Looking Back…

8 Jun

With Wayno (that old bloke behind the goals!)

With all the new players at the club I thought it appropriate to start a column looking back at a bit of history, hoping to give a bit of insight into our Club’s unbelievable journey in VAFA football over more than 130 years. This week we can’t go past 20 years ago when we won the 2006 B grade (as it was then known) Premiership.

Looking at that year, the comparisons to this year are uncanny. It could be argued that the 2025 were very unlucky to be relegated, the same can be said about the 2005 side. In 2005, we played eventual premiers, Old Haileybury in the final round at their ground needing to win to stay up.

Sadly after being in front at ¾ time we were overrun and the rest is history (that Premiership is tainted, if you want to know why, ask me at the Club one day). The 2025 side was very stiff, 6 losses by less than 10 points and some interesting tactics by an opposition club sealed our fate.

Like this year we were very young but secured some experience to guide us through the season. Notably OW Simon Arnott (Swans, Geelong and Central Districts), Ben Robbins (Brisbane, North) Justin Casserly (Central Districts )and OW Nick Stone (Collingwood, Hawks) provided the experience to steer our young group in the right direction.

I’ll mention more players as the year rolls on but it became very obvious early on that our younger players, if they stayed together, were capable of achieving a lot. Players like Jono Dixon, Nick Harrison, Shura Taft, Campbell Unsworth and Chris Blumfield (all OW’s) had so much upside, it was exciting times for the club.

Fast Forward to Round 7 the comparisons are uncanny. After 7 rounds Collegians were on top undefeated as we are now. The VAFA record said we had recruited very well and would take some beating. And true it was. Round 7 saw us play Whitefriars away and we booted 8 goals to zip in the first quarter and went on to win comfortably. Best players that day were CHF Jono Dixon and goal sneak Shura Taft who were supported by a miserlybackline whose best were Richard Hosking, the courageous Nick Roach, “Big Sexy” Brock Mooney and Grant “Rowdy” Rowston. (to be honest I never heard him speak!!)

Our Reserves too were having a stellar season with players like Matt Roberson, Andy Stone and Nick Bobeff all putting pressure on the selectors. As the season rolls on I’ll continue to review the 2006 season. Be interesting to compare our fortunes.

Meanwhile did you know :

Great win by the seniors at Carey on the weekend. Amazingly Old Carey have only beaten us once over the countless times we have played them.
Collegians were the first club in the VAFA to have lights that met Australian standards for playing and the first club to play a night game in a home and away round.
Collegians have played in an A or B Grade Grand Final on an average every 3.5 years since 1892.
Our first President, LA Adamson is recognised as the founder of the VAFA as it is now known and the Premier Division Cup is named after him.
Our Major Sponsor in 2006 was JEFFERSON FORD. Amazingly the JEFFERSON AUTOMOTIVE GROUP are still a major sponsor and have been since 1991. If you know anybody on the hunt for a Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Skoda, Subaru or Mitsubishi please contact me.

Can you?