The 2018 VAFA season was the 118th season of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. A total of 70 teams participated across seven divisions under a promotion and relegation system.
Association membership Prior to the start of the season, Point Cook and Old Eltham Collegians left the VAFA to join the Western Football Netball League and Northern Football Netball League respectively.
Name changes Brunswick NOBSPC, which had most recently been renamed from NOBs/St Pat's in 2015, changed its name to Brunswick Football Club in October 2017.
Notable events VAFA defeated Vic Country under-19s 9.13 (67) to 5.14 (44) in a representative match on 8 July.
Premier
St Kevin's Old Boys won their second Premier Division premiership in a row, defeating Collegians by 5 points in the Grand Final.
Four members of the St Kevin's premiership side − Lachie Sullivan, Ned Reeves, Tom Jok and Ethan Phillips − have since gone on to play in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Old Scotch and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers were relegated.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 St Kevin's (P) 18 15 3 0 1636 1186 137.9 60 Finals series 2 Collegians 18 14 4 0 1660 1245 133.3 56 3 Old Brighton 18 12 6 0 1392 1542 90.3 48 4 Old Trinity 18 10 7 1 1367 1375 99.4 42 5 University Blues 18 7 10 1 1389 1395 99.6 30 6 De La Salle 18 7 11 0 1404 1384 101.5 28 7 Old Xaverians 18 7 11 0 1389 1373 101.8 28 8 Old Melburnians 18 7 11 0 1147 1506 76.2 28 9 Old Scotch 18 6 12 0 1366 1420 96.2 24 Relegation 10 St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 18 4 14 0 1294 1618 80.0 16
Finals
Premier B
St Bernard's defeated Old Carey by 83 points in the Grand Final.
AJAX coach Mark Williams, a former Australian Football League (AFL) player and coach, left at the end of the season after the club was relegated.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 St Bernard's (P) 18 16 2 0 2282 937 243.5 64 Finals series 2 Old Carey 18 16 2 0 1868 1078 173.3 64 3 University Blacks 18 15 3 0 1999 1145 174.6 60 4 Caulfield Grammarians 18 11 7 0 1703 1269 134.2 44 5 Beaumaris 18 11 7 0 1494 1278 116.9 44 6 Parkdale Vultures 18 6 12 0 1190 1668 71.3 24 7 Old Haileybury 18 5 13 0 1268 1630 77.8 20 8 Monash Blues 18 4 14 0 990 2032 48.7 16 9 AJAX 18 3 15 0 1148 1889 60.8 12 Relegation 10 Mazenod 18 3 15 0 874 1890 46.2 12
Finals
Premier C
won their first senior premiership since the 1944 VFL Grand Final, and their first in the VAFA since merging with the Fitzroy Reds, with a 70-point victory over Williamstown CYMS.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Williamstown CYMS 18 16 2 0 2032 1070 189.9 64 Finals series 2 (P) 18 15 3 0 1904 1064 179.0 60 3 Old Geelong 18 12 6 0 1654 1292 128.0 48 4 Old Camberwell 18 11 7 0 1589 1382 115.0 44 5 Marcellin 18 9 9 0 1505 1423 105.8 36 6 Old Ivanhoe 18 7 11 0 1595 1657 96.3 18 7 Old Mentonians 18 7 11 0 1365 1561 87.4 18 8 PEGS 18 7 11 0 1245 1463 85.1 18 9 Old Peninsula 18 5 13 0 1096 1842 59.5 20 Relegation 10 St Mary's Salesian 18 1 17 0 1194 2425 49.2 4
Finals
Division 1
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Hampton Rovers 18 14 3 1 1857 996 186.5 58 Finals series 2 Ormond (P) 18 14 3 1 1833 1234 148.5 58 3 Oakleigh 18 12 6 0 1743 1303 133.8 48 4 Therry Penola 18 12 6 0 1652 1311 126.0 48 5 Prahran Assumption 18 11 7 0 1529 1066 143.4 44 6 Preston Bullants 18 9 9 0 1556 1450 107.3 36 7 West Brunswick 18 7 11 0 1282 1499 85.5 28 8 Kew 18 6 12 0 1241 1458 85.1 24 9 Brunswick 18 3 15 0 1122 2124 52.8 12 Relegation 10 Ivanhoe 18 1 17 0 893 2267 39.4 4
Finals
Division 2
Following the conclusion of the season, in which they finished last, Eltham Collegians left the VAFA and transferred to the Northern Football League.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 UHS-VU (P) 18 17 1 0 2096 1055 198.7 68 Finals series 2 Old Paradians 18 15 3 0 1767 1223 144.4 60 3 Whitefriars 18 14 4 0 2013 1077 186.9 56 4 Yarra Old Grammarians 18 14 4 0 2051 1402 146.3 56 5 MHSOB 18 9 9 0 1533 1448 105.9 36 6 Bulleen Templestowe 18 5 12 1 1441 1561 92.2 22 7 St John's 18 5 12 1 1225 1725 71.0 22 8 Power House 18 5 13 0 1256 1869 67.2 20 9 Emmaus St Leo's 18 4 14 0 1207 1874 64.4 16 Relegation 10 Eltham Collegians 18 1 17 0 834 2188 38.1 4
Finals
Division 3
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Glen Eira (P) 18 17 1 0 2104 1119 188.0 68 Finals series 2 Hawthorn 18 13 5 0 2164 1414 153.0 52 3 Westbourne Grammarians 18 12 6 0 1855 1346 137.8 48 4 Aquinas 18 10 8 0 1784 1468 121.5 40 5 Manningham Cobras 18 10 8 0 1632 1430 114.1 40 6 Swinburne University 18 10 8 0 1687 1499 112.5 40 7 Canterbury 18 9 9 0 1569 1329 118.1 36 8 Richmond Central 18 7 11 0 1372 1510 90.9 28 9 Albert Park 18 1 17 0 1000 2185 45.8 4 Relegation 10 La Trobe University 18 1 17 0 773 2640 29.3 4
Finals
Division 4
Following the conclusion of the season, Mt Lilydale Old Collegians merged with Croydon North to form Croydon North MLOC Football Club, and then transferred to the Eastern Football League.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 North Brunswick (P) 18 16 2 0 2165 1039 208.4 64 Finals series 2 Parkside 18 14 4 0 1933 1000 193.3 56 3 St Francis Xavier 18 12 6 0 2014 998 201.8 48 4 South Melbourne Districts 18 10 8 0 1566 1529 102.4 40 5 South Mornington 18 9 9 0 1617 1619 99.9 36 6 Elsternwick 18 9 9 0 1660 1670 99.4 36 7 Eley Park 18 8 10 0 1409 1810 77.9 32 8 Mt Lilydale 18 5 13 0 1253 1692 74.1 20 9 Box Hill North 18 5 13 0 1229 1964 62.6 20 10 Masala 18 2 16 0 843 2368 35.6 8
Finals
Minor grades Reserves, thirds and under-19s competitions were all held alongside the seniors.
Reserves Division Premiers Runners-up Venue Date Club Score Club Score Premier Old Xaverians 6.8 (44) Old Melburnians 12.7 (79) Elsternwick Park 16 September 2018 Premier B Beaumaris 12.9 (81) University Blacks 4.10 (34) Elsternwick Park 15 September 2018 Premier C 6.6 (42) Old Geelong 3.9 (33) Trevor Barker Beach Oval 15 September 2018 Division 1 Ormond 15.10 (100) Hampton Rovers 10.13 (73) Trevor Barker Beach Oval 8 September 2018 Division 2 Whitefriars 9.13 (67) MHSOB 6.9 (45) Coburg City Oval 9 September 2018 Division 3 Hawthorn 7.13 (55) Glen Eira 4.9 (33) Trevor Barker Beach Oval 9 September 2018 Division 4 North Brunswick 9.8 (62) Parkside 9.6 (60) Garvey Oval 8 September 2018
Thirds Division Premiers Runners-up Venue Date Club Score Club Score Premier St Kevin's Gold 10.22 (82) Old Melburnians 5.2 (32) Elsternwick Park 16 September 2018 Section 2 De La Salle 8.12 (60) Beaumaris 6.5 (41) Elsternwick Park 26 August 2018 Section 3 St Bernard's 10.8 (68) Old Carey 8.10 (58) Coburg City Oval 26 August 2018 Section 4 Hawthorn 10.11 (71) MHSOB Maroon 3.10 (28) Box Hill City Oval 26 August 2018 Section 5 Monash Blues 11.2 (68) Kew 6.7 (43) Bill Lawry Oval 26 August 2018
Under-19s Division Premiers Runners-up Venue Date Club Score Club Score Premier Old Xaverians 9.8 (62) Old Scotch 7.11 (53) Box Hill City Oval 9 September 2018 Premier Reserves Old Xaverians 2 11.9 (75) St Kevin's 6.11 (47) Box Hill City Oval 9 September 2018 Section 2 Old Carey 12.12 (84) Williamstown CYMS 9.12 (66) Box Hill City Oval 8 September 2018 Section 3 Old Brighton 12.6 (78) Mazenod 7.12 (54) Trevor Barker Beach Oval 8 September 2018 Section 4 Glen Eira 12.9 (81) PEGS 10.8 (68) Trevor Barker Beach Oval 9 September 2018 Section 5 Aquinas 14.12 (96) De La Salle 8.10 (58) Garvey Oval 8 September 2018
References