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VAFA William Buck Premier Men's - Round 10 Preview
Jason Bennett • June 26th, 2026 2:05 pm
We’re at the midway point of the William Buck Premier Men’s home and away season, and the Top 4 have currently cleared out on the rest of the field.
Round 10 will either broaden that gap or tighten it up again, while the bottom two teams will fight a desperate scrap to kick a game clear of the other.
Here’s a closer look:
UNIVERSITY BLUES vs UNIVERSITY BLACKS (Sat 2pm – Melb Uni: Kommunity TV & SEN)
The University Derby is one of the game’s longest rivalries, with a history stretching back more than a century to the rebuilding of the University VFL club after World War I.
In 1919, rather than reapplying for its VFL licence, the club chose to field two teams in the VFL Reserves competition – initially known as University A and University B.
They soon became known as University Blues and University Blacks, and in 1920, both moved into the Melbourne Amateur Football Association (MAFA), which later became the VAFA.
So, it’s a classic rivalry older than the VAFA itself, and this next chapter shapes as another absolute beauty!
The Blues arrive on a 4-game winning streak that has lifted them up to second spot. Their attack is ranked #3, and is currently humming along, having kicked an incredible 45.16 in their past 3 victories – remarkable accuracy that stems from penetrating ball movement which ultimately delivers very kickable scoring chances from deep and central positions Inside 50.
When you have dead-eye finishers like James Stewart (40.12), Sam Grimley (27.12) and Ben Townson (13.4) taking those shots, it’s a recipe for ruthless efficiency.
The Blacks have been unpredictable in 2026, which makes them a potentially dangerous proposition every time they take the field.
Despite their rollercoaster ride, they’ve been remarkably consistent in attack all season, kicking between 10-12 goals in their last 6 starts. So, they have a fair idea what they’re likely to score – their challenge is to hold their opposition below that at the other end.
That’s the greater challenge, especially against a high-octane team like the Blues, with the competition’s leading goalkicker - James Stewart – coming off a 9-goal bag against the Snowdogs.
They simply must disrupt the Blues’ ball movement. If they allow their rivals to flow smoothly off half-back through the likes of Taylor Duryea, they will make life near impossible for their defenders. Their best chance is to lay enough pressure to force high dump kicks Inside 50 that their backmen can get a fist to.
If it’s Stewart and Grimley being laced out on the lead, it’s goodnight.
The Blacks’ last two outings (a hard-fought 17-point loss to Xavs and a 28-point win over Old Scotch) suggest they are improving, so they shouldn’t be underestimated. Moreover, any team that can breach the gates of Fortress Brighton (as they did in Round 4) is capable of anything!
Blues coach Matt Smith and the entire Blues organisation know that Derbies write their own rules. Ladder positions become temporarily irrelevant, with upsets always on the table.
Since the Blacks returned to Premier Men’s in 2023, the head-to-head currently sits at 4-3 Blues, after a 5-goal burst from Grimley from midway through the third term turned their Round 2 clash in their favour.
Will the Blacks square that ledger back up, and reignite their season by bringing the Blues’ momentum to a screeching halt? Or will the Blues inflict another wound on their greatest rival by extending their win streak to 5?
Watch the big game LIVE on Kommunity TV from 1.45pm Saturday, as Part 2 of a ‘Uni Blues KTV Double-Header’ that will begin with the Holmesglen Under 19 Premier clash between the Blues and Parkdale Vultures from 11.30am.
Plus, you can LISTEN in to our award-winning SEN Match of the Day radio coverage on VAFA.com.au & the SEN app!
OLD SCOTCH vs ST BERNARD’S (Saturday 2pm – Scotch College; VAFA.com.au)
It’s a critical game for both teams, who currently occupy the two relegation positions entering the second half of the season.
The good news is that they are both only one game away from 7th and two games away from 5th, so their campaigns are still very much alive in the race to firstly avoid the bottom two spots and then potentially aim higher.
The Cardinals feel like a better team than their 2-7 record would suggest, as evidenced by a number of results that ultimately went again them, but suggested they played good football for a decent proportion of the match. Those include their last match-up against the Snowdogs, which went all the way to the final siren at the Snake Pit, only for the Cards to fall 2 points short.
Last week, they got jumped by the Blacks and gave up a 45-point head start before outscoring them 7 goals to 5 for the remainder of the match. It was another costly example of this young and inexperienced Old Scotch line-up struggling to lock in for four quarters.
When they’re on, they’re dangerous – as they were the previous week when they put Old Trinity to the sword on the road by 8 goals. Their challenge now is to be able to hang in games when the flow is against them, so they remain close enough to make their move when they get it on their terms.
We know they can be damaging when in possession, but they need to get more of it above and beyond their intercept marking game, which is #1 in the competition, led by Charlie Cormack, who sits equal second for Intercept Marks.
Only Old Xavs have taken more Uncontested Marks, so the Cardinals’ next step for racking up more touches is winning more disputed ball on the deck. They remain last in the competition for both Hard & Loose Ball Gets, and as the grounds get heavier through the middle of winter, the ability to win your own ground ball becomes even more important.
St Bernard’s will undoubtedly come at them hard in this area. The Snowdogs are #3 for Ground Balls this season, including #1 at Centre Clearances. So, they are well capable of getting their hands on the footy.
What they DO with that possession is their next challenge.
The Dogs are a high-handball team, which doesn’t necessarily lend itself to taking territory, so while the Snowdogs are #4 for Disposals, they are #9 for Inside 50s.
Sharing it around by hand only gets trickier as the game gets muddier. Can they get it on the boot and take ground a little more effectively by hitting a target?
They are Last for Kick Efficiency and hitting a target as they exit Defensive 50, and #9 for Uncontested Marks, reinforcing the fact that they don’t share it by foot as effectively as other teams.
Ranked #9 for Marks Inside 50, the Dogs also need to improve their entry kicks to get more bang for their buck.
Can they be a little more particular about improving the quality of delivery to Matthew Watson Inside 50, rather than repeatedly kicking it on his head? He’s extremely difficult to stop on the lead, so more kicks to his advantage will help get the scoreboard ticking over for the Dogs.
Both teams know where they need to improve. Who will execute more clinically and kick a game clear of the other, in what shapes as a pivotal game in two campaigns?
Expect a lift from Old Scotch playing at Scotch College. But Steve Alessio will also be expecting a lift from his Snowdogs, who are 0-5 away from the Snake Pit this season, with an average losing margin of 55 points. What a perfect opportunity for them to snap that losing run on the road and take a significant step towards avoiding relegation.
Enjoy the game LIVE & FREE on VAFA TV from 1.55pm Saturday!
OLD XAVERIANS vs OLD HAILEYBURY (Saturday 2pm – Toorak Park: VAFA TV)
Old Xaverians are rightly the premiership favourites at the midway point of the season, having racked up 7 straight wins to boast an 8-1 record, one game clear of the field.
With an average winning margin of 8 goals, they have struck an ideal blend of tight defence, ball-winning and effective movement through the middle, then a potent attack, with talent and experience on every line.
Old Trinity jumped them early last week to boot the first 3 goals, before Xavs steadily worked their way into the game and ultimately took complete control.
Now it’s Old Haileybury’s turn to try and find a way to disrupt the league leaders.
The first step will be at the coalface, and the Bloods’ numbers suggest they can challenge around the contest:
- CONTESTED POSSESSIONS: Xavs #3 vs OH #4
- CLEARANCES: Xavs #3 vs OH #4
- GROUND BALLS: Xavs #1 vs OH #2
- HARD GETS: Xavs #9 vs OH #1
- LOOSE GETS: Xavs #1 vs OH #5
Those last two categories may prove telling.
The Bloods are the best in the comp at winning HARD Gets - the INSIDE ground ball in dispute – they win more of those than anyone.
While Xavs are #1 for LOOSE Gets – the OUTSIDE ground ball in dispute - as their mids (led by the competition’s #1 Ball-Winner, Campbell Lane) pounce on spillages and break out into space.
Which team can exploit their strength and negate the other’s more effectively?
Which team can exploit their strength and negate the other’s more effectively?
Can the Bloods win the inside ball and then get it to the outside, where they can move it and create scoring opportunities? It’s been a weakness for them this season that has prevented them from taking full toll of their inside strength – they are #9 for hitting a target when exiting Clearance situations (Xavs are #2). This connection piece needs to be tidied.
Can they also prevent Xavs cracking them open when the ball does spill into space?
The numbers suggest that Xavs will control possession for large chunks of the game – they are FIRST for Disposals, while the Bloods are LAST. The league leaders are also #1 for Disposal Efficiency, while the Bloods are LAST.
Old Haileybury MUST protect the ball better when they win it. They cannot afford to hand it back to Xavs on a platter.
They must also pressure the Xavs’ ballcarriers relentlessly, so their entry kicks Inside 50 are rushed rather than measured. No one takes more Marks Inside 50 than Xavs, so the Bloods’ midfielders must help their defensive mates by making sure the likes of Charlie Macisaac and Ed Delany are forced to compete for 50/50 balls rather than being hit up comfortably on the lead.
It’s the toughest challenge in William Buck Premier Men’s right now, but Old Haileybury will enter buoyed by their incredible last-gasp win over Caulfield last week, when Durras Seccull was swung forward to kick two late match-winning goals.
That’s the kind of ‘never say die’ attitude they must display this weekend. Maintain the manic pressure, win your share of contested footy, use it wisely and hang in. From there, you just never know…
Don’t forget - last season, they led Xavs by 28 points at half time at Toorak Park, before ultimately being run over late.
It promises to be an entertaining clash! Catch it LIVE & FREE on VAFA.com.au from 1.55pm Saturday!
OLD BRIGHTON vs CAULFIELD GRAMMARIANS (Saturday 2pm – Brighton Beach Oval)
The reigning champs sent a message to the rest of the competition when they snapped their two-game losing streak by ending St Kevin’s 6-game winning run: “We’re still here. The road to the flag still runs through us.”
The Tonners were cleaner and more clinical than SKOB last weekend on their way to a 20-point win that saw them leapfrog back into third spot, one game behind the second-placed Blues.
Now they return home to Brighton Beach Oval and will be pretty keen to re-establish its ‘Fortress’ status after the walls were breached twice recently, by Blacks in Round 4, then Xavs in Round 7.
That loss was followed by another to Uni Blues, suggesting that the Tonners are the third best team in the competition at the moment, but last week’s win reminded everyone that they’re still going to take some beating come September.
Their first challenge is to get there, and they can take another step this week by widening the gap between the Top 4 and fifth spot, which is currently occupied by Caulfield Grammarians.
The Fields are 4-5, two games behind the Tonners and SKOB, and given St Kevin’s will start warm favourites against Trinity, should Caulfield and the T’s both fall this weekend, the gap back to fifth will widen to three games and make September look that much further away for the chasing pack.
But Paul Satterley’s young charges love a challenge. After dropping 4 of their first 5 games, they could have also dropped their bundle and be deep in the relegation scrap, but they responded with 3 straight wins that were looking like becoming 4 in a row until Durras Seccull’s late heroics last weekend.
Now the Fields get a taste of what is ahead of them on the ladder with a mini 3-week finals campaign against Old Brighton, Old Xavs and St Kevin’s. Are they capable of stepping up to challenge the big boys in 2026?
If they could claim a scalp or two over the coming weeks, it will not only keep their finals hopes alive, it will also provide enormous confidence and belief that they belong in that conversation.
The flipside, of course, is that if they drop all three, the chasing pack below will swamp them, and they could find themselves back in relegation discussions – the competition is just that tight.
Contested ball will be key for Caulfield. The Tonners are last for Contested Possessions but first for Clearances in 2026 – a seemingly bizarre combination of statistics that make little sense at first glance.
But what it shows is that Old Brighton are elite at winning the footy from stop-play situations, then excellent at not allowing the game to slip back into contest mode as often as other teams. They are the equal #1 Intercept Possession team, so win it back via creating turnovers rather than having to scrap for it on the deck.
Interestingly enough, the team they are equal with for Intercept Possessions? Caulfield, who is also the Number #1 Pressure and Tackling team in the competition.
So, the Intercept game is going to be absolutely critical in this one.
The Fields must hit more targets Inside 50. They are last for hitting a target with their Inside 50 entry kick this season, and if they are working hard to get the ball forward, only to hand it back to the Tonners upon entering their forward arc, they will leave themselves wide open to being counter-punched and scored against.
Caulfield is #2 for Inside 50s, yet #5 for Points Scored. Last week, they generated 28 scoring shots to 19 but didn’t take their chances and left the door open for the Bloods to steal it with the final kick of the day.
If they can convert their opportunities more effectively this weekend, they could well be in this game up to their eyeballs once again.
Catch this one Saturday from 2pm at Brighton Beach Oval.
ST KEVIN’S vs OLD TRINITY (Saturday 2pm – St Kevin’s College)
Just like the Tonners-Fields clash, the final game of the round will either narrow or widen the gap between the Top 4 and the chasing pack, as SKOB host the T’s at St Kevin’s College.
Both teams will be looking for a bounce-back performance, given SKOB’s 6-game winning streak was snapped last weekend, while Trinity’s promising start to the season has been stalled by a 4-game losing run that dropped them out of the Top 4.
They currently sit two games out, and two games ahead of the relegation zone – so it’s fair to say their season is delicately balanced right now. And given they face SKOB, the Blues and the Tonners in the next month (along with the Bloods), we are about to find out whether they can be a genuine finals contender in the run home.
These two teams are ranked #2 and #3 for Disposals, but their method is markedly different, and so is the result: SKOB are FIRST for Inside 50s, while the T’s are LAST.
SKOB are #1 for Contested Possessions and #2 for Clearances (vs #9 for Old Trinity in both categories).
Low contested numbers aren’t necessarily fatal in themselves, but you generally need a decent intercept game if you’re going to be regularly conceding possession to the opposition at stoppages. That’s how Old Brighton is competitive, despite being last for Contested Possession – they are #1 for Intercepts, so gain possession that way.
However, the T’s are #7 in that Intercept category, so if you’re not winning stoppages and not particularly sharp at intercepting, it can be difficult to get enough footy to be able to control a game. Trinity looks to do it via a ‘keepings off’ uncontested marking style.
They are #4 for Uncontested Marks, so SKOB (#3 Intercept Possessions) will be focused on trying to disrupt those chains, to get the ball back into dispute and win it themselves.
Trinity is #2 for Loose Gets (vs SKOB #6), so the T’s will back themselves to pounce on spillages and get the ball moving that way. They have dangerous weapons, such as Christos Manoussakis, Louis Davidson and Hugo McGlashan, that can get hot in a hurry.
SKOB play a direct, efficient style to get it Inside 50s to their multitude of targets as often as possible. Ranked #1 for Inside 50s as we mentioned above, they provide repeat opportunities for Sam Tucker, Doug Kerr, Jack Benhk and Jacob Koschitzke to do their thing. All are potential match-winners, so even though Kerr has been overseas, SKOB have options to cover his absence.
At the other end, the unavailability of Dom Payman has cruelled the T’s in recent weeks. He enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, booting 15 goals in 6 games before being sidelined with concussion. He is a genuine difference-maker at this level, and Old Trinity looks infinitely more dangerous when he’s parked Inside 50.
In his absence, the T’s have looked to the likes of Ed Chard, Tom Ferrier, Alex Emery, Jack Jenkins and Ben Curtain to bob up and hit the scoreboard by committee.
The time is now for the T’s. Can they find a way to reignite their campaign and close the gap to the Top 4, or will St Kevin’s return to the winners’ list and keep in touch with the Top 2?
Find out Saturday from 2pm at St Kevin’s College Main Oval.
Find out Saturday from 2pm at St Kevin’s College Main Oval.
Photo credit: Pistol’s Photos
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 10
SATURDAY JUNE 27 – 2pm:
- University Blues vs University Blacks KTV, VAFA.com.au & SEN app – 1.45pm
- Old Scotch vs St Bernard’s VAFA TV – 1.55pm
- Old Xaverians vs Old Haileybury VAFA TV – 1.55pm
- Old Brighton vs Caulfield Grammarians
- St Kevin’s vs Old Trinity
