By David Nagel
With the final sirens now blown on the 2024 WGFNC home-and-away season, we take a look at the seasons of the bottom six who missed out on playing finals.
Some will be disappointed with their output, but there are a couple of sleepers that will head into the pre-season with some real hope of improvement in 2025.
Here’s our take on the vanquished.
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS
Finished 7th 7 wins; 11 losses
Players Used 45
Played All Games 3
Kyle Beveridge, Wilson McGillivray, Thomas Commadeur
Leading Goalkickers
35 – Lachlan Bambridge, 26 – Mason McGarrity, 16 – Nic Visser, 13 – Luke Walker, 12 – Kyle Beveridge, 11 – Shane Brewster
B&F Top 5 Prediction
Kyle Beveridge, Shane Brewster, Lachlan Bambridge, Luke Walker, Nic Visser
Best Win
Round 7 – Kooweerup 91-61
Worst Loss
Round 12 – Tooradin-Dalmore 12-77
We Say:
The Dusties were simply not good enough to play finals footy this year, with a huge unavailability list putting too great a strain on their season. They played the top six teams on 10 occasions and lost them all; conceding 1041 points and scoring 483 at a percentage of 46.40. The Dusties had a record of five wins and four losses after nine rounds but it was all false bravado. They won just two of their last nine to quickly fall out of contention. Key forward Lachlan Bambridge was clearly their best recruit, booting 35 goals in 14 games. Between them, Will Gibson (15), Corie Intveen (9), Mason McGarrity (6), Sam Russell (6), Michael Debenham (8), Bailey Beck (11), Travis Ogden (6), Todd Beck (11), Matthew Herbert (7) and Bambridge (4) missed 83 games of football through either illness, injury or unavailability. A huge off-season for the Dusties; hopefully a more settled one than last year.
KOOWEERUP
Finished 8th 7 wins; 11 losses
Players Used 38
Played All Games 3
Nathan Voss, Tim Miller, Jordan Sprie
Leading Goalkickers
36 – Nathan Voss, 23 – Luke McMaster, 11 – Bailey Galante, Matthew Voss, 7 – Dale Alanis, Mitch Alderson
B&F Top 5 Prediction
Nathan Voss, Zak Banks, Travis Bindley, Nathan Muratore, Matthew Voss
Best Win
Round 1 – Dalyston 90-72
Worst Loss
Round 2 – Inverloch-Kongwak 27-131
We Say:
Another frustrating season for the Demons who are not far away from playing finals, but miles away from breaking their 43-year premiership drought. How close are they? Reverse the results of their two games against Kilcunda-Bass this season (11 and 32 points) and the Demons are lining up against Nar Nar Goon this weekend. The Dees were humiliated by Inverloch, Nar Nar Goon and Cora Lynn (104 points, 96 and 83) during a humbling seven-game losing streak from rounds two to eight, but finished the season off strongly. They won six of their last 10 games, including a 38-point win over Warragul industrials that proved they’re the best team outside the top six. Matt Voss, Dale Alanis, Blake Peach, Josh Bateman, Tom Glen and Mitch Cammarano all missed significant chunks of the season (58 games in total) and that’s a lot for a team that needs every weapon on the park. Now with momentum, we’re expecting the Dees to play finals football in 2025.
DALYSTON
Finished 9th 4 wins; 14 losses
Players Used 39
Played All Games 2
Mitch Hallahan, Jack Legione
Leading Goalkickers
36 – Hayden Wallis, 12 – Mitch Hallahan, 11 – Kyle Kirk, Brad Monson, 10 – Jaxon Foon, Stewart Beaumont
B&F Top 5 Prediction
Mitch Hallahan, Kyle Kirk, Curtis Murfett, Ben Lewis, Will Clarke, Hayden Wallis
Best Win
Round 4 – Bunyip 120-17
Worst Loss
Round 6 – Nar Nar Goon 10-122
We Say:
Won the games they were expected to win, two each against Bunyip and Korumburra-Bena, but that was the end of the penny section for the Magpies this year. Lost their three ‘judgment’ games against Kooweerup (twice) and Garfield, with round one and two losses (by 18 and 6 points) really hitting them hard. The high water-mark for the Magpies was probably an eight-point loss to Kilcunda-Bass in round 10. The experienced Hayden Wallis led the scoring with an impressive 36 goals (from 15 games) but the Pies need a genuine focal point up forward if they wish to improve. Coach Mitch Hallahan and exciting talent Kyle Kirk were the stars for the Magpies this year, while Brad Monson and Dino Karamoshos can provide part of that answer up forward. Hallahan blooded a handful of youngsters over the last few rounds of the season in a promising sign moving forward.
GARFIELD
Finished 10th 4 wins; 14 losses
Players Used 46
Played All Games 7
Lachie Spinks, Ben Tenace-Greenall, Jack Tenace-Greenall, Will Pickering, Jahmain Harrison, Joshua Evans, Jack Barnes
Leading Goalkickers
13 – Lachie Spinks, 11 – Angus Emery, 8 – Ben Tenace-Greenall, 7 – Jack Tenace-Greenall, Noah Rogers, 6 – Callum Tyler
B&F Top 5 Prediction
Zac Soutar, Jack Tenace-Greenall, Angus Emery, Callum Tyler, Will Cole
Best Win
Round 2 – Dalyston 53-47
Worst Loss
Round 15 – Korumburra-Bena 31-46
We Say:
The Stars started with a bang, winning their first two against Bunyip and Dalyston, but reality soon bit hard with a 139-point defeat at the hands of IK in round three. The Dalyston win would prove their best of the season, while a win over an Isaac Smith and Shane Mumford-inspired Bunyip in round 13 gave the Stars a rare taste of the big-game spotlight. The Stars used more players (46) than any other team this year, but, on the flipside, had a high-number (7) of players play every game. They lost two of their better players, Will Cole and Rhys Murphy, for the last chunk of the season, while the absence of key pillar Joel Batson after round four was a killer blow to their improvement hopes. Zac Soutar was once again brilliant in an undersized-ruck role, while a long list of young blokes – including Ben and Jack Tenace-Greenall – should take natural improvement from another season under their belts.
KORUMBURRA-BENA
Finished 11th 3 wins; 15 losses
Players Used 34
Played All Games 3
Tom Crocker, Joel Cuman, Byron Walker
Leading Goalkickers
24 – Tom Crocker, 16 – Nicholas Besley, 12 – Josh Hopkins, 11 – Joel Cuman, 8 – Hugh Gordon, 7 – Paul Fermanis
B&F Top 5 Prediction
Josh Hopkins, Kye Benson, Joel Cuman, Kodie Walker, Mitchell Wightman
Best Win
Round 15 – Garfield 46-31
Worst Loss
Round 3 – Dalyston 41-111
We Say:
Won the games they were expected to against a struggling Bunyip, but a round 15 win over Garfield probably gives Josh Hopkins and his team a pass-mark for 2024. Despite their 3-15 record, the Giants won two of their last four and showed genuine improvement over the last month of the season. You can imagine Hopkins addressing his players in a positive manner after their last-round loss to Kooweerup, after playing an entertaining brand of football. Hopkins and Kye Benson were magnificent for the Giants this season, while Tom Crocker got bang for his buck late, kicking 10 goals from rounds 16 to 18. The Giants are a super-young team with plenty of talent, but just need a few bigger bodies to help contain some of the stronger midfields in the competition. Overall, the Giants hierarchy can’t be disappointed with their first season under Hopkins’ reign.
BUNYIP
Finished Last 0 wins; 18 losses
Players Used 44
Played All Games 1
Tahj Murphy
Leading Goalkickers
6 – Tahj Murphy, Alex Dijkstra, 4 – Liam Marson, 3 – Anthony Haddrick, Jason Williams, Benjamin Wright
B&F Top 5 Prediction
Alex Dijkstra, Reid Jenkin, Curtis Jenkin, Ben Stewart, Matthew O’Halloran
Best Win
No Wins
Worst Loss
Round 3 – Cora Lynn 0-247
We Say:
The leaders of the Bunyip Football Club need bravery awards – and a bronze statue – for what they’ve survived and endured over the last two years. The Bulldogs have now gone two seasons without a win but somehow there still seems to be a strong and connected message emerging from the club. The Bulldogs kicked just 36 goals for the season, fewer than the 40 goals Nar Nar Goon kicked against the Doggies in round two, and the 38 Cora Lynn put through the big sticks just seven days later. The on-and-off-field leaders, including Lachlan Petch, Steve Sheppard, Rob Hughes, Reid Jenkin, Alex Dijkstra and Jason Williams have basically saved a footy club, and their efforts will only fully be appreciated in the fullness of time. New coach Nick Smith has his hands full; but an expected move to the Ellinbank League in 2025 should alleviate some of the pain. The Bulldogs used 44 players this season, but 13 of them only played one game. It was a core group of 15, that played 15 games or more, that got the Bulldogs through a tough chapter in their history.
