2024 VAFA Season

The 2024 VAFA season was the 123rd season of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season began on 13 April and concluded on 27 September, with 61 teams participating across six divisions under a promotion and relegation system.

Association membership

Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Ivanhoe and Old Paradians left the VAFA and transferred to the Northern Football Netball League (NFNL) for 2024. This resulted in the abolishment of Division 4, which subsequently merged into Division 3. Additionally, because of extremely low player numbers during pre-season training, Masala Dandenong announced in January 2024 that it would withdraw from Division 3 and instead compete in the Thirds competition.

After seven years in the Club XVIII and Thirds competitions, the Chadstone Football Club re-entered a senior team in Division 3. In round 1, with 22 club debutants, Chadstone defeated Eley Park by 57 points to claim their first VAFA divisional win in 3,256 days.

While in recess in 2023, the Old Mentonians Football Club was renamed to Mentone Panthers. The club returned to the VAFA in 2024 with a team in the Thirds competition.

The Westbourne Grammarians Football Club remained in recess for a second season, although it entered a senior team in the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) competition.

Team changes

The following teams changed division after the 2023 season:

Notable events

*Starting in 2024, Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) broadcast one game from Premier Division every Saturday, including both home-and-away and finals matches.
* Williamstown CYMS forfeited its round 11 under-19s matches in both Premier and Division 4 after its players damaged their own clubrooms during a party.
*During a round 12 Premier Division match, St Kevin's player Michael Pisker collided with an University Blues player's legs when running to follow the ball. Pisker was placed into an induced coma and lost permanent sight in his right eye, with footage of the incident removed from the VAFA website. St Kevin's created the "Michael Pisker Most Courageous Player" award at the end of the season, with Pisker himself given the award for the 2024 season.
*In the Under-19s Division 2 Grand Final between Old Camberwell and University Blues, players from Old Camberwell began celebrating when the siren went at the end of the fourth quarter, believing that they had won the game by five points. However, an umpiring decision for tripping had been made fractions of a second before the siren blew, giving the Blues a free kick from around 60 metres from goal. Four players from Old Camberwell players had run onto the field while celebrating and were penalised for doing so, with Blues player Angus Watson awarded a 50-metre penalty, kicking a goal after the siren to give the Blues a one-point win of 6.9 (45) to 5.14 (44). The VAFA released a statement after the grand final, saying it was "fully satisfied that the umpire correctly adjudicated the situation in accordance with the appropriate AFL Laws of the Game".

Premier

Old Scotch won the Premier Division premiership for the 10th time, defeating minor premiers Old Brighton by 18 points in the grand final. It was Old Scotch's first men's senior premiership in 46 years and its second senior premiership in 2024, with the club also claiming its first Premier Division premiership in the VAFA Women's.

This was 's first-ever season in Premier Division after being promoted at the end of 2023, although the club finished second-last and was relegated back to Premier B for the 2025 season. Old Melburnians was also relegated.

Ladder

Finals

Club best and fairest

Club leadership

Premier B

Old Haileybury won the Premier B premiership for the third time, defeating De La Salle by 94 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Premier Division for the 2025 season, while Beaumaris and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers were relegated to Premier C.

Ladder

Finals

Club leadership

Premier C

Old Carey won the Premier C premiership for the first time, defeating the Hampton Rovers by 89 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Premier B for the 2025 season, while Monash Blues and Oakleigh were relegated to Division 1.

Ladder

Finals

Division 1

Prahran won the Division 1 premiership for the first time, defeating Parkside by 14 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Premier C for the 2025 season, while West Brunswick and were relegated to Division 2.

Ladder

Finals

Division 2

Elsternwick won the Division 2 premiership for the first time, defeating minor premiers Brunswick by 13 points in the grand final. It was Elsternwick's second senior premiership in a row, following its Division 3 premiership in 2023. Both clubs were promoted to Division 1 for the 2025 season.

This was Bulleen Templestowe's last season in the VAFA, with the club moving to the Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) in 2025. Because of this, only one club − Wattle Park − was relegated to Division 3.

Ladder

Finals

Division 3

Canterbury won the Division 3 premiership for the first time, defeating St John's by 29 points in the grand final. Both clubs were promoted to Division 2 for the 2025 season.

The merger of Division 4 into Division 3 meant the finals series was expanded to include the top five teams from the home-and-away season instead of the top four.

Ladder

Finals

See also

* 2024 VAFA Women's season

References

{{Victorian Amateur Football Association seasons

Victorian Amateur Football Association seasons
VAFA
VAFA