2016 VFL Season Review - Flag Goes West
Round one of the season kicked off with a one goal thriller at Piranha Park in Coburg where the home side fell agonisingly short to North Ballarat. A late goal from Rooster’s ruckman Rowan Marshall sealing the win. The Roosters had terminated their alignment with AFL club North Melbourne due to the burgeoning relationship between the City of Ballarat and North Melbourne’s AFL rival the Western Bulldogs. The Kangaroos had already negotiated a partial affiliation with VFL club Werribee and their decision to exit Ballarat meant this could now be upgraded to a full affiliation. So the North Ballarat Roosters would now be a standalone club in the VFL competition. Reigning premier Williamstown began their year with a 45-point victory over Richmond at Burbank Oval on the Sunday.
The grand final replay was the match-of-the-day in round two when Williamstown hosted Box Hill. The Hawks getting revenge with a 17.10.112 to 14.13.97 win. At Punt Road Oval Richmond stage a 78-point turnaround to defeat Footscray by 52 points on the back of five goals from Liam McBean. It was Tigers first win under new coach Craig McRae.
The Tigers came back to earth in round three going down to Frankston 14.15.99 to 13.8.86. It was Frankston’s first win since round sixteen of the 2014 season, breaking a 24-match losing streak. Sandringham and Geelong won their first games for the season beating Footscray and North Ballarat respectively while Box Hill went to the top of the ladder following their eight point win over Coburg at Piranha Park.
The Hawks remained undefeated after they accounted for Frankston by 59-points at a wet and windy Box Hill City Oval in round four. Traditional rivals Williamstown and Port Melbourne staged a low scoring arm wrestle at a cold Burbank Oval with the home side holding on by seven points – 8.4.52 to 5.15.45. At Preston City Oval Collingwood staved off the Northern Blues winning 14.16.100 to 13.13.91.
Casey and Williamstown joined Box Hill at the top of the ladder in round five after wins over the Northern Blues and Werribee. The Scorpions held the Blues to just two goals in their 107-point demolition at Casey Fields with Sam Weideman kicking four goals while the Seagulls turned it on at Avalon Airport Oval thrashing Werribee 20.17.137 to 9.9.63. At Frankston Park Frankston kicked the last three goals of the match to keep Coburg winless – 8.13.61 to 7.14.56.
Four goals from North Melbourne forward Aaron Black, including the winner, got Werribee over the line against Box Hill in a thriller at Avalon Airport Oval in round six. The loss for the Hawks their first for the season and knocked them from top spot. In another upset occurred at Piranha Park when Coburg won their first game for the year beating Essendon by 31-points in front of more than 1,300 fans. Scores were level at three-quarter-time but the Lions booted eight goals in the final term to take the win, Peter McEvoy booting four goals for the winners.
Three late goals to Sandringham was enough to get the points over Geelong in a round nine thriller at Simmons Stadium in Geelong. The lead see-sawed in the final term before the Zebras got the break to win 15.11.101 to the Cats 15.9.99. Casey Scorpions remained a game clear on top of the ladder after 35-point win over Port Melbourne at Casey Fields while at a slippery Box Hill City Oval the Hawks got back on the winners list beating lowly North Ballarat 12.18.90 to 9.9.63.
The top eight tightened in round ten when top side Casey fell to Collingwood at Casey Fields. The Pies restricted the ladder leaders to just two goals for the game winning 8.11.59 to 2.7.19. It was the Scorpions first loss since their round three defeat at the hands of Williamstown, who now joined them on top of the ladder after beating Frankston by five goals at Burbank Oval. The Northern Blues provided the biggest upset of the round beating Box Hill at a muddy Box Hill City Oval by six goals with Jack Silvagni booting four for the Blues.
Geelong made it three-in-a-row and moved into equal fifth on the ladder when they upset second placed Williamstown by sixteen points at Burbank Oval in round twelve. Inaccuracy cost the home side dearly kicking 5.17.47 to the Cats 10.3.63. North Ballarat made the long road trip to Frankston to take on the Dolphins and came home with the points in a hotly contested affair finally winning 11.9.75 to 10.8.68. In other games Coburg surprised Werribee at Avalon Airport Oval with a fourteen point win 9.19.73 to 9.5.59 while Box Hill suffered their third loss in-a-row losing to Port Melbourne 7.13.55 to 10.11.71 at North Port Oval.
Top side the Casey Scorpions had a scare in round thirteen at Punt Road Oval when they edged out Richmond 11.12.78 to 11.10.76. Sandringham won their fifth match in-a-row when they downed Frankston at the Trevor Barker Oval 16.20.116 to 9.2.56 to move them into equal second while Coburg’s improvement continued with a two goal win over Footscray at Piranha Park. Ahmed Saad kicking six goals for the Lions.
Williamstown, Collingwood and Sandringham all joined Casey Scorpions on equal points atop the ladder in round fourteen. It was helped with the Scorpions having their second bye in a fortnight however. Werribee’s horror run continued when they fell seven points short to Port Melbourne at North Port Oval. Back in round six Werribee held equal second spot on the ladder but had now lost six games in succession.
Casey lost top billing in round fifteen when they fell agonisingly short to Footscray by a point at VU Whitten Oval. The Scorpions led by five goals at the final change but the home side would kick with the advantage of a howling wind favouring the Geelong road end in the final term. They kicked 4.8 to one behind in the term with a behind to Footscray’s Anthony Barry in the dying seconds the sealer. Bailey Dale the Bulldog’s best with four goals and 28 disposals. A Jason Ashby goal from the final kick of the game got Essendon a thrilling three point win over Box Hill at Windy Hill. The Hawks had now won only one game since round four of the competition!
Casey were back on top, equal with Williamstown, following their defeat of Sandringham by 46-points at Casey Fields in round sixteen. Richmond continued Box Hill’s misery with a sixteen point defeat of the Hawks at Punt road while the Northern Blues upset Footscray by a goal at Ikon Park.
Box Hill’s deep dive got worse when they lost to Footscray by five points in a thriller at a blustery VU Whitten Oval in round seventeen. The Bulldogs failed to score a goal in the first and third quarters and trailed the Hawks by 31-points at the final change. However with the aid of the strong breeze they rallied to kick 5.7 to just one behind in the final quarter to win 10.13.73 to 10.8.68. Lukas Webb, Nathan Hrovat and Jordan Russell their best. It was the Hawks seventh loss in-a-row as their finals aspirations teetered on the brink.
Box Hill finally got back on the winners list in round eighteen with a 37-point victory over Werribee at Box Hill City Oval. Jack Fitzpatrick and Ryan Burton with three goals each for the Hawks who now sat one game outside the top eight. At Burbank Oval on the Sunday Footscray won another thriller against western rivals and ladder leader Williamstown by four points. The Bulldogs led at every change before the Seagulls took the lead late into the final term. But an Andrew Tashevski-Beckwith goal with a few minutes on the clock got the Dogs over the line – 12.9.81 to 11.11.77.
Sixth placed Essendon upset second placed Williamstown in round nineteen with a three goal win at Windy Hill. The Bombers controlled the game after quarter-time with Shaun McKernan their standout collecting 21 disposals, 11 marks and finishing with four goals. Box Hill kept their finals hopes alive with a 22-point win over Sandringham at Box Hill City Oval thanks to three goals from Tim O’Brien and Alex Woodward who gathered a game-high 29 possessions. Geelong missed an opportunity to go into the top four suffering a disappointing 37-point loss to Richmond at Punt road.
A crowd of over 1,700 went to Box Hill City Oval to see Collingwood rise to the top of the VFL ladder following their 21-point win over the Hawks in the penultimate round twenty. It was the Pies twelfth win in succession and they truly were the ‘red hot Pies’! Box Hill’s inaccuracy costing them any chance of playing final in 2016 kicking 7.15.57 to Collingwood 12.6.78. Geelong helped the Magpies into top spot with an eleven point win over former ladder leaders Casey at Simmonds Stadium. Casey got out to a 33-point lead in the third quarter but the Cats held them goalless in the final term to run out 13.5.83 to 10.12.72 victors. Tom Atkins and Tom Stewart named as Geelong’s best. Richmond’s late season surge continued beating Sandringham at the Trevor Barker Oval – 14.14.98 to 12.17.89. The Tiger’s 23rd man, Bendigo Pioneer, Kayle Kirby, the hero booting five goals including the sealer. The Tigers were the only team outside the top eight who could pinch a spot in the final round. They needed to beat Coburg and hope that the Northern Blues could upset Essendon for that to happen.
That didn’t eventuate however as the Bombers sunk the Blues 19.18.132 to 8.10.58 with Aaron Heppell leading the way with 34 disposals. The Tigers defeated Coburg by 91 points to win their sixth game in succession with midfielder Anthony Miles outstanding again with a game-high 33 possessions. They would finish a game outside the top eight. Casey Scorpions won the minor premiership finishing on top after their five goal win over Box Hill kicking 11.20.86 to 8.8.56, ending the Hawks disappointing year. At VU Whitten oval in Footscray the Bulldogs signalled their intentions for a good finals series with a strong 32-point win over second placed Collingwood. Footscray finishing a game clear in the top four ahead of Geelong and Port Melbourne. At Eureka Stadium in Ballarat the battle for the wooden spoon was a tight contest with the home side prevailing and thus swapping places with Frankston to avoid last place. Finals scores North Ballarat 8.18.66 to Frankston 8.8.56.
The finals series began at Casey Fields with the Scorpions putting Footscray back in their kennel with a whopping 70-point win 20.8.128 to 8.10.58 and therefore moving straight through to a preliminary final. At Ikon Park, Collingwood was far too strong for Williamstown winning by 46-points to progress to the other preliminary final while at North Port Oval, Essendon eliminated Geelong from the finals race winning 21.6.132 to 17.8.110. The Cats led by sixteen points at the final change but were overrun by the dangerous Bombers. On the Sunday home fans said goodbye to Port Melbourne as Sandringham proved too good winning 22.13.145 to 15.10.100. The Zebras had lost six of the past seven games leading into the elimination final and most thought they would make a quick exit, however five goals from Tom Lee and four from Cam Shenton paved the way for a stunning win.
North Port Oval hosted both semi-finals and on the Saturday Williamstown regrouped form their loss to Collingwood with a 46-point demolition of Sandringham – 14.11.95 to 7.7.49. It was a much closer affair on the Sunday between Footscray and Essendon with the Bulldogs prevailing 13.16.94 to 10.15.75. Footscray trailed by three goals at the final change but overran the Bombers in the last term. Bailey Dale with three goals for the winners and Mitch Honeychurch 26 disposals the standouts for the victors.
In the Saturday Preliminary Final at Port Melbourne, Footscray recorded the biggest winning margin in a final since the VFL era began back in 1996 annihilating Collingwood 27.19.181 to 9.8.62. On the Sunday minor premiers Casey Scorpions booked a place in their first grand final since 1999 with a 42-point win over Williamstown 12.13.85 to 5.13.43.
The Grand Final was played at Etihad Stadium before a crowd of 17,348 on Sunday September 25. The first quarter was an arm wrestle with the inaccurate Footscray leading 2.7 to 2.1 at the break. Casey gathered some momentum in the second quarter thanks to tall forwards Tim Smith, Sam Weideman and Liam Hulett who all scored majors to have their side six points ahead at the main break.
In the third quarter the Bulldogs put the foot down. The kicked eight unanswered goals and had eighteen more inside fifties than their opponents. The Dogs keeping the Scorpions scoreless for the quarter to lead 12.13.85 to 6.3.39 and have one hand well and truly on the cup. Casey tried hard in the last term to get back into the match but the damage had been done. Footscray winning their second premiership in three years – 13.19.97 to 10.6.66.
Nick Jamieson kicked three goals for the winner and Lin Jong and Tom Campbell two each while for Casey Smith kicked three and Weideman two. Koby Stevens finished with 29 disposals and eight clearances for the Dogs while Lin Jong was awarded the Norm Goss Medal for best afield honours. Clayton Oliver amassed a game-high 31 disposals for Casey while Smith had 16 possessions and six marks to go with his three goals.
The season’s major award winners were Coburg’s Ahmed Saad who won the Frosty Miller Medal as leading goal kicker with 49 goals and Williamstown rover Michael Gibbons who took home the J.J.Liston Trophy as the competition’s best and fairest with seventeen votes. Runner-up to Gibbons was Geelong’s George Horlin-Smith on fifteen votes followed by Gibbon’s teammate Ben Jolley and Port Melbourne’s Toby Pinwell who were equal third on fourteen votes. The Fothergill-Round Medal for the competition’s best young talent was won by Coburg’s Luke Ryan.
Final Ladder:
1 – Casey Scorpions 18 14 4 0 1829 1090 167.8 56
2 – Collingwood 18 14 4 0 1541 1323 116.5 56
3 – Williamstown 18 13 5 0 1746 1201 145.4 52
4 – Footscray 18 12 6 0 1558 1447 107.7 48
5 – Geelong 18 11 7 0 1694 1232 137.5 44
6 – Port Melbourne 18 11 7 0 1383 1329 104.1 44
7 – Sandringham 18 10 8 0 1675 1465 114.3 40
8 – Essendon 18 10 8 0 1603 1477 108.5 40
9 – Richmond 18 9 9 0 1482 1343 110.3 36
10 – Box Hill 18 7 11 0 1450 1440 100.7 28
11 – Werribee 18 7 11 0 1430 1757 81.4 28
12 – Coburg 18 6 12 0 1259 1557 80.9 24
13 – Northern Blues 18 6 12 0 1347 1890 71.3 24
14 – North Ballarat 18 3 15 0 1076 1826 58.9 12
15 – Frankston 18 2 16 0 1131 1827 61.9 8
