The 2016 VAFA season was the 116th season of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season began on 9 April and concluded on 18 September, with 70 teams participating across seven divisions under a promotion and relegation system.
Background On 1 July 2016, the VAFA announced it would make changes to the structures of Division 2, Division 3 and Division 4 following a review in order to ensure a "competitive and fair fixture" for the 2017 season.
Division 2: Two clubs promoted to Division 1, one relegated to Division 3 Division 3: Two clubs promoted to Division 2, three relegated to Division 4 Division 4: Two clubs promoted to Division 3
Association membership In early 2016, Glen Eira and the Monash Gryphons announced their intention to merge for the 2016 season. This ultimately did not occur and the clubs remained separate entities, with Glen Eira competing in Division 3 while Monash participated in the Club XVIII competition. The clubs would later amalgamate to form the Glen Eira Gryphons for the 2017 season.
Name changes The Northern Blues changed its name to Preston Bullants Amateur Football Club, and NOBs/St Pat's was renamed to Brunswick NOBSPC.
Premier
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Old Trinity 18 13 4 1 1355 1115 121.5 54 Finals series 2 University Blues 18 13 5 0 1175 1032 113.9 52 3 Old Xaverians (P) 18 12 6 0 1592 1111 143.3 48 4 University Blacks 18 11 7 0 1395 1101 126.7 44 5 De La Salle 18 10 8 0 1577 1317 119.7 40 6 Old Melburnians 18 8 9 1 1252 1252 100.0 34 7 Collegians 18 8 10 0 1157 1131 102.3 32 8 St Kevin's 18 8 10 0 1439 1495 96.3 32 9 St Bernard's 18 5 13 0 1350 1535 88.0 20 Relegation 10 Old Carey 18 1 17 0 960 2163 44.4 4
Finals
Premier B
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Beaumaris (P) 18 13 4 1 1752 1234 142.0 54 Finals series 2 St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 18 13 5 0 1772 1385 127.9 52 3 Old Scotch 18 11 7 0 1638 1262 129.8 44 4 Monash Blues 18 11 7 0 1311 1307 100.3 44 5 18 10 7 1 1468 1385 106.0 42 6 Old Brighton 18 9 9 0 1534 1459 105.1 36 7 AJAX 18 7 11 0 1289 1521 84.8 28 8 Parkdale Vultures 18 7 11 0 1294 1552 83.4 28 9 Old Haileybury 18 4 14 0 1352 1610 84.0 16 Relegation 10 Hampton Rovers 18 4 14 0 1201 1896 63.3 16
Finals
Premier C
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Caulfield Grammarians 18 15 3 0 1791 1260 142.1 60 Finals series 2 Mazenod (P) 18 14 3 1 1584 1136 139.4 58 3 Peninsula Old Boys 18 12 6 0 1671 1204 138.8 48 4 Old Ivanhoe 18 10 7 1 1437 1468 97.9 42 5 Kew 18 7 11 0 1488 1533 97.1 28 6 Old Camberwell 18 7 11 0 1464 1593 91.9 28 7 Williamstown CYMS 18 7 11 0 1447 1631 88.7 28 8 Marcellin 18 6 10 1 1444 1658 87.1 28 9 Oakleigh 18 5 13 0 1395 1785 78.2 20 Relegation 10 Ormond 18 5 13 0 1351 1804 74.9 20
Finals
Division 1
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Old Geelong (P) 18 14 4 0 1963 1262 155.6 56 Finals series 2 Old Mentonians 18 14 4 0 1970 1284 153.4 56 3 PEGS 18 12 6 0 1522 1324 115.0 48 4 Therry Penola 18 11 7 0 1600 1313 121.9 44 5 St Mary's Salesian 18 10 8 0 1662 1505 110.4 40 6 Ivanhoe 18 8 10 0 1394 1720 81.1 32 7 Whitefriars 18 6 12 0 1574 1915 82.2 24 8 Brunswick NOBSPC 18 6 12 0 1136 1685 67.4 24 9 Old Paradians 18 5 12 1 1297 1600 81.1 22 Relegation 10 Prahran Assumption 18 3 14 1 1184 1694 69.9 14
Finals
Division 2
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 St John's 16 15 1 0 1739 838 207.5 60 Finals series 2 West Brunswick 16 13 3 0 1512 1038 145.7 52 3 Preston Bullants (P) 16 13 3 0 1492 1091 136.8 52 4 Yarra Valley Old Boys 16 9 7 0 1374 1272 108.0 36 5 MHSOB 16 8 8 0 1343 1309 102.6 32 6 Old Eltham Collegians 16 5 11 0 1343 1456 92.2 20 7 Bulleen Templestowe 16 5 11 0 1048 1323 79.2 20 8 Emmaus St Leo's 16 4 12 0 1356 1491 91.0 16 9 Richmond Central 16 0 16 0 719 2108 34.1 0 Relegation
Finals
Division 3
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Hawthorn 18 17 1 0 2553 1101 231.9 68 Finals series 2 Glen Eira (P) 18 16 2 0 2027 1109 182.8 64 3 La Trobe University 18 15 3 0 1975 928 212.8 60 4 UHS-VU 18 12 6 0 1586 1397 113.5 48 5 Power House 18 10 8 0 1495 1488 100.5 40 6 South Melbourne Districts 18 10 8 0 1470 1477 99.5 40 7 Canterbury 18 8 10 0 1675 1755 95.4 32 8 Albert Park 18 8 10 0 1353 1482 91.3 32 9 Swinburne University 18 5 13 0 1355 1692 80.1 20 10 Aquinas 18 3 15 0 1139 1857 61.3 12 Relegation 11 Elsternwick 11 2 16 0 1184 2231 53.1 8 12 Parkside 18 2 16 0 984 2279 43.2 8
Finals
Division 4
Westbourne Grammarians won the Division 4 premiership for the first time, defeating Point Cook by 17 points in the grand final to complete a perfect season. It was the club's first-ever senior premiership after its formation in 2014.
This was Chadstone's last year of senior competition until 2024, with the club withdrawing from Division 4 in 2017 and spending seven years in the Club XVIII and Thirds competitions.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Westbourne Grammarians (P) 16 16 0 0 2492 695 358.6 64 Finals series 2 Point Cook 16 12 4 0 1852 982 188.6 48 3 Eley Park 16 11 5 0 1834 1243 147.6 44 4 Mt Lilydale 16 10 6 0 1552 1260 123.2 40 5 Manningham Cobras 16 8 8 0 1404 1304 107.7 32 6 North Brunswick 16 7 9 0 1577 1043 151.2 28 7 Box Hill North 16 5 11 0 1415 1695 83.5 20 8 Masala 16 3 13 0 1175 2068 56.8 12 9 Chadstone 16 0 16 0 341 3352 10.2 0
Finals
References