Get all the details for the upcoming Smithy's VFL practice matches and see the results from matches played across the past three weeks.
Williamstown and Port Melbourne have been touted as big improvers this season, and they made strong statements in Week 3 of the Smithy’s VFL practice matches with victories over undermanned 2022 finalists.
The Seagulls were the most impressive, smacking a Box Hill Hawks team with just three AFL-listed players by 61 points at NEC Hangar on Friday night, led by four goals from recruit Corey Ellison.
Ellison joined the Seagulls off the back of his premiership win with Casey Demons last year and put in a strong display, as did Sandringham Dragons youngster Ben Andrews in defence
But Williamstown did suffer a blow ahead of its Round 1 trip to Gold Coast next week, with star recruit Mitch Cox’s long-awaited debut delayed again after he accepted a one-match suspension for forceful front-on contact.
The Borough was wasteful on Thursday night but pinched a five-point win over Carlton, fielding six AFL-listed players, at IKON Park with the last kick of a low-scoring contest.
In the other Friday matches, a Casey Demons’ development squad escaped with an eight-point win over Coburg after the Lions sprayed 17 behinds from 24 scoring shots at Casey Fields.
Werribee booted four goals to one in the last term to overwhelm Geelong by 14 points at GHMBA Stadium, while Sandringham was outstanding in downing Richmond by 30 points at Swinburne Centre despite four goals from redeployed forward Lachlan Johnson.
VFL/W CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Sign up TODAY
North Melbourne’s impressive pre-season continued on Saturday when it downed Footscray for the second week in a row, with its four AFL-listed players all impressing in a 30-point win at Arden Street Oval, while Essendon took control with six goals in the first quarter before cruising to a 46-point win over Frankston, led by returning AFL player Matt Guelfi.
Dolphins co-captains Will Fordham (two goals) and Trent Mynott both impressed while youngster Mitch Szybkowski was again in the best.
Southport’s development squad, plus returning ruck star Fraser Thurlow, outclassed QAFL neighbours Palm Beach-Currumbin by 69 points at Fankhauser Reserve on Thursday night.
There has been a couple of changes to this week’s final round of practice matches before the season kicks off next week.
Frankston fans will now get to see two matches at Seaford’s Linen House on Saturday, with the clash against VAFA club Beaumaris becoming a game for the Dolphins Academy and moving from 2pm to 12pm, to be followed by the senior squad taking on Northern Bullants at 2.30pm.
And in Queensland, Southport’s home game against Brisbane Lions has been flipped and they will now meet at Springfield’s Brighton Homes Arena for the second time in three weeks, while the Gold Coast Suns’ clash against former NEAFL rival Sydney University at Austworld Centre has been pushed back from 2pm to 3pm.
One of the highlights of this week’s action is the return of VFL football to Braybrook’s Skinner Reserve, with a double-header featuring Footscray and Casey Demons in the VFL at 2.30pm coming after Western Bulldogs’ VFLW team taking on Williamstown at 10.30am.
See below for where your team is playing this week, with selected squads to be released the evening before each match, or on the Friday in the case of Sunday games.
Entry is open and free for all fixtures.
WEEK 1 RESULTS
Geelong 3.5 3.12 6.13 10.22 (82)
Box Hill Hawks 2.3 5.8 10.13 11.14 (80)
Goals: GEELONG: Riccardi, Panuccio 2, Knevitt, Bond, Lewis, Feely, Quick, Chalcraft.
Best: GEELONG: Riccardi, Knevitt, Whyte, Clohesy, Ham, Chalcraft, Eyers. BOX HILL: Agosta, Murr, Mitchell, B. Macdonald, Rule, Brown.
Carlton 3.5 7.6 13.8 16.10 (106)
Collingwood 1.2 3.2 4.4 5.7 (37)
Goals: CARLTON: Brereton, Lefroy, Lemmey, O’Keeffe 2, Binns, Cahill, Dow, Dozzi, Gill, Grant, Ramshaw, Ronke.
Sydney 3.1 6.3 9.6 (60)
Brisbane Lions 4.0 5.2 6.7 (43)
Goals: SYDNEY: Howard 2. LIONS: Tunstill, B. Coleman, L. Rayner.
Best: SYDNEY: Howard, Kirk, Harry Morrison, Owen, Mitchell, Vickery.
Northern Bullants 2.2 5.3 5.6 8.6 11.10 11.10 (76)
Coburg 2.2 5.2 6.3 8.4 10.4 10.5 (65)
Goals: BULLANTS: Stapleton 2, Ryan, Hurley, Parente, Young, Martin, Laurie, Roumeliotis, Brown, Barnes. COBURG: Weightman, D’Intinosante, Lukic, Mason, Owen, Kemp, Quigg, Xenos, Bella, Johnston.
Best: BULLANTS: El-Hawli, Hurley, Mackie, Roumeliotis, Gundry. COBURG: Watson, T. Jepson, Boucher, Nelson, Corigliano.
Williamstown 10.6 (66)
Port Melbourne 7.8 (50)
Best: WILLIAMSTOWN: Weightman, Hore, Preston, Downie, Ebinger, Cox. PORT: Rosman, Walker.
WEEK 2 RESULTS
Box Hill Hawks 2.5 6.8 7.12 10.17 (77)
Collingwood 2.2 4.4 5.4 7.8 (50)
Essendon 0.2 2.5 5.8 9.9 (63)
Sandringham 2.4 2.5 4.6 6.7 (43)
Goals: ESSENDON: Voss 3, Phillips 2, Wanganeen, Sutton, Madden, Conforti. SANDRINGHAM: not submitted.
Best: ESSENDON: Cootee, Conforti, Lord, Wanganeen, Montgomerie, Hind, Hayes, Baldwin, Voss. SANDRINGHAM: not submitted.
Brisbane Lions 3.6 4.6 9.9 12.13 (85)
Southport Sharks 1.1 3.4 5.5 8.6 (54)
Goals: LIONS: Fort, Buzza 2, Lane, B. Coleman, Fullarton, Cockatoo, Brain, Answerth, Derksen, Sharp. SOUTHPORT: Offermans 3, Conroy, Foon, Edwards, Crossley, Bowman.
Best: LIONS: Lyons, Fort, Joyce, Answerth, Buzza, Sharp. SOUTHPORT: not submitted.
GWS GIANTS 2.1 6.5 9.5 12.6 (78)
Gold Coast SUNS 3.2 6.4 9.7 10.8 (68)
Best: GWS: not submitted. GOLD COAST: Tsitas, Uwland, Johnston, Anderson, Oea.
Williamstown 0.2 2.5 4.6 8.7 (55)
Northern Bullants 0.3 2.4 3.8 4.12 (36)
Goals: WILLIAMSTOWN: Gadsby, Ebinger 2, Banch, Ottavi, Walker, Gadsby, Henderson. BULLANTS: Ryan, Brown 2.
Richmond 2.4 2.5 6.8 10.9 (69)
Casey Demons 2.3 6.6 8.6 10.8 (68)
Goals: RICHMOND: White 3, L. Johnson, Mansell, Ryan, Hicks, Tedcastle, Ralphsmith, Brindley. CASEY: not submitted.
Best: RICHMOND: Ryan, Ralphsmith, Hicks, L. Johnson, El Nour, McDonagh, Sonsie, Banks, Mansell, Bradtke, Miller. CASEY: not submitted.
Werribee 1.2 5.4 5.5 8.9 (57)
Frankston 0.2 0.2 1.2 1.3 (9)
Goals: WERRIBEE: Grintell 3, T. Gribble, Selsby, Dahlhaus, Lever, McLeod. FRANKSTON: Voss.
Best: WERRIBEE: Keast, T. Gribble, Lever, Ajang, Brew, Clohesy, Boyd, Grintell. FRANKSTON: Nayna, Szybkowski, L. Riley, Grant.
Port Melbourne 3.4 7.7 10.9 11.9 (75)
Coburg 0.2 0.3 2.3 3.7 (25)
Goals: PORT MELBOURNE: Manton, Gasper 2, Holmes, Curry, Hunter, Signorello, Green, Anastasio, Cusack. COBURG: Clarke 2, Weightman
North Melbourne 2.7 7.11 10.13 12.13 (85)
Footscray Bulldogs 2.2 3.4 5.7 10.8 (68)
Goals: NORTH: Ford 3, Sellers, Greenwood, Spicer, Coleman-Jones, Taylor, Edwards, Harvey, Watkins. FOOTSCRAY: not submitted.
Best: NORTH: Corr, Taylor, Ford, Greenwood, Hall, Drury. FOOTSCRAY: not submitted.
WEEK 3 RESULTS
Port Melbourne 1.4 2.10 3.11 5.13 (43)
Carlton 2.1 2.6 4.7 5.8 (38)
Goals: CARLTON: Honey 2, Brereton, Gill, Martin
Best: CARLTON: McGovern, Pittonet, Martin, Honey, McMahon, Leiu
Southport Sharks 5.0 10.1 15.2 18.3 (111)
Palm Beach-Currumbin 2.1 4.2 5.4 6.6 (42)
Goals: SOUTHPORT: Finch 3, Anderson, Coombes, Bradshaw 2, Law, Reeves, Thurlow, Foggo, Joel Edwards, Hooker
Sandringham 4.1 8.3 10.9 12.14 (86)
Richmond 2.2 6.3 6.4 8.8 (56)
Goals: RICHMOND: L. Johnson 4, Olden 2, Tedcastle
Best: RICHMOND: L. Johnson, El Nour, Faimalo, Bracher, Olden
Williamstown 5.4 6.8 -.- 15.16 (106)
Box Hill Hawks 1.0 2.3 -.- 6.9 (45)
Goals: WILLIAMSTOWN: Ellison 4, Walker, Henderson, Philpot, Ebinger. BOX HILL: Coghlan, Agosta, Wynd
Casey Demons 3.0 7.2 8.4 10.7 (67)
Coburg 1.3 3.7 6.12 7.17 (59)
Goals: CASEY: Muley 3, Sheridan 2, Cross, Peters, Woodhouse, Baldi, Shepherd. COBURG: Mason, D’Intinosante 2, Owen, Clarke, Weightman.
Best: COBURG: Corigliano, Gillard, Kennedy, Walker, Gentile.
Werribee 1.3 2.7 3.8 7.11 (53)
Geelong Cats 1.4 3.4 4.4 5.7 (37)
Goals: WERRIBEE: Paea 2, Brew, Declase, Grintell, Henderson, Selsby
Best: WERRIBEE: Henderson, Declase, T. Gribble, Pinnuck, Clohesy. GEELONG: Bourke, Morrison, Cousins, Lucas.
North Melbourne 3.4 6.8 12.11 15.12 (102)
Footscray 2.5 4.7 7.7 10.12 (72)
Goals: NORTH: Hope 3, Simondson, Ellwood, Bath 2, Thomas, Howe, O’Sullivan, Tucker, McCormick, Barnett
Best: NORTH: Corr, Howe, Taylor, Hall, Keogh, Hope, Ellwood, Thomas, Spicer
Essendon 6.1 7.2 13.5 14.8 (92)
Frankston 2.1 3.4 4.5 6.10 (46)
Goals: FRANKSTON: Fordham 2, Aleixo, McComb, Stone, Butland.
Best: ESSENDON: Guelfi, Bernacki, Baldwin, Conforti, Snelling. FRANKSTON: Mynott, Cuthbert, L. Riley, Szybkowski, Marotta.
WEEK 4 FIXTURE
THURSDAY, MARCH 16
Richmond v Carlton (Swinburne Centre, 4pm, 4x25min)
SATURDAY, MARCH 18
Frankston v Northern Bullants (Linen House, Seaford, 10am, 4x25min)
North Melbourne v Williamstown (Arden St, 10am, 4x25min)
Brisbane Lions v Southport Sharks (Brighton Homes Arena, 11am, 4x25min)
Collingwood v Geelong Cats (AIA Centre, 11am, 4x25min)
Sandringham v Werribee (RSEA Park, Moorabbin, 12:30pm, 4x25min)
Frankston Academy v Beaumaris (Linen House, Seaford, 12:30pm, 4x22min)
Footscray Bulldogs v Casey Demons (Skinner Reserve, Braybrook, 2.30pm, 4x25min)
Gold Coast Suns v Sydney University (Austworld Centre, 3pm, 4x25min)
SUNDAY, MARCH 19
GWS Giants v Sydney Swans (Tom Wills Oval, Sydney Olympic Park, 9.30am, 4x25min)
Essendon v Box Hill Hawks (NEC Hangar, 10am, 4x25min)
*Fixture schedule as at March 17.
VFLW PRACTICE MATCH SCHEDULE See it here
