The 2022 VAFA season was the 121st season of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season began on 2 April and concluded on 23 September, with 66 teams participating across seven divisions under a promotion and relegation system.

This was the first VAFA season since 2019 where finals series were held and premiers awarded, following the cancellation of the 2020 season and the curtailing of the 2021 season due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background KommunityTV, News Corp Australia's live-streaming platform, began a trial arrangement with the VAFA to broadcast finals matches in 2022.

Notable events After declining relegation from Premier C following their last-placed finish in 2021, the Preston Bullants had its first win in 931 days in round 1 against UHS-VU, the club it had defeated in the 2019 Division 1 grand final. Several matches on 13 August 2022 were cancelled due to lightning. Old Xaverians defeated Old Trinity in Premier Division after leading at half-time prior to the match being called off, while Old Camberwell drew with Old Peninsula in Division 1 after the match was cancelled entirely. coach Luke Mahoney was awarded the 2022 AFL Victoria Coach of the Year award. won the Thirds Division 5 premiership – the club's last premiership in the VAFA before its move to the Northern Football Netball League (NFNL) at the end of the 2023 season.

Premier

St Kevin's won the Premier Division premiership for the third time, defeating Old Brighton by 22 points in the grand final.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 St Kevin's (P) 18 15 3 0 1539 920 167.3 60 Finals series 2 Collegians 18 13 5 0 1380 1142 120.8 52 3 Old Xaverians 18 12 6 0 1516 1036 146.3 48 4 Old Brighton 18 12 6 0 1388 1203 115.4 48 5 Old Melburnians 18 11 7 0 1329 1262 105.3 44 6 University Blues 18 9 9 0 1296 1252 103.5 36 7 Old Scotch 18 8 10 0 1423 1489 95.6 32 8 Caulfield Grammarians 18 5 13 0 1204 1498 80.4 20 9 Old Trinity 18 3 15 0 879 1547 56.8 12 Relegation 10 St Bernard's 18 2 16 0 893 1498 59.6 8

Finals

Club best and fairest Club Winner Caulfield Grammarians Declan Reilly Collegians Kenny Ong Old Brighton Harry Hill Old Melburnians Josh Freezer Old Scotch Tyler Sellers Old Trinity Harry Thompson Old Xaverians Marcus Stavrou St Bernard's Jordan Farrell St Kevin's Luke Winter University Blues Marty Gleeson

Premier B

Old Haileyburians won the Premier B premiership for the fourth time, defeating favourites University Blacks by five points in the grand final.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 University Blacks 16 15 1 0 1444 679 212.7 60 Finals series 2 Beaumaris 16 13 3 0 1449 962 150.6 52 3 Old Haileybury (P) 16 11 5 0 1660 940 176.6 44 4 16 9 7 0 1124 1082 103.9 36 5 De La Salle 16 7 9 0 1094 1131 96.7 28 6 St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 16 6 9 1 1109 1251 88.7 26 7 AJAX 16 6 9 1 1075 1308 82.2 26 8 Williamstown CYMS 16 3 13 0 1062 1619 65.6 12 9 Old Carey 16 1 15 0 816 1861 43.9 4 Relegation

Finals

Club best and fairest Club Winner AJAX Jordan Cohen Beaumaris Jak Nardino De La Salle Jake Williams Ted Clayton Old Carey Jonathan Marsh Old Haileybury Jack Lonie St Bedes/Mentone Tigers Tom Tyquin University Blacks Campbell Moorfield Williamstown CYMS Tom Johnstone

Premier C

Monash Blues won the Premier C premiership for the second time, defeating Old Geelong by 21 points in the grand final.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Monash Blues (P) 20 18 2 0 1867 894 208.8 72 Finals series 2 Hampton Rovers 20 15 5 0 1826 1231 148.3 60 3 Mazenod 20 13 7 0 1734 1379 125.7 52 4 Old Geelong 20 12 8 0 1821 1278 142.5 48 5 Old Ivanhoe 20 12 8 0 1714 1383 123.9 48 6 Parkdale Vultures 20 11 9 0 1521 1197 127.1 44 7 Ormond 20 10 10 0 1536 1496 102.7 40 8 Marcellin 20 7 13 0 1345 1539 87.4 28 9 Old Mentonians 20 7 13 0 1381 1631 84.7 28 10 UHS-VU 20 4 16 0 1050 2052 51.2 16 Relegation 11 Preston Bullants 20 1 19 0 893 2608 34.2 4

Finals

Club best and fairest Club Winner Hampton Rovers Christian Carnovale Marcellin Patrick Howe Mazenod Matthew Fewings Monash Blues Mac Cameron Old Geelong Jack Sheridan Old Ivanhoe Sam Wilcox Old Mentonians Ormond Dae Szydlik Parkdale Vultures Charlie Yee Preston Bullants Rory Howard UHS-VU Ben Dimatinna

Division 1

PEGS won the Division 1 premiership for the second time, defeating Old Camberwell by 27 points in the grand final.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 PEGS (P) 18 17 1 0 1875 740 253.4 68 Finals series 2 Kew 18 14 3 1 1038 1634 157.4 58 3 Old Camberwell 17 10 5 3 1556 914 170.2 48 4 Glen Eira 18 12 6 0 1492 951 156.9 48 5 Prahran Assumption 18 10 7 1 1409 1187 118.7 42 6 Oakleigh 18 10 8 0 1461 1339 109.1 40 7 Therry Penola 18 7 11 0 1294 1583 81.7 28 8 Old Peninsula 17 4 13 1 1028 1421 72.3 16 9 Whitefriars 18 3 15 0 992 1611 61.6 12 Relegation 10 St Mary's Salesian 18 0 18 0 777 2734 28.4 0

Finals

Division 2

Ivanhoe won the Division 2 premiership for the first time, defeating West Brunswick by one point in the grand final. It was Ivanhoe's first senior premiership in any division since 1969.

This was the last season for the Manningham Cobras and the Yarra Old Grammarians, which merged ahead of the 2023 VAFA season to form the Old Yarra Cobras Football Club.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Ivanhoe (P) 18 16 2 0 1881 864 217.7 64 Finals series 2 West Brunswick 18 15 3 0 1760 882 199.6 60 3 Brunswick 18 13 4 1 1653 931 177.6 54 4 Old Paradians 18 13 5 0 1443 1087 132.8 52 5 MHSOB 18 11 6 1 1569 1165 134.7 46 6 Aquinas 18 8 10 0 1289 1357 95.0 32 7 Bulleen Templestowe 18 6 1 0 1036 1360 76.2 24 8 Yarra Old Grammarians 18 3 15 0 1119 1617 69.2 12 9 Power House 18 2 16 0 841 2083 40.4 8 Relegation 10 Manningham Cobras 18 2 16 0 721 1966 36.7 8

Finals

Division 3

South Melbourne Districts won the Division 3 premiership for the second time, defeating Parkside by 12 points in the grand final.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 South Melbourne Districts (P) 16 13 3 0 1342 766 175.2 52 Finals series 2 Elsternwick 16 13 3 0 1595 968 164.8 52 3 Canterbury 16 12 4 0 1770 1065 166.2 48 4 Parkside 16 10 6 0 1332 968 137.6 40 5 Emmaus St Leo's 16 6 10 0 1277 1020 125.2 24 6 Hawthorn 16 6 10 0 1337 1276 104.8 24 7 Richmond Central 16 6 10 0 1130 1266 89.3 24 8 North Brunswick 16 6 10 0 854 1119 76.3 24 Relegation 9 Westbourne Grammarians 16 0 16 0 496 2685 18.5 0

Finals

Division 4

La Trobe University won the Division 4 premiership for the second time, defeating Swinburne University by 15 points in the grand final.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 La Trobe University (P) 15 14 1 0 1788 591 302.5 56 Finals series 2 Swinburne University 16 13 3 0 1404 1135 123.7 52 3 St John's 15 11 4 0 1295 826 156.8 44 4 Masala Dandenong 16 7 9 0 1350 1341 100.7 28 5 Albert Park 15 6 9 0 1147 1267 90.5 24 6 Eley Park 16 2 14 0 765 1891 40.5 8 7 Box Hill North 15 1 14 0 722 1420 50.9 4

Finals

References