The 2024 VAFA season was the 123rd 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 27 September, with 61 teams participating across six divisions under a promotion and relegation system.
Association membership Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Ivanhoe and Old Paradians left the VAFA and transferred to the Northern Football Netball League (NFNL) for 2024. This resulted in the abolishment of Division 4, which subsequently merged into Division 3. Additionally, because of extremely low player numbers during pre-season training, Masala Dandenong announced in January 2024 that it would withdraw from Division 3 and instead compete in the Thirds competition.
After seven years in the Club XVIII and Thirds competitions, the Chadstone Football Club re-entered a senior team in Division 3. In round 1, with 22 club debutants, Chadstone defeated Eley Park by 57 points to claim its first VAFA divisional win in 3,256 days.
While in recess in 2023, the Old Mentonians Football Club was renamed to Mentone Panthers. The club returned to the VAFA in 2024 with a team in the Thirds competition.
The Westbourne Grammarians Football Club remained in recess for a second season, although it entered a senior team in the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) competition.
Team changes The following teams changed division after the 2023 season:
+ 2024 VAFA season Division Promoted to division Relegated to division Withdrawn New Premier
St Bernard'sN/ANoneNone Premier B Old Camberwell Old IvanhoeCaulfield Grammarians Old HaileyburyNoneNone Premier C Glen Eira OakleighAJAX Monash BluesNoneNone Division 1 Old Yarra Cobras ParksideOrmondNoneNone Division 2 Elsternwick HawthornIvanhoe Preston BullantsOld ParadiansNone Division 3 Albert Park North BrunswickAquinas St Mary's SalesianNoneBox Hill North Chadstone Eley Park St John's
Notable events Starting in 2024, Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) broadcast one game from Premier Division every Saturday, including both home-and-away and finals matches. Williamstown CYMS forfeited its round 11 under-19s matches in both Premier and Division 4 after its players damaged their own clubrooms during a party. During a round 12 Premier Division match, St Kevin's player Michael Pisker collided with a University Blues player's legs when running to follow the ball. Pisker was placed into an induced coma and lost permanent sight in his right eye, with footage of the incident removed from the VAFA website. St Kevin's created the "Michael Pisker Most Courageous Player" award at the end of the season, with Pisker himself given the award for the 2024 season. In the Under-19s Division 2 Grand Final between Old Camberwell and University Blues, players from Old Camberwell began celebrating when the siren went at the end of the fourth quarter, believing that they had won the game by five points. However, an umpiring decision for tripping had been made fractions of a second before the siren blew, giving the Blues a free kick from around 60 metres from goal. Four players from Old Camberwell players had run onto the field while celebrating and were penalised for doing so, with Blues player Angus Watson awarded a 50-metre penalty, kicking a goal after the siren to give the Blues a one-point win of 6.9 (45) to 5.14 (44). The VAFA released a statement after the grand final, saying it was "fully satisfied that the umpire correctly adjudicated the situation in accordance with the appropriate AFL Laws of the Game".
Premier
Old Scotch won the Premier Division premiership for the 10th time, defeating minor premiers Old Brighton by 18 points in the grand final. It was Old Scotch's first men's senior premiership in 46 years and its second senior premiership in 2024, with the club also claiming its first Premier Division premiership in the VAFA Women's.
This was 's first-ever season in Premier Division after being promoted at the end of 2023, although the club finished second-last and was relegated back to Premier B for the 2025 season. Old Melburnians was also relegated.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 18 16 2 0 1613 1118 144.3 64 Finals series 2 18 12 5 1 1374 1152 119.3 50 3 (P) 18 12 6 0 1441 1090 132.2 48 4 18 11 7 0 1431 1303 109.8 44 5 18 10 8 0 1398 1238 112.9 40 6 18 7 11 0 1257 1437 87.5 28 7 18 7 11 0 1103 1356 81.3 28 8 18 5 13 0 1377 1548 89.0 20 9 18 5 13 0 1154 1545 74.7 20 Relegation 10 18 4 11 0 1179 1540 76.6 16
Finals
Club best and fairest Club Winner Collegians Jasper Davy Darcy Lowrie Old Brighton Harry Hill Old Melburnians Ben Harding Will Nichols Old Scotch Charlie Cormack Old Xaverians Alec Spralja St Bernard's Ben Overman St Kevin's Billy Coates University Blacks Henry Bennett University Blues Martin Gleeson
Club leadership Club Coach Leadership group Captain(s) Vice-captain(s) Other leader(s) Collegians Jordie McKenzie Sam Hibbins Travis Ronaldson Jack Hart Old Brighton Marcel Bruin Harry Hill Tom Fisher, Mike Karayannis Old Melburnians Paul Satterley Jackson Paine Will Nichols Ed Michelmore, Lachie Haysman, Ben Haysman, Daniel Coffield, Ed Smart Old Scotch Mark Gnatt Andy Jelbart Old Xaverians Daniel Donati St Bernard's Steven Alessio St Kevin's Anthony Lynch Dale Bower Campbell Moorfield University Blues Guy Martyn
Premier B
Old Haileybury won the Premier B premiership for the third time, defeating De La Salle by 94 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Premier Division for the 2025 season, while Beaumaris and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers were relegated to Premier C.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Old Haileybury (P) 18 14 3 1 1633 1018 160.4 58 Finals series 2 De La Salle 18 13 5 0 1691 1147 147.4 52 3 Old Trinity 18 12 5 1 1614 1259 128.2 50 4 Old Geelong 18 12 6 0 1381 1245 110.9 48 5 Old Ivanhoe 18 10 8 0 1340 1388 96.5 40 6 Old Camberwell 18 9 8 1 1260 1296 97.2 38 7 Williamstown CYMS 18 5 12 1 1289 1642 78.5 22 8 Caulfield Grammarians 18 5 13 0 1235 1529 80.8 20 9 Beaumaris 18 5 13 0 1125 1428 78.8 20 Relegation 10 St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 18 3 15 0 1134 1750 64.8 12
Finals
Club leadership Club Coach Leadership group Captain(s) Vice-captain(s) Other leader(s) Beaumaris Josh Bourke Caulfield Grammarians De La Salle Old Camberwell Old Geelong Old Haileybury Daniel Ward Bredie Seccull Brodie Steele Old Ivanhoe Old Trinity Williamstown CYMS
Premier C
Old Carey won the Premier C premiership for the first time, defeating the Hampton Rovers by 89 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Premier B for the 2025 season, while Monash Blues and Oakleigh were relegated to Division 1.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Old Carey (P) 18 16 2 0 1985 954 208.1 64 Finals series 2 Hampton Rovers 18 16 2 0 1599 872 183.4 64 3 AJAX 18 15 3 0 1975 1085 182.0 60 4 Parkdale Vultures 18 12 6 0 1753 1169 150.0 48 5 Mazenod 18 9 9 0 1324 1469 90.1 36 6 Glen Eira 18 8 10 0 1187 1609 73.8 32 7 PEGS 18 6 12 0 1317 1444 91.2 24 8 Marcellin 18 5 13 0 1070 1585 67.5 20 9 Monash Blues 18 2 16 0 892 1879 47.5 8 Relegation 10 Oakleigh 18 1 17 0 931 1967 47.3 4
Finals
Division 1
Prahran won the Division 1 premiership for the first time, defeating Parkside by 14 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Premier C for the 2025 season, while West Brunswick and were relegated to Division 2.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 Prahran (P) 18 16 2 0 1507 766 196.7 64 Finals series 2 Parkside 18 13 5 0 1467 927 158.3 52 3 Ormond 18 12 6 0 1721 1264 136.2 48 4 UHS-VU 18 12 6 0 1383 1078 128.3 48 5 Old Peninsula 18 10 8 0 1427 1369 104.2 40 6 Kew 18 8 9 1 1419 1390 102.1 34 7 Preston Bullants 18 7 10 1 1171 1367 85.7 30 8 Therry Penola 18 5 13 0 1003 1579 63.5 20 9 West Brunswick 18 4 14 0 967 1540 62.8 16 Relegation 10 Old Yarra Cobras 18 2 16 0 914 1699 53.8 8
Finals
Division 2
Elsternwick won the Division 2 premiership for the first time, defeating minor premiers Brunswick by 13 points in the grand final. It was Elsternwick's second senior premiership in a row, following its Division 3 premiership in 2023. Both clubs were promoted to Division 1 for the 2025 season.
This was Bulleen Templestowe's last season in the VAFA, with the club moving to the Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) in 2025. Because of this, only one club – Wattle Park – was relegated to Division 3.
Ladder
Finals
Division 3
Canterbury won the Division 3 premiership for the first time, defeating St John's by 29 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Division 2 for the 2025 season.
The merger of Division 4 into Division 3 meant the finals series was expanded to include the top five teams from the home-and-away season instead of the top four.
Ladder + Team Qualification 1 North Brunswick 17 15 2 0 1636 710 230.4 60 Finals series 2 St John's 16 14 2 0 2311 824 280.5 56 3 Power House 16 13 3 0 1909 926 206.2 52 4 Canterbury (P) 17 13 4 0 1851 1056 175.3 52 5 Richmond Central 17 10 7 0 1419 1208 117.5 40 6 Swinburne University 17 7 10 0 1325 1455 91.1 28 7 Albert Park 16 6 10 0 1114 1538 72.4 24 8 Box Hill North 16 4 12 0 1113 1890 58.9 16 9 La Trobe University 16 3 13 0 955 1327 72.0 12 10 Eley Park 16 3 13 0 780 2459 31.7 12 11 Chadstone 16 2 14 0 1049 2069 50.7 8
Finals
See also 2024 VAFA Women's season
Notes
References