Weekly Times |IT WAS family that provided the big stories for 2015 — brothers uniting, fathers passing batons to sons, wives providing much-needed support in tough times and even a grand matriarch leading the way.
The year started with the Ellinbank and District Football League, in Gippsland, reverting to one competition after a single season as two divisions, and ended with the struggling Mallee Football League folding, its clubs dispersed to other leagues.
This season marked a first premiership for some clubs in their current leagues, including the Horsham Saints in the Wimmera league.
There was one player everyone was eager to celebrate with after the Saints’ win — the club’s former coach and league best-and-fairest winner Phil Butsch, who had overcome serious illness to play on the big day. Butsch spoke about his battle with skin cancer this year, and his positive outlook was truly inspiring for everyone around the club, including Horsham Saints football manager Roger Sordello.
“As far as an inspiration to every other footballer and every other club person — Phil would hate me saying it — but he has been amazing really,” Sordello said.
“You always see him and he’s got a positive outlook and he’s always got a smile and always talks about how he can help someone else rather than himself.”
Another footballer using his own experiences to help others was former AFL footballer Jake Edwards, whose battle with depression led him to start an education and mentoring program, Outside the Locker Room.
Edwards’ club, Darley, won its first Ballarat league senior premiership this year under the coaching guidance of Jake’s older brother, Jarrod.
Family ties proved strong in other footy clubs as well. Dennington won a fairytale premiership in the Warrnambool and District league.
After falling at the final hurdle four times since its 1988 premiership, Dennington fought back from a six-goal quarter-time deficit against Merrivale to win the grand final by eight points.
The win meant the mantle of premiership coach passed from Geoff Lewis to his son, playing coach Darcy.
“It was unbelievable,” Darcy said. “It was great for Dad as well — he’s had that weight on his shoulders for a while.”
Bridgewater continued its dominance in the Loddon Valley Football League with its sixth-straight flag. It was the second premiership under former AFL player-turned-playing coach Andrew Collins, whose brother, Alex, booted five goals in the decider.
Elsewhere, Kerang’s seniors made it four in a row, Navarre and Tungamah both notched three-peats, and another 15 clubs went back-to-back.
It was a brotherly affair at Navarre, northeast of Stawell.
At the last census Navarre and its surrounds had a population of just 241, with a median age of 45. But strong ties to the community brought the town’s footy sons back every weekend to play — on the weekend The Weekly Times visited in August there were five sets of brothers in the senior side.
For stand-alone achievements, it’s hard to look past Buchan’s Dylan Bolton, who in June became the first country footballer this year to reach 100 goals, kicking 25 in one game to narrowly beat Tungamah’s Ash Saunders to the feat.
On other centuries, Phyllis Munro was Mallee league club Ouyen United’s No. 1 ticket holder this year, a fitting tribute as she celebrated her 100th birthday.
Subsequent generations of her family are involved with the club, including her grandson, Jarrod Munro, who is club president.
In the interleague standings, Geelong retained the number one ranking in country Victorian footy when it trumped the Goulburn Valley league in the Worksafe Country Championships in May.
Vic Country also dominated its city opponents in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, recording a clean sweep of three matches in July.
THE biggest changes to community football in recent times also took root this season. After many meetings, trials and feedback, AFL Victoria confirmed it would roll out its Player Points System policy from next season, in a bid to prevent recruiting sprees and reward clubs that develop and retain their own junior players.
The policy was one part of AFL Victoria’s Community Club Sustainability Program, developed to combat rising player payments.
But in August, AFL Victoria announced another element of the program — a salary cap system — would not be introduced until 2017, giving some clubs a much needed one-year grace.
It was left to the Goulburn Valley league to wrap up the year with the last game of the season. In the grand final, Benalla put to bed the ghosts of 2014 — when the Saints recorded an undefeated season only to fall short in the grand final — by securing its first premiership in 42 years.
