News St Kilda to field standalone VFL team in 2026

[saint66au]

He may have been carrying the knee into the season, as he didnt look unfit in his U18 year he was covering heaps of ground. Hopefully he can get things going and show us what he did in his last Stingrays year.

Injured early then somehow couldnt force his way back into a very average injury-ridden Sandy..so played at (I think) Bonbeach

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

The week before he dropped back.

This broke.

Paul has run with our interest very publicly ever since.



He is one I’m watching for that rookie spot.

Who does he displace in the forward line
189cm H.F, is a need?

 

[stavro#4]

 

[Saint_Dos]

Injured early then somehow couldnt force his way back into a very average injury-ridden Sandy..so played at (I think) Bonbeach

Was this the same for Jett or was he just not selected? Named early and then disappeared...

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Was this the same for Jett or was he just not selected? Named early and then disappeared...

Nickname MH370?

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Can anyone do a rolling list of who we have recruited for the Vfl team?

 

[stavro#4]

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Was this the same for Jett or was he just not selected? Named early and then disappeared...

I think he was dropped for poor form, but could be wrong.

 

[stavro#4]

 

[SaintsofSteel]

VFL signings c/- BM on SS -

Reeve Evans 18yo Mooroopna, old scotch, Oakleigh chargers
Position unknown
Ned Maginness 20yo 188cm Sandringham VFL
Midfielder
Billy McGee Galimberti 20yo 180cm GWS Giants VFL
Midfielder/Forward
Bailey McKenzie 19yo 192cm Sandringham VFL
Forward
Tyson McKenzie ???? Sea Lake Nandaly/strathfieldsaye
Position Unknown
Elwood Peckett 19yo 186cm Sandringham/Bonbeach
Midfielder/Forward
Jonah Campigli 21yo 189cm Sandringham VFL, old Brighton
Forward
Billy Richardson 20yo 195cm Sandringham VFL
Forwards/Wing
Jack Behnk 20yo 190cm Casey Demons/St Bedes Mentone
Forward

Now include Liam Gunson a HFF who made the VAFA team of the year and won his clubs B&F.

Whoever is doing the Saints VFL recruiting has been across a good spread of metro and country footy, hopefully that translates into a much more competitive side next season.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

I found this on Tyson McKenzie -

---

strathstormfnc
3w
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 - 𝗧𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲!

We are thrilled to welcome and introduce Tyson to the Strathfieldsaye FNC community from Season 2026.

A premiership player with Sea Lake, including being named best on ground in a Grand Final, Tyson is a hard running player who can play off half back and through the midfield.

He is highly skilled with great speed and endurance, has plenty of tricks in his kit, and will be a great addition to the club.

@tysonmckenzie01 will be an aligned player having secured a spot with St Kilda's VFL side next year, but we can't wait to see him in the Blue & White in 2026 and beyond. ️

 

[Saint Kidding]

VFL signings c/- BM on SS -

Reeve Evans 18yo Mooroopna, old scotch, Oakleigh chargers
Position unknown
Ned Maginness 20yo 188cm Sandringham VFL
Midfielder
Billy McGee Galimberti 20yo 180cm GWS Giants VFL
Midfielder/Forward
Bailey McKenzie 19yo 192cm Sandringham VFL
Forward
Tyson McKenzie ???? Sea Lake Nandaly/strathfieldsaye
Position Unknown
Elwood Peckett 19yo 186cm Sandringham/Bonbeach
Midfielder/Forward
Jonah Campigli 21yo 189cm Sandringham VFL, old Brighton
Forward
Billy Richardson 20yo 195cm Sandringham VFL
Forwards/Wing
Jack Behnk 20yo 190cm Casey Demons/St Bedes Mentone
Forward

Now include Liam Gunson a HFF who made the VAFA team of the year and won his clubs B&F.

Whoever is doing the Saints VFL recruiting has been across a good spread of metro and country footy, hopefully that translates into a much more competitive side next season.

That is a very young group. May need a few mature bodies as well.

 

[stavro#4]

 

[SaintsofSteel]

That is a very young group. May need a few mature bodies as well.

Yeah not a lot of experience if you include the players on the Saints list who will be playing VFL. We may yet offer Byrnes and Jones a VFL role? I guess we are wanting to have a look at a number of young players, training and playing in a professional environment.

 

[sammm]

I found this on Tyson McKenzie -

---

strathstormfnc
3w
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 - 𝗧𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲!

We are thrilled to welcome and introduce Tyson to the Strathfieldsaye FNC community from Season 2026.

A premiership player with Sea Lake, including being named best on ground in a Grand Final, Tyson is a hard running player who can play off half back and through the midfield.

He is highly skilled with great speed and endurance, has plenty of tricks in his kit, and will be a great addition to the club.

@tysonmckenzie01 will be an aligned player having secured a spot with St Kilda's VFL side next year, but we can't wait to see him in the Blue & White in 2026 and beyond. ️

Am i right in saying when he is not playing for the Saints, he will be at his other club?

 

[BrutThough]

Am i right in saying when he is not playing for the Saints, he will be at his other club?

That's correct.

 

[sammm]

Saints lock in VFL coaches https://share.google/ET1EFYIVjIcH2PsXE

 

[stfan]

Simon Williams as (StKilda VFL) Senior Assistant Coach. Williams has spent the past three seasons coaching the St Kevin’s College First XVIII and will also oversee the backline.

So Simon was probably a key reason in our picking up Liam Gunson.

 

[bergholt]

I wish Sandy the best as an independent VFL team. I hope they survive. It doesn’t help that they lost several players (are we talking 5+ ?) to St Kilda’s seconds.
I’m also relieved and happy that red, white and black has a seconds team. One day, maybe a curtain raiser? Or an AFLW curtain raiser?

But my question here is this.
With so many Sandy players coming across, I ask, ‘Why bother?’
Why would a player want to be VFL listed?

To have a crack at AFL ala Max Hall?
Fair enough. But low odds.

Wouldn’t they be better going for an independent VFL team, amateurs, country leagues or interstate?
Money can’t be good.

Is it access to the facilities? And environment?

I spoke to a kid not long ago who was hoping to have a crack with our new VFL side. He was saying the promise to him was that once a week you train with the AFL boys and even when you don't, you're still training at Moorabbin right under the nose of the AFL coaches and recruiters. Not sure if that's the actual setup but that sounds like what he was told.

He said he knows he's unlikely to be good enough for AFL but there's still status associated with being in that semi-AFL environment, hanging out with Nas and the boys occasionally, and getting coached by Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard gives you a pretty good shot at making the most of your talent.

 

[saintmike65]

I spoke to a kid not long ago who was hoping to have a crack with our new VFL side. He was saying the promise to him was that once a week you train with the AFL boys and even when you don't, you're still training at Moorabbin right under the nose of the AFL coaches and recruiters. Not sure if that's the actual setup but that sounds like what he was told.

He said he knows he's unlikely to be good enough for AFL but there's still status associated with being in that semi-AFL environment, hanging out with Nas and the boys occasionally, and getting coached by Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard gives you a pretty good shot at making the most of your talent.

There's only a select few VFL players that train on with the seniors...for example only 3 at the moment!

 

[SG34]

I spoke to a kid not long ago who was hoping to have a crack with our new VFL side. He was saying the promise to him was that once a week you train with the AFL boys and even when you don't, you're still training at Moorabbin right under the nose of the AFL coaches and recruiters. Not sure if that's the actual setup but that sounds like what he was told.

He said he knows he's unlikely to be good enough for AFL but there's still status associated with being in that semi-AFL environment, hanging out with Nas and the boys occasionally, and getting coached by Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard gives you a pretty good shot at making the most of your talent.

yep, and maybe the professionalism will help them in later life, no matter what they end up doing.

 

[Dr Spaceman]

I spoke to a kid not long ago who was hoping to have a crack with our new VFL side. He was saying the promise to him was that once a week you train with the AFL boys and even when you don't, you're still training at Moorabbin right under the nose of the AFL coaches and recruiters. Not sure if that's the actual setup but that sounds like what he was told.

He said he knows he's unlikely to be good enough for AFL but there's still status associated with being in that semi-AFL environment, hanging out with Nas and the boys occasionally, and getting coached by Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard gives you a pretty good shot at making the most of your talent.

Exactly.

No matter how hard we tried to market Sandy as “our team”, or the reality that we did basically run the programme, it was nonetheless the Sandringham Zebras.

There is indeed some level of status and prestige in saying you play for St Kilda as opposed to Sandringham.

It may not be much, but it is something.

 

[Remboy]

Exactly.

No matter how hard we tried to market Sandy as “our team”, or the reality that we did basically run the programme, it was nonetheless the Sandringham Zebras.

There is indeed some level of status and prestige in saying you play for St Kilda as opposed to Sandringham.

It may not be much, but it is something.

I think it definitely helps players who are looking for suburban or country coaching gigs in the future if they can put on their resume that they played with an AFL teams reserves side.

 

[sammm]

There's only a select few VFL players that train on with the seniors...for example only 3 at the moment!

Official VFL training does start today.

 

[bergholt]

There's only a select few VFL players that train on with the seniors...for example only 3 at the moment!

Yeah they might have overpromised a bit to this kid! Or maybe he just heard it wrong