Eastland 2025 Season Review | South Belgrave

By Christopher Kourtis.

Both South Belgrave senior sides made Grand Finals in 2025, as the men were crowned premiers of Division One. 

Senior Men’s

Ladder position: 1^st, 15-1

Leading goal kicker: Taylor Garner (69 goals)

Summary:

South Belgrave’s senior men’s side spent so long at the top of the division that they nearly had altitude sickness.

The Saints were clear of everyone else in Division One and had many believing that an unbeaten season was on the cards. 

Starting the season off with a twelve-game winning streak, the Saints dropped their Round 13 clash to North Ringwood by eleven points. Outside of that, their home-and-away season was flawless. They won twelve games by more than 40 points, boasting an overall average winning margin of 64 points. 

They faced pre-season premiership favourites Park Orchards twice, beating them by a combined 118 points.

South Belgrave’s finals campaign started with a speed hump however, as they lost to Park Orchards by 45 points. Well beaten on the day, the Saints responded with a thirteen-point Preliminary Final win over North Ringwood before getting their revenge on Park Orchards, winning the Grand Final by two points. 

2025 Division One premiers and deservedly so, the Saints earned promotion into Premier Division. 

Best win: Grand Final: Park Orchards 8.17-65 def. by 8.19-67 South Belgrave @ Pinks Reserve

In their fourth meeting of the season, Park Orchards and South Belgrave played for premiership glory. 

It was a windy day out in Kilsyth, and the Saints suffered because of it. Despite coming out of the gates firing and dominating early, they failed to make a real impact on the scoreboard. They had eight more scoring shots than their opponents in the first quarter but had only mustered an eight-point lead. 

The second quarter was much of the same – South Belgrave controlled the game but couldn’t put Park Orchards away. Despite the first half dominance, the Saints faithful started to become restless that the door wasn’t shut just yet.

Doubts became reality in the second half as Park Orchards were still in the game at three-quarter time. With the wind in their backs in the final term, the Sharks came storming home. They had eleven scoring shots in the fourth, but similarly to South Belgrave, failed to convert many of them. Park Orchards kicked 2.9-21, their last seven shots all resulting in behinds. 

Holding onto a two-point lead with 34:30 gone, South Belgrave flooded bodies behind the footy. Park Orchards looked to go the distance, stringing together a few possessions before hoofing a prayer into the forward 50. With hearts in mouths across the ground as time seemed to slow, Tim Smith came soaring across the front of the pack to take the game-saving mark in a moment that will go down in the EFNL history books. 

Tim Smith amassed 171 ranking points for his performance, as he combined his match-defining mark with 21 disposals (fifteen contested) and seven clearances. Calvin Daraio had 25 disposals of his own alongside eight inside 50s, whilst Mitchell Garner and Clay Tucker combined for 69 hit outs on the day. The ruck duo ensured that their side had first use of the footy over Park Orchards, who only had 45 hit outs of their own. 

Key players:

Taylor Garner not only led the side in goals kicked, but also the league. Garner’s 69-goal haul earned himself a place in the Division One Team of the Year. The full-forward averaged 4.6 goals and ten score involvements a game. 

Joining Garner in the Team of the Year forward line were teammates Tim Smith and Clay Tucker. Smith’s 44 goals put him third in the goal-kicking charts, whilst Tucker paired his ability to go forward with this ruck work, averaging 27 hit outs and ten contested possessions a game. 

Charlie Peters was named in the Team of the Year midfield. Earning best on votes in ten of his eighteen games, Peters averaged 23 disposals, twelve contested possessions and seven tackles a game.

Kristan Height was named as the Team of the Year coach for Division One. His first season in charge of the Saints, Height’s experience at the helm was undoubtedly the catalyst for his team’s success. 

What’s next?

Whilst it’s easy to get caught up in the celebrations, South Belgrave still have a lot of work to do to be able to compete in Premier Division. All eyes are set on their list, with no confirmation of re-signings or new recruits announced yet.

It is expected that some of their more experienced players will depart the club, and therefore they must bring in some players to ensure that they can survive in their new division.

SENIOR WOMEN’S

Ladder position: 1^st, 12-2

Leading goal kicker: Olivia Flanagan (29 Goals in 16 Games)

Summary:

South Belgrave established themselves as the benchmark of the competition early but were unable to capitalise on Grand Final day. 

The Saints started the season 8-0, beating a strong South Croydon side by one point in Round 6. The side’s first loss came to surprise package Park Orchards in Round 9, falling short by twelve points. Their only other loss came in Round 13 to South Croydon when they were beaten by fourteen points. 

South Belgrave had too much quality across their lines and were heavy favourites going into the finals series. They entered a hotly contested Semi Final 2 against South Croydon and won by 37 points, showing their class.

Their dominance came to an end in the Grand Final however, as they lost to Park Orchards by just three points.

Best win: Semi Final 2: South Belgrave 8.6-54 def. 2.5-17 South Croydon @ HE Parker Reserve

This Semi Final was one of the most-hyped games on the Premier Division calendar.

South Croydon came in with a seven-game winning streak and were steam rolling anyone that stood in their way. Having beaten each other once each in the home-and-away season, South Belgrave were looking to re-establish themselves as the premiership favourites after their dominance all season long. 

Despite the storylines, you’d have thought this game was played on a hill. South Belgrave came out of the gates hot and never looked back. They led at all breaks and even kept South Croydon goalless in the second and fourth quarters. It was all South Belgrave from start to finish. 

Georgia Grimmer and Sadie Peeters scored two goals each, as the Saints had three other single goal kickers. Ashleigh Powell left her stamp on the game and was voted best on ground. 

It was a massive statement win for South Belgrave as their opponents never got close to them. They had booked themselves a spot in the Grand Final in the most emphatic fashion.

Key players:

This South Belgrave side was headlined by their goal-kicking power. Olivia Flanagan (29 goals) and Georgia Grimmer (25 goals) were the two leading goal threats in the competition. The pair were listed in the Premier Division Team of the Year. 

Joining Flanagan and Grimmer in the Team of the Year was Jemma Mason. Listed as a follower, Mason’s ten times in best was a club high. Shortly behind the midfielder was Georgie Pruden, who polled best on votes in nine of her sixteen games, earning her a spot on the Team of the Year interchange. 

What’s next?

Despite falling short of a premiership in 2025, not much needs to change. As long as the Saints can retain their list, they will be set for another big season in 2026. 

They’ll face a tough division again as South Croydon and the Eastern Devils will strengthen, and Park Orchards will be eyeing a third consecutive premiership.

If they can put up the same kind of performances as they did in this season, however, they’ll find themselves back in the Grand Final in no time. 

NETBALL

Summary:

South Belgrave Saints (Division Twelve):

The Saints finished fourth in Division Twelve, winning eight games across the season. They played their first three games in Division Thirteen, before being brought up a level. They proved that they could contend in the division straight away, beating second-placed Vermont by eight goals in Round 6.

South Belgrave boasted the second-best defence in the league and flexed their defensive prowess throughout the course of the season. They won Semi Final 1 against Kilsyth by three goals but unfortunately had to forfeit the Preliminary Final. 

With a full season in the Division next year, the Saints will surely be back amongst the finalists in 2026.

VETERAN MEN’S

Summary:

South Belgrave’s veteran men’s side struggled throughout 2025. The side only managed two wins, placing them at eighth on the ladder. They picked up their two wins in the space of three weeks, beating Croydon North MLOC by three points (Round 5) and Chirnside Park by 20 points (Round 7). 

The side struggled to push the teams above them, meaning finishing eighth was a fair result.

Matthew Ford led the team in goal-kicking, booting fourteen goals across his seven games.

VETERAN WOMEN’S

Summary:

The veteran women’s team were crowned minor premiers, finishing with six wins. They were one of three teams to finish 6-2 on the season, taking top spot with a superior percentage. 

The side boasted the best defence in the league, only conceding 53 points throughout the course of the season. Their two losses came to Blackburn and Mooroolbark by a combined seventeen points. 

The Saints showed why they were the premiership favourites in the Semi Final, beating Mooroolbark by seventeen points. They fell just short in the Grand Final though, losing to Blackburn by ten points.

Stephanie Krivohlavy was the shining line of this veterans side, winning the division’s Best and Fairest award. She was helped throughout the season by Courtney Gilmour, who led the side’s attack with an average of two goals a game.