Keep up-to-date on all the latest Smithy's VFL practice match details.
GOAL sprees in a couple of games, bad kicking in a couple of others as the Smithy’s VFL clubs wrapped up their preparations for the season at the weekend.
GWS Giants captain Ryan Hebron was the star of the weekend, with the swingman slamming on seven goals to help the Giants recover from a 14-point half-time deficit to beat Sydney 14 points at Vailo Community Centre on Saturday.
A day later it was North Melbourne father-son Cooper Harvey who put his hand up for an AFL recall by snagging six majors, only for Sandringham to escape with a thrilling two-point victory at Arden Street Oval after draftee ruckman Alex Dodson kicked a late goal and Isaac Keeler took a match-saving mark in the goalsquare as the siren sounded.
But Carlton and Footscray will be grateful their wastefulness in front of goal didn’t cost them four premiership points.
Richmond claimed a 19-point win over the Blues at IKON Park despite conceding 24 scores to 18, while the Bulldogs earned 21 shots to 16 but fell to Werribee by 30 points at Mission Whitten Oval.
The horror news from the weekend came from the AIA Vitality Centre, where Collingwood forward Ash Johnson suffered a broken leg in the Magpies’ 59-point win over Northern Bullants that will cost him a large chunk of a crucial year.
Although Round 1 is this week, there are still three practice matches to come, with Frankston going to Tasmania this week, Carlton meeting Footscray next week and Sandringham crossing Bass Strait on May 4.
Continue below for the full practice match schedule.
2025 SMITHY'S VFL PRACTICE MATCH SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 22
Tasmania vs Frankston (Hobart)
Saturday, March 28
Carlton vs Footscray Bulldogs (IKON Park, 4pm)
Sunday, May 4
Tasmania vs Sandringham (UTAS Stadium, Launceston)
2025 SMITHY'S VFL PRACTICE MATCH RESULTS
Footscray Bulldogs 2.2 7.6 10.8 13.12 (90)
Essendon 3.1 4.3 9.3 11.4 (70)
Goals: Footscray: C.Hargraves, P.Spicer 3, O.Baker, J.Dolan, A.Jones, C.Lester, B.Medwell, C.Smith, B.Young. Essendon: J.Eckersley 4, K.Gerreyn 2, W.Setterfield, J.Sutton, T.Sellers, O.Smartt, P.Wright.
Best: Footscray: O.Baker, C.Craig-Peters, P.Spicer, C.Lester, D.Cuningham. Essendon: J.Eckersley, N.Quigg, W.Hoare, K.Gerreyn, W.Setterfield.
Sydney Swans 1.3 3.3 6.3 (39)
GWS Giants 3.4 3.5 3.6 (24)
Goals: Sydney: N.Shipley, N.Bowman, H.McLean, J.Endemann, T.Hitchens, R.Fox.
Best: Sydney: R.Fox, H.McLean, J.Tidemann, T.Hitchens. GWS: C.Angove.
*Three-period match
North Melbourne 15.11 (101)
Collingwood 12.10 (82)
Frankston 2.1 4.1 6.3 8.3 (51)
Werribee 1.3 4.5 5.6 6.7 (43)
Goals: Werribee: H.Garoni, H.Maguire 2, J.Longmire, I.Nixon.
Best: Werribee: B.Malual, R.Eyers, C.Whyte, H.Garoni.
Williamstown 15.14 (104)
Northern Bullants 6.2 (38)
Carlton 2.2 6.7 10.11 (71)
Sandringham 2.0 2.1 3.3 (21)
Goals: Carlton: D.Hogg, W.White 2, L.Camporeale, D.Grainger-Barras, D.Harvey, E.Hollands, B.Kemp.
Best: Carlton: H.O’Farrell, H.Charleson, W.White, B.Kemp, E.Hollands, H.Lemmey, F.Evans, C.Lord, L.Camporeale.
*Three-period match
Essendon 0.3 3.4 6.8 12.12 (84)
Geelong Cats 4.2 5.9 8.13 9.13 (67)
Goals: Essendon: T.Edwards 4, J.Menzie 3, O.Smartt, K.Gerreyn 2, P.Wright. Geelong: P.De Grandi 3, J.Polkinghorne 2, O.Wiltshire, T.Lewis, K.George, J.Sarcevic.
Best: Essendon: T.Edwards, R.Unwin, L.Lual, H.Sinnott, J.Menzie, T.Goldstein, O.Smartt, T.Sellers. Geelong: O.Wiltshire, J.Bews, R.Stanley, P.De Grandi, G.Stevens, J.Polkinghorne.
Collingwood 4.1 7.3 15.4 20.5 (125)
Richmond 3.0 5.1 5.4 7.6 (48)
Goals: Collingwood: C.West, L.Hude 4, A.Johnson, R.Mason, J.Bennetts, H.Mahoney 2, T.Jiath, W.Hayes, J.Browne, C.Algeri. Richmond: L.George, M.Raso, T.McCarthy, L.Fawcett, N.Collier, J.Alger, T.Sims.
Best: Collingwood: C.West. Richmond: L.Fawcett, K.McAuliffe, M.Raso, M.El Nour, T.Sims, K.Smith, C.Gray.
Gold Coast Suns 5.1 11.3 13.6 (84)
Sydney Swans 4.4 4.6 8.7 (55)
Goals: Sydney: J.Buller 4, H.McLean 2, C.Cleary, T.Ryan.
Best: Sydney: J.Tidemann, J.Buller, H.McLean.
Carlton 1.3 5.6 5.8 8.11 (59)
North Melbourne 2.0 4.2 5.6 7.10 (52)
Goals: Carlton: W.White 2, P.Dozzi, T.Logan, L.McMahon, S.Phipps-Parsons, H.Lemmey, O.Poole.
Best: Carlton: H.Lemmey, H.Ramshaw, H.Charleson, L.Nelson. North Melbourne: M.Whitlock, L.Urquhart, F.Maley, E.Ford, K.Dawson, W.Dawson, T.Goad.
Footscray Bulldogs 0.0 3.4 5.5 8.6 (54)
Box Hill Hawks 1.3 2.5 4.7 6.9 (45)
Goals: Footscray: R.Gardner, C.Hynes, B.Dale, P.Spicer, B.Young, D.Orgill, C.Craig-Peters, X.Kardachi. Box Hill Hawks: J.Arundell 3, N.Reeves 2, B.Cavarra.
GWS Giants 5.3 8.5 14.6 17.7 (109)
Southport 3.0 6.4 8.6 13.8 (86)
Goals: GWS: J.Delana 2, C.Angove, H.Oliver, M.Sheather, rest not submitted. Southport: J.Gore 4, S.Lowson, H.Dixon 3, W.Derrington, Z.Foot, D.Scott.
Best: GWS: C.Angove, J.Riccardi, H.Thomas, H.Rowston, J.Delana, T.McMullin, H. Oliver, W.Derksen, N.Madden, L.Aleer, N.Wardius, J.Fonti, M.Sheather, R.Hebron
Port Melbourne 12.8 (80)
Frankston 11.9 (75)
Casey Demons 4.3 8.7 12.11 15.14 (104)
Sandringham 3.2 4.4 5.6 6.6 (42)
Goals: Sandringham: L.Collard, M.Faimalo, A.Dodson, S.Buck, A.Schoenmaker, Z.Jones.
Williamstown 13.7 (85)
Coburg 10.7 (67)
Goals: Williamstown: B.McLaughlin 4, L.Gollant 2, N.Ebinger 2, N.Colenso, R.Collier-Dawkins, J.Cousins, J.Brown.
Best: Williamstown: J.Greiser, B.Coleman, B.McLaughlin, D.Hollow, H.Hall-Kahan.
Werribee 2.0 4.3 8.6 14.6 (90)
Northern Bullants 3.3 4.4 6.7 8.9 (57)
Goals: Werribee: H.Maguire 4, J.Riding, B.Wright, F.Young 2, Z.Banch, H.Garoni, J.Grundy, J.Smith. Northern Bullants: not submitted.
Best: Werribee: B.Wright, H.Maguire, J.Riding. Northern Bullants: not submitted.
Port Melbourne 1.4 3.7 6.10 7.10 (52)
Box Hill Hawks 2.2 3.3 5.6 8.11 (59)
Werribee 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 (8)
Williamstown 1.1 3.10 6.12 10.16 (76)
GWS Giants 17.10 (112)
Sydney Swans 6.11 (47)
Best: GWS: J.Delana, C.Angove, H.Oliver, H.Rowston, L.Aleer, N.Madden, W.Derksen, R.Hebron, M.Sheather
Essendon 3.6 5.7 8.11 14.12 (96)
Collingwood 1.1 4.7 7.8 8.13 (61)
Goals: Essendon: J.Eckersley 3, T.Edwards 2, J.Menzie 2, K.Gerreyn, A.Day-Wicks, R.Unwin, S.Clough, L.Monteath, N.Quigg, J.Nguyen. Collingwood: A.Johnson 2, J.Murphy 2, J.Browne, R.Maclean, M.Kiraly, H.Mahoney.
Best: Essendon: Z.Johnson, S.El-Hawli, J.Hately, J.Busuttil, A.Day-Wicks, J.Nguyen, C.Nyko, T.Sellers. Collingwood: not submitted.
North Melbourne 4.1 6.2 6.5 12.9 (81)
Footscray Bulldogs 4.1 8.5 10.7 10.8 (68)
Richmond 14.8 (92)
Coburg 12.4 (76)
Richmond 4.6 9.6 13.6 14.8 (92)
Coburg 2.0 7.2 10.2 12.4 (76)
Goals: Richmond: M.Raso 3, S.Toner 3, J.Pollocks 3, M.Yassine 2, T.McCarthy 2, P.Moimoi. Coburg: M.Podhajski 4, J.Tomasiello 2, D.Payman, M.Thompson, J.Corigliano, J.Gillard
Best: Richmond: M.Yassine, M.Raso, S.Toner, R.Hanson, N.Collier, T.McCarthy, J.Pollocks
Carlton 1.8 2.11 5.12 8.16 (64)
Richmond 6.0 8.1 11.4 13.5 (83)
Goals: Richmond: L.Fawcett, S.Ryan 3, J.Faull, J.Alger 2, T.McCarthy, T.Sims, K.McAuliffe. Carlton: A.Moir, O.Poole 2, D.Harvey, H.Lemmey, L.McMahon, B.Wilson
Best: Richmond: L.Fawcett, J.Alger, J.Faull, S.Ryan, M.Colina. Carlton: J.Boyd, M.Carroll, L.Prout, J.Binns, H.Ramshaw, A.Stevens
Collingwood 2.4 5.8 9.11 13.16 (94)
Northern Bullants 1.0 1.3 4.4 5.5 (35)
Goals: Collingwood: H.Kennedy 4, H.Mahoney 2, J.Cochran, M.Cox, C.West, A.Johnson
Essendon 3.2 5.5 8.6 11.8 (74)
Box Hill Hawks 4.2 9.5 14.5 18.7 (115)
Goals: Essendon: T.Edwards, A.Day-Wicks, J.Eckersley 2, N.Quigg, Z.Johnson, S.El-Hawli, T.Sellers, X.O’Neill.
Best: Essendon: X.O’Neill, A.Day-Wicks, J.Busuttil
Geelong Cats 15.8 (98)
Port Melbourne 11.11 (77)
GWS Giants 13.10 (88)
Sydney Swans 12.4 (76)
Goals: GWS: R.Hebron 7, N.Wardius 2, P.Lewis-Smith
Best: GWS: R.Herbron, L.Aleer, W.Derksen, H.Rowston, O.Hannaford, N.Wardius, N.Madden, M.Sheather
Footscray 3.4 3.7 5.13 5.16 (46)
Werribee 4.1 6.1 8.2 12.4 (76)
Goals: Werribee: Z.Banch, H.Garoni 3, J.Longmire, B.Malual, L.Pinnuck, J.Smith, N.Tullio, F.Young. Footscray: C.Poulter 2, C.Hargreaves, C.Smith
Best: Werribee: J.Clark, J.Longmire, Z.Banch, J.Smith, H.Garoni, Z.Banch. Footscray: C.Poulter.
Saturday, March 15
Geelong vs Port Melbourne (Deakin University, 10am)
GWS Giants vs Sydney Swans (Vailo Community Centre, 10.30am)
Brisbane Lions vs Gold Coast Suns (Brighton Homes Arena, 11am)
Footscray Bulldogs vs Werribee (Mission Whitten Oval, 11am)
Casey Demons 5.0 6.4 7.9 9.10 (64)
Coburg 3.2 5.5 6.6 11.7 (73)
Goals: Coburg: J.Trudgeon, J.Corigliano, M.Thompson 2, J.Lefroy, R.Sturgess, D.Payman, M.Podhajski, K.Weightman. Casey Demons: C.Spargo 2, C.Lewis, R.George, J.Craven, N.Yze
North Melbourne 3.2 6.2 10.3 12.6 (78)
Sandringham 5.0 7.4 8.7 12.8 (80)
Goals: Sandringham: J.Campigli, L.Collard 2, M.Faimalo, J.Carroll. North Melbourne: C.Harvey 6, J.Tarrant 2, E.Ford, Z.Duursma, F.Maley, Z.Fisher.
Best: Sandringham: J.Carroll, J.Campigli, M.Faimalo, L.Collard, B.Watson. North Melbourne: C.Harvey, F.Maley, Z.Fisher, E.Ford, T.Goad, B.Teakle, L.Urquhart, Z.Duursma.
[Last updated: March 17]
