IT was the most competitive season since the inception of Division 3 and at the end of it all Reservoir walked away with its first senior premiership since 1984.
The competition gained a new side in Banyule, but also waved goodbye to Parkside who transferred back to the VAFA after 12 years with the NFL.
While the 2014 season was dominated by two clubs, the 2015 campaign saw a much more even top end, with South Morang leading the pack for the most part and Reservoir, Watsonia and Epping giving close pursuit all the way through.
At different times in the season each of the four enjoyed premiership favouritism, although it was the Lions who proved the most dominant side across the course of the home and away season.
Banyule and St Mary’s continued to push the top four throughout the season, however a number of close losses hurt both sides chance of playing finals come season’s end.
The Bears pulled off the coup of the season, signing former Essendon and Fremantle forward Scott Gumbleton. The big man delivered instantly and finished the season as Banyule’s leading goal kicker, despite not playing a game until Round 9.
While Heidelberg West struggled to add significantly to its wins tally, the Hawks’ leaders were able to compile a number of individual honours, with Kyl Ewart enjoying a fine year at full forward and Dan Bailey and Brad Moore continually racking up big possession numbers.
The finals series was a memorable one. Reservoir upset ladder-leader South Morang in the second semi final, before Epping produced a stunning turnaround to overrun Watsonia in the first semi final.
The Blues and Lions played out a thriller in the preliminary final, with a late Shannan Ciaverella goal giving Epping entry into its first grand final since 2012.
But it was a Judd Darby-inspired Reservoir who took the honours on grand final day, tearing the game apart late in the second quarter to take a five-goal lead into half-time, before going on with the job in the second half.
Continue below for a review of each Division 3 teams season:
RESERVOIR – Premier (13 wins, 5 losses)
It was a case of fourth-time lucky for Reservoir under Ross Terranova – finally reaching the pinnacle after a number of near-misses in recent years. A premiership win looked only a distant dream after a 1-3 start, with the injury-depleted Mustangs looking a shadow of the side that competed in the 2014 grand final. A tight six-point win over Banyule in Round 5 got the Mustangs back on track and from their they would lose just two more games en route to the club’s first senior premiership since 1984. Reservoir timed its run to the finals perfectly, winning its final six regular season matches and securing the double chance in the finals with an assertive 57-point win over Watsonia in Round 19. The Mustangs were dominant in the finals, overcoming a slow start to upset South Morang by 42 points in the second semi final, before producing a sensational second quarter on grand final day to beat Epping by 29 points. Judd Darby was best on ground in the premiership win, edging out Ben Ryan for the medal. Ruckman Jason Dal Santo enjoyed a standout season and led the on-ball division which also contained the always industrious Danny O’Sullivan, Judd Darby and Cameron Rooney. Michael Mannix was ever-reliable down back and Adam Meroli had his best year in Reservoir colours – managing 17 games after a number of injury-cruelled seasons. The evergreen Ash Flavel was again a star inside the forward 50 and finished the season with 59 majors. Although goalless in the grand final win over Epping, the veteran forward saved his best work for the end of the season – snaring 22 goals in the final four home and away games, before putting South Morang to the sword with seven majors in the second semi final.
Most NFL best and fairest votes: Danny O’Sullivan (12 votes)
Leading goal kicker: Ashley Flavel (59 goals)
Team of the Year representatives: Jason Dal Santo, Judd Darby, Ashley Flavel, Michael Mannix, Danny O’Sullivan, Ross Terranova (coach)
EPPING – Runner-Up (11 wins, 8 losses)
After suffering successive relegations in 2013 and 2014, Epping responded superbly in 2015. Despite falling one step short of the ultimate prize, few will forget the club’s incredible run to this year’s grand final. The Blues season looked all over when they trailed Watsonia by 61 points in the second quarter of the first semi final. What followed was one of the most amazing comebacks in league history as Steve Power’s side defied the odds and came away with a 14-point victory. Epping backed-up again the next week, overcoming fierce rival South Morang by five points in cold and wet conditions to book an unlikely, but much deserved, grand final place. Epping regained injured captain and competition best and fairest winner Daniel Moore for grand final day – but his four goals weren’t enough to stop a rampant Reservoir from taking the flag. Josh Stavely ended Moore’s six-year reign in the club champion award to claim his first best and fairest. Stavely and Moore received tremendous support all season from an emerging brigade of promising youngsters, which included Leigh Judd, Tom Hughes and Lucas Aquilina. Meanwhile, veterans Shane Wood and Peter McMahon held the backline together. Chris Chilcott had a solid debut season at Epping and led the club’s goal kicking, while Kevin Kiernan was a revelation once moved forward and kicked 24 goals in his final seven matches.
Most NFL best and fairest votes: Daniel Moore (15 votes)
Leading goal kicker: Chris Chilcott (49 goals)
Team of the Year representatives: Chris Chilcott, Leigh Judd, Daniel Moore Josh Stavely, Shane Wood
SOUTH MORANG – 3rd (13 wins, 5 losses)
A disappointing finals series ended what was a dominant home and away season by South Morang. The straight-sets exit from the finals gave the Lions a third-place finish for the second successive year. After finishing the regular season two-games atop the ladder, a wasteful aggregate of 16.30 over two finals – including 5.18 in the five-point preliminary final loss to Epping – left South Morang to ponder what might have been. The Lions were the only team in Division 3 to average more than 100 points a game in the home and away season. They also had the best defensive record, conceding only 72 points per game on average. Key recruits Paul Harrison and Wayne Pavitt combined for 93 goals, while Luke Shelton had a profound impact in his first year with the club. Youngsters Aaron D’Angelo and Ben Nesci were standouts and will be stars of the competition in years to come, while young gun Daniel Watson again showed his potential with 28 majors. Reigning club champion Jake Potter battled injury midway through the year but returned to his best late in the season, while the loss of Mitch Buckley to injury during the finals was a massive blow. The future looks bright for South Morang, but 2015 will likely be looked back upon as a missed opportunity.
Most NFL best and fairest votes: Aaron D’Angelo (9 votes)
Leading goal kicker: Paul Harrison (53 goals)
Team of the Year representatives: Aaron D’Angelo, Wayne Pavitt, Luke Shelton
WATSONIA – 4th (10 wins, 7 losses)
Corey McCall’s first year in charge of Watsonia yielded a third-successive finals campaign. Unfortunately for the Saints, a promising season was cut short after relinquishing a 10-goal lead in their first semi final defeat to Epping. Despite its season finishing at the same stage as 2014, the 2015 campaign was much improved for Watsonia – who proved to be the surprise packet early in the season after winning its opening four matches. The Saints continued their strong form for much of the year and looked to be headed for a top-two finish when they led Epping at three-quarter time of their Round 15 encounter. McCall’s men couldn’t hold onto the lead that day and from there they slipped to third place – letting slip their hold on a double chance in the finals. Jarryd Allan was superb all season and took out the club’s best and fairest ahead of fellow midfielder Jordan Brown and forward Andrew Kidd. The multi-pronged forward line gave Watsonia much more unpredictability in attack this year, with Kidd, Jeremy and Andy Bennett, Hayden Mitchell and Nathan Groves finishing the year with 122 goals combined. Promisingly, a number of the club’s under-19s got a taste of senior football and will push more regularly for selection in 2016. Having lost their past three finals matches, the goal for the Saints next year will be to claim a finals win.
Most NFL best and fairest votes: Jarryd Allan (12 votes)
Leading goal kicker: Andy Bennett (34 goals)
Team of the Year representatives: Jarryd Allan, Andy Bennett, Matthew Crawford
BANYULE – 5th (7 wins, 9 losses)
Not quite the season Banyule had hoped for in its inaugural NFL campaign, but the general feeling is the Bears will be better for the experience as they push into 2016. Kicked off the season with a thumping 69-point win over Heidelberg West, however that proved to be the Bears’ only win in the opening two months of the season. The addition of Scott Gumbleton and the return of Adam Barclay after the Queen’s Birthday long weekend provided an immediate impact, with the Bears winning three of four matches between rounds 9-13 to keep their slim finals chances alive. As it turned out, Banyule was the only side to beat Reservoir in the second half of the season. A spate of close losses to the top three sides on the ladder late in the season put paid to any hopes of playing finals, as the Bears finished their debut year in the NFL with a 7-9 record. Big men Ash Brown and Andries Jurgens stood up throughout the year, while 19-year-old Devin McDonald proved a great find – kicking 21 goals in 15 matches and earning a place in the Division 3 Team of the Year. With its reserves team winning the premiership and its under-19s playing off in a grand final, the short-term future looks good for Banyule as it looks to push up the Division 3 ladder.
Most NFL best and fairest votes: Devin McDonald (11 votes)
Leading goal kicker: Scott Gumbleton (26 goals)
Team of the Year representatives: Luke Giles, Devin McDonald
ST MARY’S – 6th (5 wins, 11 losses)
2015 proved to be the third straight year without finals action for St Mary’s. But while the win-loss record was no different than in 2014 – the Burra certainly showed improvement on the previous season. Among the club’s five wins were away triumphs at both Reservoir and Epping. On the flip side, St Mary’s was the only club to lose to Heidelberg West – a similar tale to 2014 when it was the only team to lose to bottom-placed Parkside in its final year in the NFL. Perhaps the biggest issue for Con Borg’s sides throughout the 2015 season was the amount of close losses it suffered throughout the year. The Burra lost three games by under a goal, and a further two by less than three goals. As has been the case in recent years, finding enough avenues to goal proved a headache, with the Burra averaging just 73 points per game. By comparison, fifth-placed Banyule averaged 93 points per game. Lee Minuz enjoyed another strong season and claimed his second-successive best and fairest from Jordan Dupont and Jake Johnston, while Nicholas Dean won selection on the interchange in the Division 3 Team of the Year after being named in the Burra’s best in eight of 14 matches year.
Most NFL best and fairest votes: Nicholas Dean (9 votes)
Leading goal kicker: Lachlan Potter (29 goals)
Team of the Year representatives: Nicholas Dean
HEIDELBERG WEST – 7th (1 wins, 15 losses)
After making significant inroads in 2014, the 2015 season proved to be a step backwards for Heidelberg West, as it managed just one win for the campaign. In actual fact, the Hawks were competitive in most losses in the first half of the season – losing four of their first six games by under 22 points. However, as significant injuries took their toll, the bigger losses began to mount. The highlight of the season was a 29-point win over St Mary’s at Heidelberg Park in Round 13. Heidelberg West’s top end talent again led the club admirably. Skipper Daniel Bailey won the Division 3 Coaches Player of the Year, while Kyl Ewart led the competition goal kicking with 62 majors – an incredible achievement in side that finished bottom of the ladder. The duo was named in the Division 3 Team of the Year, alongside Bailey’s co-captain Brad Moore. Moore had another sensational season and was named in the Hawks best in 15 of 16 matches.
Most NFL best and fairest votes: Brad Moore (7 votes)
Leading goal kicker: Kyl Ewart (62 goals)
Team of the Year representatives: Daniel Bailey, Kyl Ewart, Brad Moore
DIVISION 3 – 2015 REVIEW
Grand Final
Reservoir 15.9 (99) def Epping 10.10 (70)
Best and Fairest
1st – Daniel Moore (Epping) – 15 votes
2nd – Jarryd Allan (Watsonia) – 12 votes
2nd – Danny O’Sullivan (Reservoir) – 12 votes
4th – Matthew Crawford (Watsonia) – 11 votes
4th – Devin McDonald (Banyule) – 11 votes
Leading Goal Kicker (home and away only)
1st – Kyl Ewart (Heidelberg West) – 62 goals
2nd – Ashley Flavel (Reservoir) – 52 goals
3rd – Paul Harrison (South Morang) – 50 goals
4th – Chris Chilcott (Epping) – 47 goals
5th – Wayne Pavitt (South Morang – 32 goals
Coaches Player of the Year
1st – Daniel Bailey (Heidelberg West) – 20 votes
2nd – Daniel Moore (Epping) – 18 votes
3rd – Luke Giles (Banyule) – 17 votes
4th – Jarryd Allan (Watsonia) – 16 votes
4th – Kyl Ewart (Heidelberg West) – 16 votes
4th – Brad Moore (Heidelberg West) – 16 votes
