It’s been a tough introduction to VAFA life for Emmaus St Leo’s Thirds team, who sit 8th on the overall ladder and are 1-6 after seven rounds, their only taste of victory against bottom-of-the-ladder La Trobe University. But while the scoreboard hasn’t been kind in 2021, the Animals Thirds have never once looked to give up, both on the field and off it.
With the introduction of a third men’s team for the 2021 season, Emmaus St Leo’s knew they were going to find it tough at the selection table given so many fresh faces, so many returning, and not enough spots.
In their first seasons as Animals, Alex Lavery, Nick Rodway, and Lachlan Hicks have all stood up tall. Lavery has managed three best-on-ground performances from the three games he’s played, his work in the midfield crucial to his team’s ball movement, while Rodway has been steadfast in defence to be in the best players list three times from his five appearances. Hicks, whose form in the Thirds saw him debut in the reserves, has been instrumental in the midfield with his unwillingness to be beaten in hardball gets and contested marks, consistently putting his body on the line for his teammates.
Bolstering a team of nearly entirely new faces for Emmaus St Leo’s has been inaugural Thirds captain and ruck-extraordinaire Oscar McVann, who’s taken to the captaincy like a duck to water, kicking one goal and earning best-on once in his five games to lead from the front. Everyone’s favourite Animal Jonathan Greensides returned to the field after recovering from injury, but not before taking the coaching reigns for the first few games of the season. In Greensides’ two games, he kicked three goals and played a huge role in leading the team on the field.
While the beginning has been rough for the Thirds, it hasn’t all been bad, with their victory against La Trobe University being one to remember, as they left the field 32-point winners to take home the four points after leading at every break. Tom McBride starred, kicking four goals in a performance that helped see him run out with the reserves two weeks later, while Sam Heffernan and Adrian Mazzeo contributed three majors of their own, and Lachlan Thompson and John Sanderson two each. Jaxson Penny kicked one to make up the fifteen kicked on the day.
Honourable mentions go to the feel-good story of the year as Greg Rollo-Walker finally debuted in the blue and blue after an unfortunate run with injuries, as well as a few of the men getting their chances to play at a higher level. Jackson Campbell, Luke Foley, Harry McConnell, Ben Kearns, Aaron Burrows, and Tom Elliott all joined McBride, Hicks, and Rodway in running out with the reserves at least once.
At this point in the season, the Thirds hold a lot of potential. Anyone who has seen them play is aware of their flashes of brilliance and once the cohesion and connection is sorted through all groups on the ground, they’re going to be hard to beat. If all goes to plan and VAFA footy returns soon with the draw to remain the same, the Animals will be on the hunt for redemption as they travel to Gordon Barnard Reserve to face the Old Camberwell Grammarians for the second time this season.