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VFL 2025

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Appreciate your input. Only just started following the VFL. How does it work with AFL reserves and top up players? Who is the best placed of the ressies sides? Box Hill?
All good, Southport probably have the best team, cant deny the better AFL clubs generally have strong VFL groups. Box Hill, Brisbane, GWS all look strong
 
if you cant see what the term means then id suggest sitting this one out.

Every (good) Port Melbourne team was built on the traditions, the history, from within. Port of recent years are simply trying to buy players and put them into a team for success.

No long term planning, no end game, just a desperate attempt to stay competitive and relevant whilst other stand alone clubs doing the long game go shooting past at a rate of knots.


PS. good on James for stepping back in and helping his son's football club out. As for Dyson, Tex and Jayden, kudos.
No, you're the one who used the term, so if you want to have a discussion about it, I suggest you explain yourself.

How dare a football club try to be competitive and successful in this day and age? The cheek! The gall! The audacity! The gumption!

It's virtually impossible to recruit from within as we have no reserves side any more, and we're not linked as strongly to the NAB league sides like some other stand alone clubs. Tradition and history (we just celebrated our 150th anniversary with great fanfare, if you haven't noticed) are great, but the reality is that we simply can't afford to bottom out and rebuild, and even if we could, our better players get poached by AFL clubs or leave for more money up country or interstate.

I have said I'm not thrilled with the current direction the administration is persuing, but the last thing you'll ever accuse Port Melbourne of is not being authentic and respecting our traditions. If that were the case, we would have persued an alliance and be playing as the Port Melbourne Kangaroos with a red white and blue striped guernsey.
 
No, you're the one who used the term, so if you want to have a discussion about it, I suggest you explain yourself.

How dare a football club try to be competitive and successful in this day and age? The cheek! The gall! The audacity! The gumption!

It's virtually impossible to recruit from within as we have no reserves side any more, and we're not linked as strongly to the NAB league sides like some other stand alone clubs. Tradition and history (we just celebrated our 150th anniversary with great fanfare, if you haven't noticed) are great, but the reality is that we simply can't afford to bottom out and rebuild, and even if we could, our better players get poached by AFL clubs or leave for more money up country or interstate.

I have said I'm not thrilled with the current direction the administration is persuing, but the last thing you'll ever accuse Port Melbourne of is not being authentic and respecting our traditions. If that were the case, we would have persued an alliance and be playing as the Port Melbourne Kangaroos with a red white and blue striped guernsey.
I explained it, if you're comprehension is struggling, I can dumb it down further


Port Melbourne seem desperate to compete for the now. Hence the over reliance of ex AFL players on the Port list.


As I mentioned earlier, even 10 years ago, sure they had Hugh Sandilands and Jordan Lisle but they were built around Toby Pinwil, Leigh Osborne, Khan Haretuku etc.

Williamstown now are built on Jack Toner, Brodie McLachlan (yes he went to Gold Coast but went back to Williamstown), Jack Greiser is 30 and still turning out for Willy. Not Riley Collier Dawkins, or Aidan Bonner.

Look at Frankston who has the total buy in from the local competitions, same as Coburg. I believe Northern Bullants are struggling to get that buy in from the Northern Football League's.


I am not being disparaging at what Port Melbourne has done, the current incarnation is a shadow of what I know Port Melbourne, led by Port Melbourne troopers is about
 

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Those in charge have made a series of poor decisions recently, starting with not renewing Gary Ayers contract, but I strongly disagree that the Borough, a 150+ year old club with 17 premierships and some of the most passionate supporters you'll ever meet, is "pastic" and has "no heart or soul".

This is either transperant rage bait or deliberate ignorance.
Don't fall for it, it's a obvious attempt to get a reaction. Anybody that knows anything about vfl will tell you that Port Melbourne (arguably) has the most passionate people.
if you cant see what the term means then id suggest sitting this one out.

Every (good) Port Melbourne team was built on the traditions, the history, from within. Port of recent years are simply trying to buy players and put them into a team for success.

No long term planning, no end game, just a desperate attempt to stay competitive and relevant whilst other stand alone clubs doing the long game go shooting past at a rate of knots.


PS. good on James for stepping back in and helping his son's football club out. As for Dyson, Tex and Jayden, kudos.

They recruited a few big names in order to try to get the Borough rising, what would you have done ? We have no seconds side to develop vfl standard players and they had a exodus of players- who would you have your club replace them with a bunch of inexperienced youngsters or a combination of youth and quality experienced players in order to have those with experience help provide quality and guidance to the youngsters to develop them into the best they could be?
 
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Don't fall for it, it's a obvious attempt to get a reaction. Anybody that knows anything about vfl will tell you that Port Melbourne (arguably) has the most passionate prp


They recruited a few big names in order to try to get the Borough rising, what would you have done ? We have no seconds side to develop vfl standard players and they had a exodus of players- who would you have your club replace them with a bunch of inexperienced youngsters or a combination of youth and quality experienced players in order to have those with experience help provide quality and guidance to the youngsters to develop them into the best they could be?
to be fair, I had forgotten about the exodus.

Im still not buying into the "no seconds" argument. Every stand alone side is in the same boat.

Frankston is my second team, when a star quartet of Will Fordham, Riley Stoddart, Kai Owens and Austin Bradtke, the Dolphins didn't dwell. Theywent on a spree.They didn't dwell, they went and brought in Tom Murphy back from local football, given opportunities to Harrison Coe, George Grey as an astute acquisition from Casey Demons etc. No big names but buy in from locals and local leagues.
 
Williamstown now are built on Jack Toner, Brodie McLachlan (yes he went to Gold Coast but went back to Williamstown), Jack Greiser is 30 and still turning out for Willy. Not Riley Collier Dawkins, or Aidan Bonner.
Brodie Mclaughlan didnt "go back" to Williamstown. He decided to go back to the VFL with Williamstown as opposed to Frankston where he was drafted from.
 
I have heard that McCartney does want a closer relationship between the Borough and the Port Melbourne Colts - I don't know any specifics beyond that. The former Essendon players would all know each other, so it's not surprising that getting one meant getting more. It wouldn't surprise me if Tom Hird played a big role in recruiting Tex Wanganeen, and Wanganeen in recruiting Jayden Davey (I read a while ago that Tex Wanganeen's friendships with Tom Hird and the Davey twins are a reason he wanted to play for Essendon rather than Port Adelaide). As for Lazzaro, hopefully he'll be loyal and stick with the club long-term. But the current team isn't all about ex-AFL players, since McCartney brought four players with him from North Ballarat, including Riley Polkinghorne who's played every game so far. Drew Lloyd is from country footy and also looks set to be a regular in the side. Obviously that's not local to the Port Melbourne area, but it still shows that the club is willing to look for non-ex-AFL talent, and it's worth waiting to see recruiting trends under McCartney before judging.
 
to be fair, I had forgotten about the exodus.

Im still not buying into the "no seconds" argument. Every stand alone side is in the same boat.

Frankston is my second team, when a star quartet of Will Fordham, Riley Stoddart, Kai Owens and Austin Bradtke, the Dolphins didn't dwell. Theywent on a spree.They didn't dwell, they went and brought in Tom Murphy back from local football, given opportunities to Harrison Coe, George Grey as an astute acquisition from Casey Demons etc. No big names but buy in from locals and local leagues.

It may be that Frankston has been somewhat successful with this method but generally speaking the probability is that you will find greater success doing it the Williamstown, Port and Werribee way. Good luck to Frankston they are a great club but I dont think any Port supporter would begrudge the club over its rebuilding method. Rather have the likes of Heppell, Bendeto, Lazaro etc than replacing them with youngsters from the local area.
 
It may be that Frankston has been somewhat successful with this method but generally speaking the probability is that you will find greater success doing it the Williamstown, Port and Werribee way. Good luck to Frankston they are a great club but I dont think any Port supporter would begrudge the club over its rebuilding method. Rather have the likes of Heppell, Bendeto, Lazaro etc than replacing them with youngsters from the local area.
Port Melbourne have coffers (poke money), geographical advantage (central location), history (have been a perennial powerhouse) and seem to be able to attract AFL players like no other non-AFL club can do.


It's not 2015 anymore, salary cap has been cut, ex-AFL players earn more money at local footy than VFL or other state leagues. These stand alone will need the buy in from local leagues more imho hence the recent success of stand alone like Coburg and Frankston.
 
Port Melbourne have coffers (poke money), geographical advantage (central location), history (have been a perennial powerhouse) and seem to be able to attract AFL players like no other non-AFL club can do.


It's not 2015 anymore, salary cap has been cut, ex-AFL players earn more money at local footy than VFL or other state leagues. These stand alone will need the buy in from local leagues more imho hence the recent success of stand alone like Coburg and Frankston.
Port don't have local clubs , only Colts and South Districts who are in the 6th Div of ammos and lose good kids to old schoolboy clubs
 

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Looking forward to heading out to Casey Fields tomorrow for Richmond vs Casey Demons at fan friendly time of 11:05am on a Thursday 😆
They could've asked Collingwood to use Victoria Park and start at 2or 3pm. Better yet play it on Anzac day.
 

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