Preview Fitzroy Football Club 2021 VAFA Season

[Carn the Roys!]

Real life, honest to goodness football, played for Premiership points returns to the Brunswick Street Oval this week so I thought I'd start a 2021 season thread.

VAFA website fixture/ladder/results page

The Senior Men's & Women's sides will be competing in their respective VAFA Premier B grade this season.

Senior Men's Coaches and Leadership Group:
Senior Coach: Luke Mahoney
Senior Assistant Coach: Michael Manley
Senior Assistant Coach: Andrew Pettigrove
Senior Assistant Coach: Karl Jackson

Captain: Julian Turner
Vice Captains: Nathan Ligris and Jack Hart
Deputy Vice Captains: Max Ellis, Donovan Toohey, Ted Clayton
Well-being Leader: Ross Borland

Reserves Coach: Bernier Carter

VAFA website season preview
" Finishing one game above the relegation cut off in 2019 thanks to a strong final two weeks, Fitzroy are primed for a bounce back season. The return of premiership winning coach Luke Mahoney on top of a strong off-season headlined by the signings of Nick Devereux and Tom Wilson, plus a regular Nino Lazzaro, as well as continued development of youngsters Jack Hart and Donovan Toohey, the Roys are on the way up the Premier B standings."


Fitzroy-ACU Senior Women's Coaches and Leadership Group:
Senior Coach: Bronte Ryan
Senior Assistant Coach: Mel Story

Captain: Cass Blake
Vice Captain: Alexa Madden
Leadership Group: Hillary Collett, Caitlin White, Mia Sutherland

Reserves Coach: Nathan McLean

VAFA website season preview
Similarly to MUWFC, Fitzroy are Premier B newcomers this year after falling from the top level. Relegated in 2019 with just one win, Fitzroy will look to get back to winning ways this year under new senior coach Bronte Ryan.
The team has shown strong dedication to achieving success, training since late November and impressing the coach with their commitment to going the extra mile in the gym and off the training track.
Returning Essendon VFLW players Alexa Madden and Erin Gogerly will bolster the quality within the ranks, and the word on the street is that their performances at training and in practice games have been exceptional.

There's plenty more information available on Fitzroy's website fitzroyfc.com.au

Memberships are available for anyone who wants to support the mighty Roys:
2021 Fitzroy Membership

 

[Mobbs]

Unfortunately the membership is too expensive for me these days, so I've had to let mine lapse :/

 

[Carn the Roys!]

Unfortunately the membership is too expensive for me these days, so I've had to let mine lapse :/

Your contribution to keeping the faith alive is worth more than money could buy anyway.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I'm absolutely spewing that I didn't know the VAFA started tomorrow and I'm already engaged. I'd started heading down to the BSO with a couple of mates in 2019 and have been gagging to go have a few froths on the hill. Can't believe I'm missing the first game back!

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I missed last week (doing a Bunnings BBQ for Solar Smiles Dental Charity) and I will miss this week as the Premier Cricket Grand Final is on today (go Prahran)

Nino is back which gives us a target up forward but once again we will probably scrap along at the bottom of B grade and avoid relegation by the skin of our teeth.

I have a gripe about B and A grade. I reckon A grade should have 12 teams. The teams that fall to B grade are llways a 'grade' above most of the B Grade teams and this has been painfully apparent for as long as I can remember. B grade would become a more meaningful grade if the Grand Final was open to a side that had not been in A Grade in the last TWO years.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Have only got to two games and had to leave early in both of those but it appears we have become members of the honourable loss society.

What have people seen?