2017 VAFA season

The 2017 VAFA season was the 117th season of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season began on 13 April and concluded on 24 September, with 69 teams participating across seven divisions under a promotion and relegation system.

In addition to the men's competition, the newly-formed VAFA Women's (VAFAW) competition held its inaugural season in 2017.

Background Accounting firm William Buck signed a three-year sponsorship deal extension with the VAFA, which included continuing the naming rights for the "William Buck Premier Division".

125-year anniversary 2017 marked 125 years since the VAFA was founded in 1892 as the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA). The competition released a commemorative logo for the anniversary. It was also the 125th year for the Collegians Football Club, the only club from the first MJFA season to still exist and compete in the competition.

In round 11, the VAFA held "Clubs Round", which recognised volunteers who had contributed to the success of their clubs over the past 25 years with specialised medallions.

Association membership In late 2016, the Monash Gryphons merged with Glen Eira to form the Glen Eira Gryphons. The clubs had initially planned to amalgamate for the 2016 season, but ultimately remained separate entities.

The Chadstone Football Club left Division 4 and returned to the Club XVIII competition for 2017 after failing to win any senior matches during the 2016 season. Shortly before the start of the 2017 season, Box Hill North also withdrew from Division 4 as it was unable to field a seniors or reserves team.

Yarra Valley Old Boys was renamed to Yarra Old Grammarians to reflect its ties with Yarra Valley Grammar.

Premier

St Kevin's won the Premier Division premiership for the first time, defeating Collegians by three points in the grand final.

Ladder In round 1, the match between Beaumaris and Old Melburnians was abandoned due to lightning with 16 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. In round 9, Old Xaverians defender Jarryd Skene suffered a severe leg break in the match against Collegians, with the match abandoned 59 minutes into the fourth quarter after a lengthy delay. In both cases, the VAFA split the premiership points and the final scores stood for percentage purposes.

+ Team Qualification 1 St Kevin's (P) 18 16 2 0 1896 1152 164.6 64 Finals series 2 University Blues 18 13 4 1 1562 1212 128.9 54 3 Collegians 18 12 4 2 1511 1249 121.0 52 4 De La Salle 18 11 7 0 1367 1311 104.3 44 5 Old Xaverians 18 9 8 1 1428 1379 103.6 38 6 Old Melburnians 18 8 9 1 1389 1359 102.2 34 7 Old Trinity 18 6 12 0 1257 1443 87.1 24 8 St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 18 4 13 1 1174 1702 69.0 18 9 University Blacks 18 4 14 0 1402 1624 86.3 16 Relegation 10 Beaumaris 18 3 13 2 1214 1769 68.6 16

Finals

Premier B

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Old Brighton (P) 18 16 1 1 1748 898 194.7 66 Finals series 2 Old Scotch 18 15 2 1 1885 1082 174.2 62 3 St Bernard's 18 12 6 0 1748 1266 138.1 48 4 Monash Blues 18 10 8 0 1374 1213 113.3 40 5 AJAX 18 9 9 0 1335 1299 102.8 36 6 Mazenod 18 8 10 0 1085 1554 69.8 32 7 Old Carey 18 6 12 0 1359 1461 93.0 24 8 Parkdale Vultures 18 5 13 0 1201 1612 74.5 20 9 18 5 13 0 1111 1625 68.4 20 Relegation 10 Peninsula Old Boys 18 3 15 0 1020 1856 55.0 12

Finals

Premier C

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Caulfield Grammarians 18 16 2 0 1918 1146 167.4 64 Finals series 2 Old Haileybury (P) 18 11 7 0 1682 1241 135.5 44 3 Marcellin 18 11 7 0 1791 1349 132.8 44 4 Williamstown CYMS 18 9 9 0 1780 1520 117.1 36 5 Old Geelong 18 9 9 0 1460 1365 107.0 36 6 Old Mentonians 18 9 9 0 1538 1639 93.8 36 7 Old Camberwell 18 8 10 0 1374 1663 82.6 32 8 Old Ivanhoe 18 8 10 0 1261 1533 82.3 32 9 Hampton Rovers 18 6 12 0 1134 1586 71.5 24 Relegation 10 Kew 18 3 15 0 1060 1956 54.2 12

Finals

Division 1

PEGS won the Division 1 premiership for the first time, defeating minor premiers St Mary's Salesian by 13 points in the grand final. St Mary's led by 57 points at the 18th minute mark of the second quarter, but PEGS came back in a 70-point turnaround.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 St Mary's Salesian 18 15 3 0 1926 1295 148.7 60 Finals series 2 Ormond 18 14 4 0 1901 1288 147.6 56 3 PEGS (P) 18 14 4 0 1797 1248 144.0 56 4 Oakleigh 18 12 6 0 1829 1487 123.0 48 5 Preston Bullants 18 11 7 0 1513 1388 109.0 44 6 Therry Penola 18 8 10 0 1566 1701 92.1 32 7 Ivanhoe 18 6 12 0 1509 1783 84.6 24 8 Brunswick NOBSPC 18 5 13 0 1317 1774 74.2 20 9 St John's 18 3 15 0 1276 2005 63.6 12 Relegation 10 Whitefriars 18 2 16 0 1302 1967 66.2 8

Finals

Division 2

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Prahran Assumption (P) 18 16 2 0 2001 951 210.4 64 Finals series 2 West Brunswick 18 14 4 0 1591 1203 132.3 56 3 MHSOB 18 11 7 0 1507 1221 123.4 44 4 Old Paradians 18 10 8 0 1402 1368 102.5 40 5 Yarra Old Grammarians 18 9 9 0 1476 1487 99.3 36 6 Emmaus St Leo's 18 9 9 0 1450 1594 91.0 36 7 Bulleen Templestowe 18 7 11 0 1449 1488 97.4 28 8 Old Eltham Collegians 18 7 11 0 1327 1390 95.5 28 9 Glen Eira 18 7 11 0 1414 1560 90.6 28 Relegation 10 Hawthorn 18 0 18 0 1023 2378 43.0 0

Finals

Division 3

This was Point Cook's final season in the VAFA, with the club moving to the Western Region Football League (WRFL) for the 2018 season.

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Power House 18 16 2 0 1870 1341 139.5 64 Finals series 2 UHS-VU (P) 18 15 3 0 1871 1062 176.2 60 3 Swinburne University 18 11 7 0 1734 1408 123.2 44 4 Westbourne Grammarians 18 11 7 0 1595 1354 117.8 44 5 Canterbury 18 10 8 0 1674 1396 119.9 40 6 La Trobe University 18 8 10 0 1480 1427 103.7 32 7 Richmond Central 18 8 10 0 1533 1487 103.1 32 8 Point Cook 18 7 11 0 1312 1622 81.4 28 9 Albert Park 18 4 14 0 1357 1802 75.3 16 Relegation 10 South Melbourne Districts 18 0 18 0 820 2356 34.8 0

Finals

Division 4

Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Aquinas (P) 16 14 2 0 2065 750 275.3 56 Finals series 2 North Brunswick 16 14 2 0 1716 859 199.8 56 3 Manningham Cobras 16 13 3 0 1652 971 170.1 52 4 Mt Lilydale 16 7 8 1 1160 1443 80.4 30 5 Elsternwick 16 7 9 0 1349 1427 94.5 28 6 Eley Park 16 7 9 0 1384 1588 87.2 28 7 Parkside 16 7 11 0 957 1491 64.2 20 8 Masala 16 2 13 1 1016 1819 55.9 10 9 St Francis Xavier 16 2 14 0 991 1871 53.0 8

Finals

See also 2017 VAFA Women's season

References