The 2025 pre-season is in full swing with the players training hard at the club’s ancestral home on Barker’s Road.

The early turnouts at training have been strong, and bode well for the weeks and months ahead.

Opening Day is less than two months away.

‍

‍

‍

As announced before the Christmas break, speedy midfielder Campbell Lane will be with us full-time after 93 games with Collingwood's VFL team. Lane has played with the Xavs when available and has tallied 32 games in red and black since 2017. He is a prolific ball-winner and we are delighted that he'll be with us each week.

‍

‍

‍

Some other new faces likely to feature prominently are:

‍

‍

Will Golds, who graduated from Xavier in 2018, and spent a couple of years on the rookie list at Hawthorn before suffering an ACL. He played a few games with the Xavs’ Reserves while recovering, before returning to the VFL and more recently, playing at Kyabram. Will's sister Gabby captained the WOX, was twice their Best and Fairest and played for the Big V. Tim Golds also wore the Red and Black, playing at both ends of the ground between 2017 and 2019.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Harry Warfe, who kicked 90 goals as a small forward in his first year of senior footy last year at Omeo, where was coached by Old Xav, Joel Betts. The young gun's biggest haul was ten, his smallest one: and he kicked every number in-between over the season. He booted three in the Grand Final and won the medal for best on ground.

‍

‍

‍

‍

Jeromy Lucas, who hails from the Wagga region, graduated from Xavier in 2018. He is former Giants Academy member who played in Oakleigh’s NAB League premiership in 2019 before moving to Port Melbourne, and most recently won the B&F for his home club in the Farrer Football League.

‍

‍

Training will continue each Tuesday and Thursday at Xavier until further notice.

And while there is plenty of enthusiasm on the track, there has also been loads happening off the field, not least our return to Toorak Park for the season proper. The new pavilion is brilliant and our supporters will really enjoy the experience of coming to watch Xavs’ football in all weather conditions.

‍

Further boosting confidence about the opportunities this season are new coaches and assistants, quite a number of whom enjoyed great success as players at the Old Xavs.

Senior Men’s coach Dan Donati has retained his 2024 panel of assistants (Jeff Gobbels, Pat Hawkins, Dan Hannebery and Louis Tiernan) and has added former premiership goal sneak Brendan Goss.

Doug Greenough has assumed the role of WOX Senior Coach. He has vast football experience in school, state league and talent pathways. He is currently the 1st XVIII Coach at Genazzano, where he works as the school's Athletic Development Lead. Doug has also worked extensively in strength and conditioning at Coates Talent League and VFL clubs. Prior to his roles at Gen, Doug spent over a decade at Xavier. After several years coaching the WOX, Jeremy Sutcliffe is now Director of Women's Football.

As announced before Christmas, life member ‘Ralph’ O’Shaughnessy is the club’s first GM of football. His significant involvement with professional football as well as his huge contribution to the Old Xavs makes him the ideal person to act in the role.

We welcome club life member and goalkicking legend Dan Richardson as coach of the Reserves. ‘Richo’, was one of the quartet who played in the Xavs unsurpassed, unequalled, six-straight senior premierships between 1995 and 2000, and will guide the team in its quest for a fifth consecutive flag. ('19, COVID, '22, '23, '24)

Another legendary goalkicker and life member Matthew ‘Killer’ Bourke will coach the Premier Thirds team. Other Thirds coaches will include Paul Connors, Andrew McLaughlin, Matt Tyrrell, Shaun Beattie and Tony Landrigan.

Old Xaverians will again field 11 teams – nine men’s and two women’s. However, with the VAFA reverting to its pre-COVID U19 age eligibility, the OXFC will enter a fifth ‘Thirds’ team at the expense of the third U19 team.

Life member and Crocodiles legend David King will be the Head of U19 Football. Last year’s U19 Premier coach (life member, legendary goalkicker) Matthew Handley, will be assisted by one-time senior vice captain Jack Noone, whose Old Xavs career was truncated by a serious knee injury in 2021.

The club continues to lay strong foundations for the season so that our players are able to enjoy success as individuals and as part of the teams they represent.