VFL Grand Final - Footscray v Southport Sharks - Sunday September 21, 2025

[Countrydog5]

How important is playing in a VFL GF for our younger players?
Do the likes of Hynes, Dolan, Jaques, Kennedy, Busslinger, A.Jones and Smith gain much from it?
Does the older players like L.Jones, Treloar, Baker and Treloar push their chances for a new contract or not?

The VFL is often talked about in a negative way but to me it's still a strong competition that prepares players for the seniors and it's quite enjoyable to watch.

What it will tell us is who has that dog in them when the heat is dialled up. Will be a great chance to see who lifts a level when it's all on the line. Got a feeling Dolan and Jaques will, Hynes could be a real barometer. Buss and Jones i'm not so certain about but would love to see them lift for the occasion and really show that will to win.

[macca]

The VFL standalone decision has been huge for us.

Jones played in the 2014 flag. Our 'first' season as Footscray as a VFL standalone. Brett Goodes BOG in the grand final. Dickson and JJ the only 2014 VFL premiership players who went on to play in the 2016 AFL flag.

We had six players from 2014 double up in the 2016 VFL premiership - Jong, Campbell, Honeychurch, Greenwood, Will Hayes and skipper Jordan Russell. Liam Jones has a chance to join them as two-time Footscray premiership players. Our 2016 side also includes current Bulldogs (but not in VFL) Bailey Dale and Bailey Williams, as well as Ben Long who is still playing at the Suns.

Interestingly, the 2016 Casey Demons grand final losers included Clayton Oliver, Alex Neal-Bullen and Oscar McInerney.

These past players bring back so good memories in particular 2016 team.
Bailey Dale played as a forward
Lin Jong was BOG
Hannan was a giant leaping forward
Ben Long was small forward
Will Minson Big bash crash ruckman
Adcock added the half-back/midfield polish
Jack Trengove - who was only a backman
Koby Stevens - hard nut midfielder/forward
R.Smith - dashing halfback
Honey church - loved his toughness and hard tackling. Unfortunately he couldn't kick reliably for AFL


just for those to relive the memories

[GVGjr]

Taylor Duryea and his Footscray VFL grand final miracle

After 13 seasons and two flags, Taylor Duryea knows how blessed he is in a football sense. But two weeks ago, it ended in the worst possible way – until an unlikely resurrection.

Taylor Duryea wept in front of his locker as the Western Bulldogs told him he had no hope of overturning a four-week VFL ban early this month.
His AFL career was already over after the recent retiree missed selection for the Dogs’ round 24 loss to Fremantle.
Now he had been hit with a four-week suspension that ended his VFL career as the Dogs told him they were not going to pursue an appeal.
For the popular two-time Hawthorn premiership defender, it was the worst possible way for his career to end.

No last send-off, no chance to farewell or thank the people who had helped him along the way.
But this weekend, Duryea will run out for that Footscray team against Southport in a VFL grand final having been involved in a football miracle.
First, he convinced the club to take up his appeal after a high bump against Frankston’s Bailey Lambert in the qualifying final victory.

Then the club’s tribunal advocate Adrian Anderson was remarkably able to reduce that suspension to a week.

Taylor Duryea in action in the VFL. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos
Last week, he comforted best mate Luke Breust in the Box Hill rooms as his former Hawks teammate had his career ended by an ACL tear in a loss to Footscray that allowed Duryea one final game this season.

As Duryea told this masthead on Wednesday: “I didn’t process it at the time but it went from the initial disappointment about his injury to that being his career done. I get an opportunity and one last game to celebrate a career and he has had that taken away from him, so it was a pretty sombre moment.”

Duryea had already retired before that round 24 clash against the Dockers when the club told him the small defender role he had mastered across 219 AFL games was no longer his for the taking.
He is determined to get into coaching next year so was happy to move on but still hoped he might win a spot back in that side for one last hurrah.

“I was one of two or three guys ready to come in if there was an injury or different make-up and was hanging onto that and then we lost to Freo and I was like, ‘That is my AFL career done. I will never play another AFL game’. Then ten days later I got four weeks suspension and I was devastated,” he said.

“We went through it as a club and the early conversations were that we wouldn’t pursue (an appeal). It was a bit of a throw of a dart and would waste resources. I was genuinely devastated. I cried in front of my locker for 10 minutes. I was nowhere.
“I said I wanted to speak to Adrian and if he told me that we had no chance, I would accept it. We had that conversation and we left saying we are 20 per cent chance to get off.
“I went from completely shattered to a matter of hope in a few hours,” Duryea said.

Anderson was able to pull off that tribunal heist – reducing the charge from intentional to careless and downgrading the force by showing recent tribunal precedents.
While the incident looked ordinary as Duryea fended off his opponent, it turned out Lambert had sustained a cut needing four stitches but no concussion and returned to play out the game.
But with Duryea only having to serve a one-week ban Footscray still had to beat Hawthorn’s VFL affiliate Box Hill in a preliminary final for him to play one final game.

“I have never been so nervous watching a game. I was meant to be in the coaches box but someone from the VFL said suspended players aren’t allowed in there so I was in the stands.
“I saw Luke go down and because there was no replay at the ground I had to go onto the live stream and rewind back and when I saw the replay I said, “That’s not good.” I made my way down into the rooms and Jack Gunston was there. Sam Mitchell and David Hale.
“I have known Luke for 24 years now. We played NSW rep together in the under 12s and then we both got to Hawthorn.”

At Hawthorn, there were sliding doors moments that meant he could have played in all three flags from 2013-2015 or none of them.

In 2013, he played 18 of the first 20 games before Alastair Clarkson began rolling Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge and Jordan Lewis through the backline into his spot and he missed finals.
In 2014, he played every game but was pushed to the subs bench for the Grand Final as Cyril Rioli returned from a hamstring strain that meant the club wanted him to start on the field.

In 2015, he was worried about his spot in the side but instead fellow half back Matt Suckling got injured late in the year and was sub for the grand final, while Duryea had a cracking finals series.
So he knows how blessed he is to have had a 13-year career while also getting to say goodbye this weekend.
He has already had discussions with multiple clubs about an assistant coaching role and hopes he sees the game well enough to be considered for a line coaching role or at least a development role at a club next year.

But this weekend is all about a football farewell.
“It’s not even about the results. It’s not to say I don’t want to win,” he said.

“I am competitive and I want success for myself and the other guys who haven’t all tasted it. But I was so disappointed when I got those four weeks. It denied my family the opportunity to see me one last time. All the friends and whoever else has been part of it. Now I have 50 or 60 or 70 people I know coming. Family from interstate. It’s a nice little ribbon on my career and hopefully I can end it in a positive way with the win.”
Hide Comments

[Aidan7557]

Man Doc has been so underrated his whole time with us. Hopefully can get him a flag!

[GVGjr]

It just proves how seriously players take an opportunity to play in a Grand Final

[Bornadog]

Man Doc has been so underrated his whole time with us. Hopefully can get him a flag!

I agree, I think a lot of us did underate him, but he has been excellent in the backline and his experience has certainly been mised down there.

[Axe Man]

Will you look at that Twodogs, Adrian Anderson isn't all bad!

[GVGjr]

The team is in and it looks accurate. 18 listed players in the line-up

B: Jedd Busslinger, Liam Jones, Nick Coffield
HB: Taylor Duryea, Ryan Gardner, Lachie Jaques
C: Oskar Baker, Adam Treloar, Arty Jones
HF: Josh Dolan, Caleb Poulter, Cooper Hynes
F: Luke Kennedy, Jordan Croft, Will Lewis
R: Lachie Smith, Anthony Scott, Dan Orgill

INT: Michael Sellwood, Billy Crofts, Cooper Craig-Peters, Zac Walker, Fred Valpied ^{(23rd player)}
EMG: Josh Kellett, Luca Muratore, Ethan Hunt, Phoenix Spicer, Jarrod Gilbee

[Axe Man]

Duryea in - Kellett the unlucky player who makes way.

[GVGjr]

Duryea in - Kellett the unlucky player who makes way.

And Kellett was a good player last week.
I think Smads predicted that on Tuesday

That would have been a tough call for Edge to make

[NAUGHTY100]

With Duryea back in that backline and the experiance of Treloar on ball , i think we have an exellent chance of taking home the chocolates on Sunday .
With 18 senior listed players in that side , it will be a good test of a stand alone team against an AFL backed team .
Arguably all 18 listed players in our side would be starters in any VFL side , so it will be interesting how our young but talented players go against seasoned Vfl players .
Looking forward to this game , and hoping Duryea can hold that cup aloft as a Grand Final winner .

[Eastdog]

Looking forward to Sunday. Got my ticket so ready to go. Paul Amy the main VFL reporter said tickets for the GF were selling very well so expect a big crowd.

Hope it all goes well for Duryea in his final game. He has been a really good pick up for us in that backline.

I wish him well with his future endeavours.

Will be a great opportunity for the likes of Jacques, Dolan, Hynes, Walker, Sellwood etc to experience a Grand Final and what is involved with it.

Hoping we can get some silverware on Sunday.

Go the mighty Scray!

[Bulldog Joe]

Duryea in - Kellett the unlucky player who makes way.

Kellett was excellent last week

Really difficult for him to miss

[NAUGHTY100]

Kellett was excellent last week

Really difficult for him to miss

Yeah Kellett played a really good game his kicking was really good , and is really stiff to miss , as much as i like Luke Kennedy i think Kellett played a better game then him last week , so is very unfortunate to be dropped for this game , obviously because Kennedy is on the senior list he must get preference which i understand , because i think he will eventually become a nice footballer for us .

[Hotdog60]

Why are they holding it at Princess Park instead of Marvel looks like the weather will be shit when you have a stadium with a roof.