their season. The win however was a big 60-point win against the Sharks which shows they are capable of big victories in big games.

Box Hill North will host Eley Park in what is a redemption game for both sides. Both teams put together less than memorable 2022 campaigns with both sides clear at the bottom of the table. With club leaders Beau Parthenides and Jordan Gasparini leaving the Dees, the new-look Box Hill North side will look to get their season off to the perfect start with a win over the Sharks.

Eley Park

The Sharks look to bring the fire in 2023 and the squad will look to be like Bruce from Jaws rather than Lenny from Shark Tale when they take to the field. Eley Park has taken a major step already this season dominating the transfer period with over 10-15 new players set to join the Sharks for their season redemption.

The Sharks had a record of 2-14 in 2022 with their wins being a big win over Box Hill North and a massive upset in a thrilling clash against Masala. The Sharks dipped at the end of the season with their last 5 losses being by an average of 91 points.

The Sharks will start their 2023 campaign against rivals Box Hill North. Both teams will want to kick off their season with a spark so expect an exciting match when these two sides clash in the first game of the season. Eley Park may have been graded an ‘A’ for their preseason and transfers but round 1 is where we get an indication if the Sharks have come to cause a fright in 2023.

Masala

The Tigers will look to bring in a new brand of #SpicyFooty to take their game to the next level in 2023. The Tigers have brought in some great talents of both youth and experience and will look to have these additions make them the premiership team they are seeking to be. The Tigers however will be without team-of-the-year ruckman Dale Gibb and key players Tim Hoffman and Tom Edwards

In 2022, with a record of 7-9, the Tigers finished 4th and secured themselves a spot in the finals. Masala was then able to pull together an incredible come-from-behind victory against St Johns - one of the best wins in club history.

Masala will host rivals St Johns in their first match of the season and will look to put a spicy spell on the JOCs. The Tigers may have lost both times during the regular season against their foes, but a win in their most recent affair in an elimination final sets the scene for what should be a good match between two top sides.

North Brunswick

The Bulls will be looking at the 2023 season as their redemption story. North Brunswick put together a reasonable season albeit not one they had pictured. This season will see the Bulls return to Division 4, the division where they completed the premiership double in 2018 a feat that they will be hungry to reproduce.

The Bulls have 5 of their first 6 games at home to kick off their season but will have a tough run home with their last 3 games away from Allard Park.

2022 saw the Bulls put together a fair season with a record of 6-10 where they had big wins against Parkside and dual wins over Emmaus St Leos (Now Wattle Park). The Bulls were a side that didn’t struggle to hit the scoreboard often, however, sometimes struggled against the big opposition.

North Brunswick will kick off their 2023 campaign when they host Albert Park in what should be a good competitive match. The Bulls will look to use this match to make a statement and reintroduce themselves, with hopes of chasing another flag in 2023.

St Johns

St Johns has a big season in front of them and will look to go a few steps further than their previous season in order to take out the premiership. The JOCs will have a new coach at the helm with Alan Sutherland joining the team with over 30 years of football experience.

The JOCs will however be without key forward Rohan Scott who had 35 goals from only 8 games in 2022. St Johns however has retained key players Corey Ely and Nick Terrill who will look to take St John’s to their first seniors flag since 2011.

2022 saw the JOCs impress all as they ended their regular season with a record of 11-1-3. This included winning 6 of their first 7 matches including wins against premiers La Trobe and rivals Masala. The JOCs looked to make a play to go all the way in the finals however they were defeated heartbreakingly by Masala in a game where they led for most of the day.

It may only be round 1, but this is possibly the biggest game on the St John’s calendar as they take on rivals Masala away. The JOCs did win both games in the regular season in 2022 against the Tigers and will come into the game with an even chance of victory.

Teams and viewers of the division should look forward to what should be a thrilling season of football. All teams appear to have a genuine chance and a path to the premiership and it’s going to be exciting to see which team will be the one to take the titles with both hands.

Round 1 Tips

Masalav St Johns

Box Hill Northv Eley Park

North Brunswickv Albert Park

Hayden Troiani (Old Xaverians)

VAFA congratulates the following players on reaching these incredible milestones. Well done!

Tom Fantasia (Old Xaverians)

Tom came down to the OXFC in 2015 straight from school and was part of the Under 19 premiership team. Since then, Tom has played most of his footy through the Under 23’s and Thirds competitions. A jack of all trades who has been able to play from full forward, to full back, and a pinch hit in the ruck, Tom is an incredibly popular member of the club, who will surely have many more games left in him.

Hayden came to the club in 2015 straight out of school and was part of the Under 19 Premiership team that year. Since, he has developed into an integral member of the senior midfield. His tenacious tackling and evasive sidestep has made him a much loved OXFC player and one we hope to see more of in the future. 100

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