2021 VAFA season

2021 VAFA season
Date10 April − 2 September 2021
Teams66

The 2021 VAFA season was the 120th season of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season began on 10 April before it was curtailed on 2 September 2021 without premierships awarded, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2]

No automatic promotion and relegation was applied following the season, and clubs who finished in the bottom two or highest four positions on the ladder would instead have to formally apply on whether to be promoted or relegated for the 2022 season.[3]

This was the first time the VAFA had curtailed a season since 1940, when competition was suspended due to World War II.[4]

Background

2020 season cancellation

The 2020 VAFA season was meant to have been the 120th season of the VAFA.[5][6]

On 17 March 2020, the VAFA announced that the season would be postponed until 2 May because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] However, the season did not resume amid ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, and was officially cancelled on 1 July without a game being played.[8][9]

2021 season abandonment

The 2021 season began on 10 April, with the senior men's home-and-away season scheduled to end on 28 August ahead of a finals series would be held.[10] The VAFA extended its agreement with RSN 927 in February 2021, with RSN continuing to serve as the official VAFA radio broadcaster.[11][12]

On 15 August, the VAFA cancelled the remaining home-and-away games, but stated their intention to still hold a finals series.[13] However, following the extension of Melbourne's sixth COVID-19 lockdown, the VAFA announced on 1 September that the season would be abandoned without any premierships awarded.[14]

Association membership

St Francis Xavier and South Mornington left the VAFA at the end of the 2019 season to join the Southern Football Netball League (SFNL).[15][16]

Prior to the planned start of the 2020 season, Peninsula Old Boys renamed to Old Peninsula Football Club after introducing a women's team.[17]

Notable events

  • Fitzroy's Donovan Toohey kicked a goal after the siren to defeat St Bedes/Mentone Tigers by three points in Premier B on 22 May.[18]
  • Caulfield Grammarians won a senior game in A Section/Premier Division for the first time since 1987.[19]
  • Former Hawthorn player Jacob Campbell died from cancer on 28 May 2021.[20][21][22]
  • In July 2021, antisemitic graffiti was spray-painted on the clubrooms of AJAX Football Club (which is the first and only fully Jewish Australian rules football club).[23] The incident was condemned by the VAFA as an "abhorrent and unlawful racial attack", and the Beaumaris Football Club would later be awarded with a Medal of Courage from the Anti-Defamation Commission for its stance against antisemitism and racism.[24][25]
  • In August 2021, a Richmond Central player recorded Kew players training (against COVID-19 lockdown rules) at Richmond Central's home ground, Kevin Bartlett Oval, and was also involved in a verbal confrontation with Kew coach Ian Aitken.[26] Kew said it did not sanction the training session, and the VAFA did not sanction the club, however they did refer Aitken to AFL Victoria.[27]

Premier

2021 VAFA Premier season
Teams10
Minor premiersOld Xaverians
Wooden spoonersOld Trinity
JN Woodrow MedalMarcus Stavrou[28]
(Old Xaverians − 14 votes)
← 2020
2022 →

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Old Xaverians 11 9 2 0 1060 626 169.3 36
2 St Kevin's 11 9 2 0 910 619 147.0 36
3 Old Brighton 11 8 3 0 948 807 117.5 32
4 Caulfield Grammarians 11 7 4 0 1041 892 116.7 28
5 University Blues 11 6 5 0 851 930 91.5 24
6 Old Melburnians 11 5 6 0 879 818 107.5 20
7 St Bernard's 11 5 6 0 831 845 98.3 20
8 Old Scotch 11 3 8 0 619 932 66.4 12
9 Collegians 11 2 9 0 693 894 77.5 8 Can apply for relegation
10 Old Trinity 11 1 10 0 648 1117 58.0 4

Source: [29]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Premier B

2021 VAFA Premier B season
Teams10
Minor premiersUniversity Blacks
Wooden spoonersParkdale Vultures
← 2020
2022 →

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 University Blacks 11 10 1 0 1042 541 192.6 40 Can apply for promotion
2 Beaumaris 11 9 2 0 917 505 181.6 36
3 Old Haileybury 11 9 2 0 1039 688 151.0 36
4 De La Salle 11 8 3 0 937 679 138.0 32
5 St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 11 4 7 0 853 828 103.0 16
6 Fitzroy 11 4 7 0 852 912 93.4 16
7 Williamstown CYMS 11 4 7 0 761 940 81.0 16
8 AJAX 11 4 7 0 568 804 70.7 16
9 Old Carey 11 3 8 0 589 828 71.1 12 Can apply for relegation
10 Parkdale Vultures 11 0 11 0 399 1232 32.4 0

Source: [30]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Premier C

2021 VAFA Premier C season
Teams10
Minor premiersMonash Blues
Wooden spoonersPreston Bullants
← 2020
2022 →

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Monash Blues 11 10 1 0 1033 525 196.8 40 Can apply for promotion
2 Old Geelong 11 9 2 0 945 738 128.1 36
3 Ormond 11 7 4 0 993 779 127.5 28
4 Old Ivanhoe 11 7 4 0 903 745 121.2 28
5 Mazenod 11 7 4 0 942 785 120.0 28
6 Hampton Rovers 11 5 6 0 1022 883 115.7 20
7 Marcellin 11 4 7 0 848 775 109.4 16
8 Old Mentonians 11 4 7 0 811 928 87.4 16
9 UHS-VU 11 2 9 0 540 1280 44.9 8 Can apply for relegation
10 Preston Bullants 11 0 11 0 597 1272 46.9 0

Source: [31]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Division 1

2021 VAFA Division 1 season
Teams10
Minor premiersOld Camberwell
Wooden spoonersBrunswick
← 2020
2022 →

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Old Camberwell 11 10 1 0 1032 623 165.7 40 Can apply for promotion
2 Whitefriars 11 10 1 0 1101 677 162.6 40
3 Kew 11 9 2 0 985 693 142.1 36
4 Prahran Assumption 11 7 4 0 816 688 118.6 28
5 St Mary's Salesian 11 5 6 0 814 915 89.0 20
6 Therry Penola 11 5 6 0 748 953 78.5 20
7 PEGS 11 4 7 0 843 837 36.4 16
8 Old Peninsula 11 3 8 0 641 944 67.9 12
9 Oakleigh 11 2 9 0 776 1013 76.6 8 Can apply for relegation
10 Brunswick 11 0 11 0 580 993 58.4 0

Source: [32]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Division 2

2021 VAFA Division 2 season
Teams10
Minor premiersGlen Eira
Wooden spoonersPower House
← 2020
2022 →

Ladder

Bulleen Templestowe forfeited their round 10 game against MHSOB.[33][34]

Pos Team Pld W WF L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Glen Eira 11 11 0 0 0 1170 446 262.3 44 Can apply for promotion
2 MHSOB 10 9 1 1 0 1306 516 253.1 40
3 West Brunswick 11 8 0 3 0 932 597 156.1 32
4 Old Paradians 11 8 0 3 0 892 764 116.8 32
5 Ivanhoe 11 6 0 5 0 865 743 116.4 24
6 Manningham Cobras 11 4 0 7 0 739 877 84.3 16
7 Aquinas 11 4 0 7 0 756 958 78.9 16
8 Yarra Old Grammarians 11 2 0 9 0 708 1116 63.4 8
9 Bulleen Templestowe 10 1 0 10 0 581 1265 45.9 4 Can apply for relegation
10 Power House 11 1 0 10 0 543 1267 42.7 4

Source: [35]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Division 3

2021 VAFA Division 3 season
Teams8
Minor premiersHawthorn
Wooden spoonersAlbert Park
← 2020
2022 →

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Hawthorn 11 8 2 1 930 680 136.8 34 Can apply for promotion
2 Parkside 11 8 2 1 950 711 133.6 34
3 Emmaus St Leo's 11 8 3 0 1162 615 188.9 32
4 Richmond Central 11 8 3 0 1185 702 168.8 32
5 North Brunswick 11 4 7 0 962 840 114.5 16
6 Canterbury 11 4 7 0 870 908 95.8 16
7 Westbourne Grammarians 11 3 8 0 558 1185 47.0 12 Can apply for relegation
8 Albert Park 11 0 11 0 410 1386 29.6 0

Source: [36]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Division 4

2021 VAFA Division 4 season
Teams8
Minor premiersElsternwick
Wooden spoonersBox Hill North
← 2020
2022 →

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Elsternwick 11 10 1 0 1709 385 443.9 40 Can apply for promotion
2 South Melbourne Districts 11 10 1 0 1355 443 305.9 40
3 La Trobe University 11 6 5 0 873 946 92.3 24
4 St John's 11 6 5 0 777 862 90.1 24
5 Eley Park 11 4 7 0 732 986 74.2 16
6 Masala Dandenong 11 4 7 0 749 1203 62.3 16
7 Swinburne University 11 2 9 0 658 1141 57.8 8
8 Box Hill North 11 2 9 0 479 1366 18.2 8

Source: [37]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

References

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