December 20, 2024
VALE ANNE DENTON
Club matriarch passes away
A Century of the Red & Black
The VAFA has released the 2025 Premier football fixture. (Others will follow as the other sections are finalised)
Details are as follows:
The action will commence on 5 April for all VAFA sections.
All senior games are currently listed for Saturdays at 2:00 pm, with the Reserves preceding them at 11:40 am.
There are byes for Easter (19 April), the King’s Birthday (7 June), a double bye in July (12/19) and a pre-finals lay-day on 6 September.
As in 2024, the decider will be played on the Friday (25 September) preceding the AFL Grand Final.
The peculiarities of the Old Xavs’ schedule include two games against De La Salle in the front nine and two against Uni Blacks on the back nine.
Twice the Red ‘n Blacks will play back-to-back road games, while the only two-game homestand will be in the home and away season’s final rounds.
Since 2011, Old Xaverians:
· are 3-2 in their last five opening day clashes at Toorak Park.
· are 4-3 when their home opener has occurred in R2.
· have a winning record against all-comers at TP since 2011 of 65-27, just over 70 per cent.
· have a winning record of 42-20 at TP against teams they will play this season, just shy of 68 per cent.
· have averaged 89.91 PF and conceded 66.22 PA.
· have scored 100+ points in 32 of 92 games at TP.
· have scored fewer than 50 just 3 times.
· have allowed opponents 100+ just 9 times and held them below 50 on 27 occasions
· are 9-10 in games decided by a single figure margin.
5 APRIL
The Blue and Golds return to Premier football for the first time since their demise in 2019.
They last opened their season at Toorak Park in 2017 under lights. Xavs won that one with a spectacular last quarter surge led by first-gamer Billy Gowers.
DLS beat OX here in R1 in 2009 and 2013. It also beat the X-Men in R2 of 2016. All of these were premiership seasons for the Claret and Stout.
The Red ‘n’ Blacks are 6-3 against DLS in TP contests against the Bellers since 2011.
The opening of the new pavilion and facilities raises expectations for a solid performance from the Xavs this year.
De La won promotion back to the top tier at its third attempt, but fell to Old Haileybury in the Grand Final.
However, DLS has been a long-term power in Premier section. It has been a regular finalist, though premiership success at this level has eluded them since 1991.
12 APRIL
The Skobbers' have proved a powerful force under the wires at Glen Iris. Xavs did win big here in 2016 and again in the COVID-shortened game of 2021. They might have won too in 2017, but caved in after enjoying a five goal break at the lemons.
The Tricolours have proven a significant challenge for most clubs since their return to the top tier.
They won't be falling away in 2025, either. It will be up to the others, including the Red 'n' Blacks, to raise their own standards.
Copping the Kings of King so early in the year is perhaps not ideal, but that could cut either way.
26 APRIL
The Bloods last visited Toorak Park in 2011. Xavs beat them by 17 points and the Magentas headed back to B Section. In 2023, they returned, but met the Red 'n' Blacks at Barkers Road. Xavs won by 44. Again they went down, but here they are again.
3 MAY
The Red Men's home record is not as strong as one might suspect, though that has more to do with their year-to-year inconsistencies. Being relegated twice didn't help, but we're guessing that the Caledonians are happy again now that they won another premiership after a 45 year wait. Good luck to them.
Their performances at Camberwell were mixed last season - Collegians, Blues, Kevs and Xavs all scoring there in close contests.
Conventional wisdom says that a team needs to play fairly well there to get the chocolates.
10 MAY
The Red 'n' Blacks snapped their long winning streak at the Pit in late season 2024 and it cost them a place in the finals.
St Bernard's struggled for much of the year, though remained tough to beat at West Essendon. Xavs will travel there with revenge on their minds, but it won't be easy.
17 MAY
Last season's runner-up really set their season alight with a 66 point win here over a hapless Red 'n' Blacks team.
The Tonners booted at least double the Xavs' score in each quarter.
They usually play well at Armadale where they are 4-3 against the X-Men since 2014.
24 MAY
In 2024, for the first time in living memory, Xavs played consecutive games under the spires and beat both Blues and Blacks in commanding fashion.
Blues will welcome the Red 'n' Blacks on Commonwealth Day, which was for a stretch in the 1970s, was also "Cracker Night'. There might be some fireworks here too as the X-Men will be determined to hold on to the Carmody Cup, which it is yet to surrender.
31 MAY
The Lions return to Toorak Park where they won in 2024. However, the X-Men are 9-3 against Colls since 2011.
The Wesleyans have been a quality outfit this past decade and a half, but the Red 'n' Blacks have served it up to them on a number occasions.
Six of those nine Xavs' victories were bigger than five goals.
14 JUNE
De La Salle will long remember the 20-goal drubbing they received in 2019. Dan Robinson played his first game for the X-Men, which had repercussions later in the year, but the real story was Will Hams who had in excess of 50 touches.
The Bellers went to Premier B and Xavs went to the Prelim Final.
Mind you, it's fair to say some epic battles have taken place here. The 2009 Round 10 contest drew thousands on a perfect winter day and the players turned on some of the best VAFA football ever seen. It surprised few that these two teams battled it out in the Grand Final later that year.
21 JUNE
SKOB has played at Toorak Park just four times since returning to Premier in 2016.
The results are split evenly at 2-2, with Kevs winning by a goal in 2024.
The Tricolours are accustomed to winning anywhere they play and the X-Men will need to be up for this.
28 JUNE
The X-Men had a big win there last year, their first since Blacks came back to Premier twenty odd years ago. Dan Donati's team will be looking to repeat the dose.
5 JULY
Xavs are 7-2 here against the Snowdogs since 2012.
After leading early last season, the X-Men looked to be 12 goal winners before the visitors climbed back into it.
This will not be a walk in the park, either. Bernies will come in determined.
26 JULY
Yes, Xavs lost here in 2023, and won't be keen to repeat that. This is the first game after the double bye, and the Red 'n' Blacks should be preparing for the six game run to the finals. We'll see.
2 AUGUST
Xavs are 4-1 at TP against the Cardinals since 2011. Their only loss here came last year, with the visitors showing some ominous form in a second half touch-up of the Red 'n Blacks. The home team managed just three scoring shots after the long break, while conceding thirteen. That is unlikely to happen again but the Reds will be strong again after their flag win.
9 AUGUST
Many epic battles have been fought trackside, with rowdy Brightonians on the balcony and the whiff of sizzling steak charring on Bardy Dale's BBQ. Xavs have had some meorable wins, but some bad losses too. Last year's skirmish saw the Red 'n' Blacks fall behind by seven goals in the first term. After that, they totally outplayed the minor-premier and went down by just 19 points.
16 AUGUST
It's tough to win Lakeside, but the Old Xaverians do it regularly. The Purple won back-to-back in 22/23, but the X-Men bounced back last season. This clash usually happens in the mid-season, but the lateness of this hour means the struggle will be intense and is likely to have a big bearing on the season's outcome.
23 AUGUST
Xavs are 7-4 against Blues on Orrong Road since 2011. While the teams have been fairly evenly matched over the period, there have been some blowouts. The Varsity won here by 63 points in 2019, but Xavs have had their own big wins - by 90 in 2011 - and 99 points to retain the Carmody Cup in 2024. The X-Men will be looking to cement their standing.
30 AUGUST
Xavs are 4-2 against Blacks at Toorak Park since 2013. The two narrow defeats - in 2015 and in 2024 - spelled all sorts of trouble for the Red 'n' Blacks. Will the Xavs do better in 2025?
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