History To Meet The Future

The Sunday Age

Sunday September 21, 2008

Brad Beitzel

THE Victorian Amateur Football Association should have had a marketing department. Imagine what it could do with this afternoon's A Section grand final between Collegians and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers at Elsternwick Park.

The Lions are the only founding club of the VAFA remaining from the time the competition began in 1892.

The Tigers were formed in 1993 when the former district club Mentone amalgamated with old-boys club StBedes.

Collegians have won the most A Section premierships (15), while the Tigers are going for their first. But the Tigers are hunting down a unique VAFA treble of winning consecutive C, B and A section premierships.

Only Melbourne High Old Boys (1960-62) made an attempt after winning the two lower grades' flags, but lost the A Section grand final to Old Paradians by 47 points.

It is also the first time an amalgamated club has made an A Section grand final.

Many of the association's 72 clubs have an enormous junior program but harnessing it into senior power seems to be like solving the world's energy challenges.

But both of these clubs have with the Tigers drawing on 17 different schools in their junior program.

Collegians five years ago set about building up the relationship with Wesley College and 17 of the 22 who knocked out Old Xaverians last Sunday, went to the school. Five of those 22 are ex-AFL: full-forward Fergus Watts, Nick Ries, Damien Adkins, Nick Stone and Ben Robbins.

Down at the bay, there are no ex-AFL names except coach Luke Beveridge, who has led the way during the successful run. But there are three sets of relations: the Wintles (Michael, Paul, Luke), the Scafidis (Anthony and Andrew), and the Richards, (Chris and Simon) who took to the field to knock over Collegians by 17points in the second-semi.

Peninsula Old Boys, a D1 Section club, has been found guilty of paying its playing-coach in 2006.

The VAFA board has relegated the Pirates to D2 for 2009 after finding "that Mark Glenn did allegedly infringe his amateur status when playing 10 senior VAFA matches in 2006 as a playing coach".

Peninsula lost to Oakleigh in the 2006 D2 grand final by 67points but by defeating Aquinas in the preliminary, it was promoted to D1.

But Aquinas made last year's D2 grand final and president Marcello Tarulli said it didn't matter as they had now been promoted.

A non-playing coach is allowed to be paid but no players are allowed to receive remuneration.

Throughout this year the VAFA has been investigating rumours of payments to clubs in a variety of sections.

Marcellin upset B section minor premier Old Essendon by winning the premiership by three goals at Sportscover Arena.

The Eagles came from the first semi to knock over the Bombers , who lost only two games for the season.

Marcellin's Jason Crapper was named best.

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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