Ringwood Mazda 2025 Season Review | Waverley Blues

By Christopher Kourtis.

Both Waverley Blues sides showed signs of promise for the future yet ultimately failed to trouble the top teams throughout 2025.

Senior Men’s

Summary:

Ladder position: 7th, 7-11

Leading goal kicker: Kyle Viccars (35 goals)

Best and Fairest: Kyle Viccars

Finals footy was just out of reach of the Waverley Blues in the 2025 Division Two competition.

The Blues showed promise at multiple stages of the season, but just as it looked like they were ready to take that next step and leap into the finals picture, they tripped and fell.

Starting the season with just one win in their first four, the Blues found themselves in a bit of an identity crisis by the time they faced Mulgrave in Round 5. A massive performance took home the four points from Mulgrave Reserve and signalled the beginning of the ‘new Waverley Blues’.

The side continued to show signs of promise throughout the season but failed to string together consistent wins. They beat Wantirna South by a point in Round 16, despite conceding nine of the last ten scoring shots. The upset win was proof that this Blues side could mix it with the best, but their challenge remained doing it week-in and week-out.

In the end, Waverley was eight points adrift from the finals. A fair finish, but still one that left much to be desired.

Best win: Round 5: Mulgrave 15.10-100 def. by 17.10-112 Waverley Blues @ Mulgrave Reserve

The Waverley Blues went into this Round 5 clash as heavy underdogs. Mulgrave were off to a 3-1 start, their midfield controlled everything, and it was their centenary game. By all accounts, the Blues were just there to make up numbers.

Despite all of the above, Waverley got out to an early lead and maintained from there on. They led at all breaks, even after withstanding a 44-point second quarter effort from the home team.

It wasn’t just a case of holding on, though – when Mulgrave built their biggest charge in the fourth quarter, the Blues still came out on top, winning the quarter 32-22.

Kyle Viccars was his normal self, matching 21 disposals with his three goals to earn himself the Best on Ground honours. Nathan Buzza kicked four goals after being recalled from the reserves just a week before, and Daniel Playstead put up 22 disposals, twelve clearances, and nine inside 50s to help get his side over the line.

Key players:

Kyle Viccars put together another brilliant season in 2025. Viccars led the forward line, kicking 38 goals to go along with 20 disposals a game. The versatile half-forward was listed in the Division Two Team of the Year and was awarded the club's Best and Fairest award.

Joining Viccars in the Team of the Year was Omar Mohammed, who was listed on the interchange. The midfielder was a key part of the way the Blues moved the ball, averaging 20 disposals and 14 contested possessions per game. Mohammed was the runner-up for the club's Best and Fairest award.

Daniel Playstead was another key contributor to this Waverley side. Playstead averaged fourteen disposals and six score involvements per game and was an important mover of the footy.

What’s next?

Showing promise won’t be enough in 2026 – it’s about time that we saw the Waverley Blues put together some consistent footy and put themselves in the finals picture.

The side has taken some steps in the right direction, already announcing the re-signings of Kyle Viccars, Omar Mohammed, and Daniel Playstead. Whilst their youth has been one of their key points of difference, now is the time to recruit some more experienced players to help lead this side to more success in the future.

SENIOR WOMEN’S

Summary:

Ladder position: 4th, 7-1-4

Leading goal kicker: Elise Hoole (18 goals)

Best and Fairest: Abbey Cerovac

The Senior Women’s side put together a solid campaign in Division Two, but it wasn’t enough to take them deep into the finals.

The Blues started off the season with a thrilling draw against Mooroolbark, heading into their Round 5 bye with two wins. They suffered a heavy loss to Blackburn on the other side of the bye, losing by 70 points.

There was better luck surrounding their next bye in Round 12, however. Waverley picked up wins against Beaconsfield, Montrose, and Berwick in consecutive weeks. The side had started to pick up some momentum, which they built on to book their place in the finals.

The September push ultimately fell short, losing by ten points to Montrose in Semi Final One.

Best win: Round 10: Montrose 5.6-36 def. by 7.7-49 Waverley Blues @ Montrose Recreation Reserve

This away win against Montrose came at a pivotal point in the season, forming the win streak that would get the Blues into the finals.

Facing a strong Montrose side that had won the first of these sides’ meetings, home ground advantage put the Demons as strong favourites for this game. Despite that, Waverley led at all breaks. The only time that they had fewer scoring shots than the home side was in the fourth quarter, which they only lost by two points.

Stephanie Peacock kicked four goals, as Amelia Bishop’s dominant performance saw her voted best on ground. The Waverley Blues train was chugging along nicely, and this upset win added more coal to the engine that would take this side to September football.

Key players:

Abbey Cerovac was named the club's Best and Fairest for the 2025 season. Amongst the best on votes in eleven of her thirteen games, Cerovac earned a spot in the Team of the Year as a winger. The midfielder was a key piece of the side, and one that the Blues can build around as they look for future success.

Stephanie Peacock was also listed in the Team of the Year for her efforts throughout the year. The half-forward scored seventeen goals across the season, and was only bested by teammate Elise Hoole, who kicked eighteen. Hoole was listed on the Team of the Year interchange.

What’s next?

This Waverley side is moving in the right direction, and they need to keep doing just that. Lucy Milkeraitis will take the reins from Clint Martin, taking a step up from her 2025 position as an assistant coach. Milkeraitis brings with her a range of experience from coaching both in and out of the EFNL and will look to provide the fresh perspective that can take this side to success.

If the Blues can bring in some recruits over the off-season, it will go a long way to bolstering their finals credentials. Now that Mooroolbark is out of the competition, there is a spot up for grabs to go deeper into the season, and it’s there for Waverley to take.

NETBALL:

Team-by-Team:

Waverley Blues Red (Division Seven):

Waverley’s top netball side finished third in Division Seven after an eight-win campaign. They won Semi Final 1 against Boronia by eight goals, before beating Rowville in the Preliminary Final by nine goals. The strong form wasn’t enough to win the Grand Final, however, as they fell short to Balwyn by twelve goals. Rachel Skinner was named as the side’s Best and Fairest.

Waverley Blues Blue (Division Ten):

The Blue side finished sixth, which was a fair result. With three wins and a draw, they failed to challenge any top-end teams. Alison Blair-West was the side’s Best and Fairest.

Waverley Blues White (Division Eleven):

It was a difficult season for Waverley White, as they amassed three wins. Samara Lagioia won the Best and Fairest award for the side.

Waverley Blues Kestrels (Division Fourteen):

The Kestrels side went through the season winless. The side struggled, yet there was still a silver lining in the performances of Charlotte Pearson, who won the team’s Best and Fairest.

Waverley Blues Vixens (Division Fifteen):

Waverley’s Division Fifteen side finished with six wins. They proved that they were able to contend with the best sides, beating second-placed Wantirna South in Round 13. Stephanie Peacock was the shining light of the side, winning not only the club Best and Fairest, but the league Best and Fairest award too.

VETERANS MEN’S

Summary:

Waverley’s veterans’ side had a strong regular season campaign. Best and Fairest winner Matthew Harrison led the team to a fourth-placed finish, accompanied by Marc Watson’s club-leading ten-goal haul. Domenic Di Masio was a consistent performer too, contributing eight goals and seven times in the best through just seven games. It wasn’t to be, however, as the Blues lost Semi Final 1 to Mooroolbark by 66 points.