
Esava’s eight prompts Vic Country call
“ALL CLEAR” were two words prolific with the umpires at Queen Elizabeth Oval on Sunday when Cobram tall Esava Ratugolea booted a bag of eight goals. Not since Steele Sidebottom back in the 2010 Grand Final had a Bushranger reached the double figures mark and at three quarter time when Ratugolea had seven goals straight, it looked […]

Vic Metro steal the points off SA with come from behind win
A HUGE come from behind victory saw Vic Metro claim their second win for the Division One Under 18 championship. Trailing by 35-points at the final break, an inspiring effort from Oakleigh Charger Pat Kerr saw him kick four goals in 10 minutes to get Vic Metro back into the contest. Two late goals to Sandringham […]

Pioneers eye off finals after promising start
FOR the first time in a long time, Bendigo Pioneers are earning respect in the TAC Cup according to midfielder Darby Henderson. Having played less finals series than any other team, the Pioneers are proving they are more than making up the numbers in 2016, having amassed three wins from nine games, in what is one […]

Player focus: Will Brodie & Hugh McCluggage
Vic Country may be 0-2 in the Under 18 championships currently, but Matt Balmer believes they may hold two of the first Victorian prospects come November’s draft. At this stage in my mind it’s a coin toss. Heads or tails? Will Brodie or Hugh McCluggage? It’s the question that recruiting staff right across Australia may […]

Metro win thriller over arch rivals Country
Vic Metro claimed their first win over cross state rivals Vic Country for the first time since 2013, with a thrilling come from behind victory at Simonds Stadium on Monday. Trailing by 20-points at three-quarter time, Metro kicked the first four goals to hit the front, before a late fightback from Country gave them the […]

Bottom agers grasp opportunity
With the Under 18 Championship getting underway last weekend, spots in the TAC Cup teas have come about. This means it is a great opportunity for some of the bottom agers to get some experience playing a TAC Cup before they may get some consistent game time next year. It was evident to see that […]

15 Division Two names to watch out for in 2017
The Division Two state carnival wrapped up a fortnight ago with NSW/ACT running away as winners. With clubs having the ability to trade future draft picks, Matthew Grundy casts his eye over 15 of the top talent to watch out for next year from the Division Two states. NSW/ACT Charlie Spargo Inside Midfielder/Small Forward (Murray Bushrangers/NSW-ACT) 25/11/1999 […]

Weekend That Was – Round 9
WET, COLD and MUDDY were three words that summed up Round 9 of the TAC Cup. With the weather struggling to hit the teens and constant rain, it made it the first weekend where no team hit 100 points. In the opening game of the ground, an undermanned Sandringham Dragons accounted for the Eastern Ranges […]

Upsets galore in Division One championships opening round
UPSETS & BLOWOUTS were the story of the opening round in the Under 18 Division One championship. The two highly touted teams the Allies and Vic Country both suffered at the hands of their home opposition, both being comfortably defeated. South Australia kicked the carnival off against the championships newest side the Allies on Saturday. […]

Matt Balmer’s June Power Rankings
In an AFL Draft Central feature, AFL Draft analyst Matt Balmer will update his Power Rankings on the first Monday of every month. The Division One Championships begun on the weekend and make sure you keep checking AFL Draft Central for all the news from the matches. It is just under 172 days until the draft kicks off in Sydney and […]