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. Also please note that the website is currently being upgraded to a newer version in the coming weeks(s). This may impact on access to the site and the maintenance on the site may reactivate some historical posts.

Ramanauskas joins party as Coburg crashes

By Robbo June 04, 2007
From Herald Sun
Reported by Geoff Poulter

ADAM Ramanauskas and old Essendon mates Chris Heffernan and Scott Camporeale helped the Bendigo Bombers burst the Coburg Tigers' bubble with a resounding 52-point home win yesterday.

With Jason Cloke kicking four goals, the Bombers belied their ladder position - Coburg had won six straight and was six rungs higher than the ninth-placed Bombers before yesterday's game.

With Richmond emergencies Chris Hyde (beaten by Cloke) and Jack Riewoldt (two goals) having quiet afternoons, Bendigo again showed it was an improving outfit in its 19.10 (124) to 10.12 (72) triumph, coming on the back of a strong win at Frankston in the previous round.

The Bombers led by only 20 points at halftime but cleared out in the second half, kicking 4.1 to 0.5 in the third term and six goals to four in the last.

Bombers at home in Bendigo

By Robbo June 04, 2007
From The Age
Reported by Sean Cusick

BENDIGO ended Coburg's unbeaten five-match run, hammering the Tigers by 52 points in their first home match since August last season.

The Bombers clearly relished the return to their home turf at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo, after drought conditions forced the transfer of their previous home fixtures to Windy Hill.

Coburg kicked the first three goals and looked set to shoot as high as second on the ladder with another strong win on the road.

But after Bendigo wrested back control in a tight first half, it destroyed the Tigers in the second half, kicking 10 goals to four, with Kepler Bradley (12 marks and two goals) providing a focal point, while Courtney Johns played another exceptional game in his experiment at the centre half-back.

Cressa blasts critics

By Robbo June 04, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

DEVILS coach Daryn Cresswell has hit back angrily at Port Melbourne president Peter Saultry, who advised the Tasmanian VFL side to cut its partial alignment with the Kangaroos.

Saultry said in Saturday's Mercury Port was like a new club after cutting its ties with the Kangaroos at the end of 2005.

"I think he (Saultry) should stick to running his own footy club and not worry about ours," Cresswell said.

"I thought the Kangaroos players were terrific (against Port Melbourne) and I have got nothing but praise for our involvement with the Kangaroos and the way they have gone about things in the way they have structured things with players coming down.

"I challenged the players coming down and today they stood up, every one of them."

Cresswell had the Mercury article pinned up on the white board in the changerooms prior to Saturday's 26-point loss to Port Melbourne in front of 1825 fans at Bellerive, with Saultry's comments highlighted and under a headline of "Everybody Read!"

Roosters run over reigning premier

By Robbo June 04, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

THE emotion shown by coach Gerard FitzGerald demonstrated just how much defeating Victorian Football League reigning premier Sandringham meant to North Ballarat at AUSTAR Arena on Saturday.

FitzGerald rushed to his players - addressing and embracing them.

And then with misty eyes, stood back and applauded his young outfit as it left the ground.

FitzGerald said the 35-point win over the previously unbeaten Sandringham meant the competition held no fears for the Selkirk Roosters.

"This has opened up the year (for us)."

Up until the 18.15 (123) to Sandringham 13.10 (88) triumph, seventh-placed North Ballarat had struggled against teams at the business end of the ladder with losses to Geelong (top), Coburg (fourth) and Northern Bullants (sixth).

Bombers thump Insipid Tigers

By Robbo June 03, 2007
Reported by Michael Robinson

It was a beautiful cool winter's day as Bendigo finally hosted their first VFL game at the Queen Elizabeth Oval for 2007.

A crowd of around 3000 saw an even first fifteen minutes until the Bombers broke away as the midfield began to dominate. The Bombers went into quarter time with a 14 point lead.

The second quarter also was even until the Bombers kicked a late goal to outscore the Tigers by 4 goals to 3 and increase their lead to 20 points at there main break.

The third quarter was the decisive one was Bombers held Coburg goalless and kicked 4 of their own to lead by 40 points at the last change.

Cresswell: Better times ahead

By Robbo June 02, 2007
From Herald Sun
Reported by Geoff Poulter

COACH Daryn Cresswell is optimistic that Tasmania will be a much improved team in the second half of the season.

Cresswell has had a tough initiation to VFL coaching with the side languishing on the bottom of the ladder with one win from seven games.

"Although we are 1-6, at three-quarter time in three of those six losses we have been in front," Cresswell said.

"That's because we are so young, a new team. A lot of these guys haven't played much footy together."

Cresswell is among many Tasmanians angered at the state being overlooked in favour of a New South Wales-Queensland team in tentative plans for an AFL State-of-Origin series next season.

"It is pretty ridiculous. We are a traditional footy state down here," Cresswell said of the snub.

"Queensland and New South Wales get it served up to them on a silver platter, the money . . .

"We would beat Queensland (State-of-Origin team). They are a bit fragile.

Unbeaten Zebras a tough task for North

By Robbo June 02, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

SANDRINGHAM is once again the benchmark in the Victorian Football League this season.

The Zebras are unbeaten in their quest for four consecutive premierships, a feat only ever achieved once in VFA/VFL history by Essendon in 1891-92-93-94.

And in this age of AFL alignments North Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald has no doubt what the key to Sandringham's success has been and continues to be - a strong VFL list.

The Zebras have enjoyed a great relationship with Melbourne, but their ability to maintain an experienced list is the biggest factor.

Sandringham has seven players with more than 50 VFL games, led by champion full forward Nick Sautner, who celebrates his 200th milestone against North Ballarat at AUSTAR Arena today.

In comparison, the Selkirk Roosters have only five in this category out on the ground today: Shaune Moloney, Tristan Cartledge, Aaron Clark, Jacob Spolding and Leigh Ryall, who plays his first senior game for the year.

If North Ballarat is to cause the upset of the season and stop Sandringham in its tracks, it has three major assignments which must be completed successfully.

1-The Roosters must shutdown the Zebra midfield.

2-Shaune Moloney has to keep Nick Sautner to a maximum of five goals.

3-Melbourne Demons hard man Byron Pickett must be nullified.

Devils advised to ditch Kangaroos

By Robbo June 02, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

SCRAPPING its alignment with AFL side the Kangaroos gave VFL club Port Melbourne new life, and the Borough's president Peter Saultry says Tasmania should do the same.

After a successful alignment with Sydney ended for financial reasons after the 2002 season, Port entered a deal with the Kangaroos, before opting to be a stand-alone club after three unsuccessful years.

"It's a good feeling, there is a brightness about the club," Saultry said ahead of today's Devils-Port Melbourne game at Bellerive.

"There is just a feeling about the boys when they play. We are happy as a club. The decisions are made by our club, we have full control of what goes on.

"We have nobody interfering with anything we do. We give an opportunity to 22 players to play at this level."

AFL Tasmania is considering its future, which could include cutting the Devils' partial alignment with the Kangaroos after 1½ unsuccessful years both on and off the field.

"Tasmanian crowds have dropped off," Saultry said. "They are passionate about their sport and they don't see that passion with bringing these (Kangaroos) players in."

Pages