The 2017 VFL season began minus the Frankston Dolphins who had their licence terminated late in 2016 by AFL Victoria for financial reasons, considered to be not operating viably. The Casey Scorpions were renamed the Casey Demons to strengthen their alignment with AFL affiliate Melbourne and St.Kilda expanded their affiliation with Sandringham including the Zebras playing in St.Kilda’s colours in three games at the Saints old home ground at Moorabbin.
In the opening round Box Hill survived a last minute charge from reining premier Footscray at the Whitten Oval to record a thrilling two point win – 15.5.95 to 14.9.93. Sandringham held off a fast finishing Essendon at the Trevor Barker Oval to record a seven point win 11.12.78 to 10.11.71 while Collingwood got over the line against Coburg at Piranha Park 9.10.64 to 9.8.62. At Punt Road Richmond trounced North Ballarat by 188-points! The Tigers had thirteen individual goal kickers in their 33.21.219 to 4.7.31 win with Ben Lennon booting six and Jacob Townsend and Sam Lloyd five each.
Coburg failed to score in the opening quarter of their round two clash with Box Hill at Box Hill City Oval. The Hawks however, piled on 11.3 in the term to demolish the Lions. The Hawks eventually winning 21.16.142 to 9.10.64 with Jack Fitzpatrick booting five goals and Tyrone Vickery three.
Footscray had fifteen goal kickers in their round three drubbing of North Ballarat at the Whitten Oval in a rare Friday night game. Mitch Wallis returned from a long lay-off with injury to amass 34 disposals and kick three goals in the Bulldogs 25.12.162 to 5.9.39 win. At North Port Oval, Port Melbourne beat Richmond by five goals in a top-of-the-table clash.
Footscray came from two goals down at three-quarter-time to defeat Richmond by seven points in round four at Etihad Stadium. Jack Redpath returning from a long-term knee injury took nine marks and booted six goals in their 17.16.118 to 17.9.111 win. At Simmonds Stadium the third quarter was delayed almost half an hour after the public address system malfunctioned, causing the siren to sound continuously for fifteen minutes. Play resumed and Box Hill proved too strong for Geelong, winning by seven goals, moving them into equal top of the ladder with Port Melbourne.
Casey Demons upset Port Melbourne in round six with a 43-point win at Casey Fields. The Borough’s loss combined with Box Hill’s 26-point win over Collingwood meant the Hawks were now solely league leaders. At Eureka Stadium in Ballarat, the home side went within a whisker of securing their first win on the season. Werribee finally holding on by five points to leave North Ballarat along with Coburg as the only sides still yet to win a game.
Round seven provided one of the games of the season and one of the best in years when the top two sides Box Hill and Port Melbourne drew at North Port Oval. The Hawks led by sixteen points at the final change but surrendered the lead in the last term before a Kade Stewart snap levelled the scores in the dying seconds. Final scores Box Hill 16.12.108 Port Melbourne 15.18.108. Collingwood snapped a five-game losing streak with a fourteen point win over Sandringham at Victoria Park while Werribee played out another five point thriller, ironically with the same total point score line as the round before against North Ballarat 72 to 67, this time beating Richmond.
Coburg registered their first win for the season in round ten with a 25-point win over Sandringham at Trevor Barker Oval. That meant that North Ballarat was now the only side without a win and at the bottom of the ladder. Three matches were decided by a goal or less in round eleven. At Trevor Barker Oval, Sandringham snapped a four-game losing streak with a six point win over Werribee 17.6.108 to 14.18.102. At Victoria Park Collingwood upset Footscray 13.7.85 to 12.8.80 while at Windy Hill Richmond edged out Essendon 12.8.80 to 10.14.74.
Port Melbourne joined Box Hill at the top of the ladder in round twelve when they defeated the Northern Blues at Preston City Oval by 23-points. At Box Hill City Oval, Williamstown moved into second place after they toppled the ladder leaders Box Hill comfortably by 45-points. North Ballarat won their first game of the year in round fourteen when they defeated the Northern Blues by 26-points at Mars Stadium in Ballarat. Final scores 11.9.75 to 6.13.49. Williamstown moved six points clear of Port Melbourne in second place when they accounted for the Borough by three points in a low scoring affair in the mud at North Port Oval. The Seagulls home 7.9.51 to Port 6.12.48. At Punt Road, Collingwood ended Richmond’s five-game winning run with a thrilling two point win – 14.20.104 to 16.6.102.
Williamstown dislodged Box Hill from top spot on the ladder in round seventeen when they defeated Werribee by 71-points at Burbank Oval. The Hawks fell to Essendon at Windy Hill by a goal in an old fashioned rivalry clash. Meanwhile Geelong ended a five-game losing streak with a seven point win over Richmond at Simmonds Stadium.
Box Hill missed an opportunity to return to the top of the ladder in round eighteen when they lost to Port Melbourne at home by 28-points while over at Casey Fields Casey upset Williamstown by four goals. At the Holden Centre Geelong fell in by five points against Collingwood and Essendon beat Footscray by the same margin at Windy Hill. In the battle of the cellar dwellers at Piranha Park, Coburg held out North Ballarat by two goals to hand the Roosters the dreaded ‘wooden spoon’.
Four sides, the Northern Blues, Geelong, Sandringham and Werribee all had to win by large margins and Collingwood lose for any of them to displace the Pies from eighth position in the final round. Port Melbourne did them a favour but only just, defeating the Pies by a goal at the Holden Centre. Borough key forward, Jordan Lisle, kicking four goals to win his second ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal. The Blues and Werribee couldn’t beat either Box Hill or Casey while Geelong beat Essendon by two points and Sandringham, who had the most possible of all scenarios playing bottom side North Ballarat, won by 55-points but it still wasn’t enough to shift the Pies from the eight. Williamstown claimed the minor premiership with a 43-point win over Footscray at VU Whitten Oval.
In the first elimination final at North Port Oval Richmond held off a fast finishing Collingwood by eight points 12.13.85 to 11.7.73. At half-time the Pies had just the one goal and looked out of it but recovered and found themselves in front late in the final term but goals to Sam Lloyd and Jake Batchelor got the Tigers through. It was even closer on the Sunday at the same venue in the second elimination final when Footscray fought hard to keep a surging Essendon at bay winning by five points – 14.12.96 to 13.13.91. Tom Boyd was pivotal up forward for the Dogs kicking four goals and Clay Smith was named their best with nineteen disposals and two goals.
In the Qualifying Finals on the Saturday Williamstown was too good for the Casey Demons at Burbank Oval winning by 45-points. Casey trailed by 49 points in the second quarter but hit back to lead early into the final term. However, the minor premiers kicked the last eight goals to run away with the match – 18.10.118 to 11.7.73. On the Sunday Box Hill progressed to a Preliminary Final with a thirteen point win over Port Melbourne 11.11.77 to 9.10.64.
Richmond accounted for Casey in the first semi-final on the Saturday at Port Melbourne with a 27-point win 19.14.128 to 15.11.101. Tyson Stengle with four goals and Sam Lloyd three along with 23 disposals while Anthony Miles stood out with 32 disposals in a strong performance from the Tigers. On the Sunday Port Melbourne led Footscray by just ten points at three-quarter-time but kicked five goals to three in the last to win by twenty points – 16.11.107 to 12.15.87.
It was a disappointing end to Box Hill’s season when they succumbed to a powerful Richmond side with all the momentum in the first Preliminary Final on the Saturday at Port Melbourne. The Tigers kick the first six goals of the game and were never headed from there winning 18.11.119 to 8.6.54 to book their place in the grand final. On the Sunday Port Melbourne jumped rival Williamstown in the first quarter kicking four goals to nil to set up their 23-point win 12.10.82 to 8.11.59. The top two sides on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season had now been eliminated.
The Grand Final at Etihad Stadium was one of the most thrilling in the competition’s history. Both sides found goals hard to come by in the first three quarters. Richmond holding onto a two point lead over Port Melbourne at the final change – 6.8.44 to 6.6.42. The Tigers held sway in the final term and it appeared they were headed for the flag, however, the Borough kicked three goals in time-on to take a five point lead with seconds on the clock. Richmond’s Ben Lennon had a chance to win the game after the siren from outside fifty but his shot went wide. Port Melbourne the Premiers winning 11.8.74 to 10.10.70 in front of a crowd of 17,159. It was the Borough’s 17th VFL/VFA flag.
The J.J.Liston Trophy was won by Richmond’s Jacob Townsend with eighteen votes ahead of 2016 winner, Michael Gibbons (Williamstown) on sixteen votes followed by Gibbon’s team-mate Adam Marcon and Werribee’s Matt Hanson equal third on fourteen votes. The Frosty Miller Medal for the leading goal-kicker was won by Port Melbourne’s Jordan Lisle with 46 goals. The Fothergill-Round Medal for the VFL’s best young talent was won by Casey Demon’s Bayley Fritsch.
