Premier A - 2015

[Jascave]

The VAFA has announced the William Buck Premier Team of the Year

The team is:
B: Andrew Sloan (OC) Tom Humphrey (DLS) Michael Angel (StBMT)

HB: Ross Young (UBlu) Simon Caven (StBern) Harry Tinney (OT)

C: Ned Hunt (OT) Cam Howat (OC-Capt.) Jakob Steinhart (OT)

HF: Jordan Quaile (UBla) Seb Nicolosi (OT) Alex Boyse (StBern)

F: Chad Jones (StBern) Matt Handly (OX-VC) Adrian Indovino (DLS)

R: Antony Forato (DLS) Adam Bentick (StBern) Jack Bull (OS)

INT: Nick Corp (Coll) Ben Smithwick (OC) Marshall Rippon (UBlu) Matt Fieldsend (DLS)

COACH: Adam Andrews (OT)


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[Canada]

There are obviously some great players who missed it but that is a great side. I like Richardson from Blacks. Plays well every time I see them. Also thought Shaw may have been the ruckman or back up on bench.

 

[Jascave]

Wouldn't be surprised to see several players like Indovino, Tinney, Forarto and Smithwick don the Big V jumper in the years to come.


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[Canada]

Wouldn't be surprised to see several players like Indovino, Tinney, Forarto and Smithwick don the Big V jumper in the years to come.


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Tinney has played. Smithwicks been part of the team for a few years.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

How is Anthony Rock not coach of the year?

 

[Scribe]

How is Anthony Rock not coach of the year?

Rock is a long time ex AFL/EDFL senior coach who guided Bernards from a shock 2014 preliminary final exit (they were tipped by many to win last season) to narrow premiers with a couple of handy extra recruits. Had the best list for both years - and this win was as much about the experience/quality of the playing group as the coaching provided (in my opinion).

Andrews is a pure VAFA senior coach who took Trinity from 6th to narrow runners up despite the loss of their multiple comp B&F winning captain to a knee in rd 8. Worked with a young (and talented) group of local kids who were runners up in Premier B only two years ago.

 

[Rooster 24]

Rock is a long time ex AFL/EDFL senior coach who guided Bernards from a shock 2014 preliminary final exit (they were tipped by many to win last season) to narrow premiers with a couple of handy extra recruits. Had the best list for both years - and this win was as much about the experience/quality of the playing group as the coaching provided (in my opinion).

Andrews is a pure VAFA senior coach who took Trinity from 6th to narrow runners up despite the loss of their multiple comp B&F winning captain to a knee in rd 8. Worked with a young (and talented) group of local kids who were runners up in Premier B only two years ago.

I agree. Adam Andrews efforts in reaching the GF with far less resource at his disposal is deserving of coach of the year. Andrews and Satterley had substantially less top end talent to work with then Rock and Gleeson.

However some balance - while the loss of Iezzi was obviously a massive blow Andrews was quoted on Inner FM on the weekend as saying they used 31 or 32 players in the seniors across the entire season (with the exception of a few bought in for Rd 18 when some senior guys were rested). Be that by good luck or good management that is an extraordinarily good run and they will be very fortunate to replicate that in 2016. And the core of that Trinity group are now mid 20s and have been playing together for a while now.

While I don’t need to be an apologist for St Bernards, off the top of my head they lost an ex AFL player Campbell early in the season (from the glimpses we saw he looked like tearing the comp a new one), another ex AFL player Merrington in Rd 17 (albeit in my view he is well and truly past his best but still a bloody tough match up) and other established senior players such a Overman (a state rep) and Angel were injured and not available for finals. I’m sure there were others.

While Rock had the best list by some margin you still have to get them to play to their potential and work together and he achieved that. The way Trinity played on Saturday no other team would have come close.

 

[Scribe]

I agree. Adam Andrews efforts in reaching the GF with far less resource at his disposal is deserving of coach of the year. Andrews and Satterley had substantially less top end talent to work with then Rock and Gleeson.

However some balance - while the loss of Iezzi was obviously a massive blow Andrews was quoted on Inner FM on the weekend as saying they used 31 or 32 players in the seniors across the entire season (with the exception of a few bought in for Rd 18 when some senior guys were rested). Be that by good luck or good management that is an extraordinarily good run and they will be very fortunate to replicate that in 2016. And the core of that Trinity group are now mid 20s and have been playing together for a while now.

While I don’t need to be an apologist for St Bernards, off the top of my head they lost an ex AFL player Campbell early in the season (from the glimpses we saw he looked like tearing the comp a new one), another ex AFL player Merrington in Rd 17 (albeit in my view he is well and truly past his best but still a bloody tough match up) and other established senior players such a Overman (a state rep) and Angel were injured and not available for finals. I’m sure there were others.

While Rock had the best list by some margin you still have to get them to play to their potential and work together and he achieved that. The way Trinity played on Saturday no other team would have come close.

Spot on Rooster. They did have a very good run with injury (other than Iezzi) but their reserves managed 8 wins this year which is easily the most since 2004 (when we won 10 and made finals in both seniors and reserves). The balance of the 2014 unders flag will graduate to join their mates next season.

However, several of their better players from that side played reserves only this year, and hopefully will continue to develop to add to/support the senior team as required. I think the medium term prospects for OT are very good as they have no dinosaurs (save for Rambo refusing to let Father Time defeat him in the 2s), and plenty of kids who are committed to getting there again next season.

With a red hot SKOB coming up and OMs being a real surprise packet, 2016 is already shaping up to be possibly the most exciting and tightest a season for a long time.

 

[Snoozer]

It would have cost the VAFA 500 bucks to run the big scoreboard at Ikon Park on Sunday.

They declined.

 

[bedford]

Dan Noonan back to Xavs from Port Melbourne

 

[AM]

Agree with you two learned gentlemen - Scribe and Rooster.

Rock had a list that ran much deeper and had more top end talent than Andrews.

Andrews indicated at the weekend that his most important decision as coach was to expose under 19 players to ones football a little while back rather than continue to promote what amounted to fill-in twos players. This meant the team that OTs fielded for most of the year had many 21 and 22 year olds who were experienced and capable at ones level.

If key components to assessing the worth of a coach are player development, team growth and getting the best out of the talent at his disposal, I'd throw-in Nathan Brown of OMs as well.

 

[DoubleDraw]

Agree with you two learned gentlemen - Scribe and Rooster.

Rock had a list that ran much deeper and had more top end talent than Andrews.

Andrews indicated at the weekend that his most important decision as coach was to expose under 19 players to ones football a little while back rather than continue to promote what amounted to fill-in twos players. This meant the team that OTs fielded for most of the year had many 21 and 22 year olds who were experienced and capable at ones level.

If key components to assessing the worth of a coach are player development, team growth and getting the best out of the talent at his disposal, I'd throw-in Nathan Brown of OMs as well.

 

[DoubleDraw]

Agree.Not trying to put a knock on Rock or Harford but how many B grade amateur coaches have ever had 3 ex AFL players at their disposal.The choice of the OT coach should be a pretty obvious one.

 

[Halfback Flank1]

Agree.Not trying to put a knock on Rock or Harford but how many B grade amateur coaches have ever had 3 ex AFL players at their disposal.The choice of the OT coach should be a pretty obvious one.

What about coaching moves 2016. Hibbo definitely gone at Collegians, Old Carey have advertised their position and L O'Connell gone at Blacks. What's the mail at other clubs.

 

[Mounzer11]

What about coaching moves 2016. Hibbo definitely gone at Collegians, Old Carey have advertised their position and L O'Connell gone at Blacks. What's the mail at other clubs.

How many coaches have the Blacks had in the last couple of years?

 

[Time to relax]

Anthony Rock being reported to rejoin Ross Lyon at Fremantle on AFL.com

 

[AM]

Anthony Rock being reported to rejoin Ross Lyon at Fremantle on AFL.com