It’s been a huge few weeks for the Gippsland Power Football Club with club presentation night and a couple of stars putting on a show at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Will Malady, Marlon Neocleous and Xavier Ladbrook lined up for Team Boak, and Cody Templeton for Team Docherty in the under 17 Futures game, held as a pre-match warm up on AFL grand final day.
Key forward Malady was excellent in attack with five goals for the winners in their 14.5 (89) to 11.10 (76) victory, while Neocleous kicked three goals from 23 disposals.
Both are looming as key draft selections in the 2026 National Draft.
The Power under 18 boys were defeated in the preliminary final while the girls went down in week one of the finals.
The winner of this year’s best and fairest in the under 18 boys, the Peter Francis Medal, was Willem Duursma, having one of the most impactful and consistent seasons at the club.
Willem also participated in the National Academy and Vic Country squads and was also selected in the All Australian Marsh National Championships Team and made the Coates Talent League Team of the Year.
The runner-up was Brodie Atkins, who put together a stellar season through the midfield.
Atkins was a late addition to the Vic Country squad but immediately cemented his spot in the side. He was also selected in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year and won the Morrish Medal, the Coates Talent Leagues best and fairest award.
Other award winners were Zachary O’Keefe (coach’s award), Luke Cheffers (best first year player), Harry Tatterson (most professional), Liam Masters (most determined), Jesse Bills (most improved), Templeton (leading goalkicker) and Jonah Walker (Michael Hams Memorial Trainers and Support Staff award).
The under 18 girls best and fairest was won by Chelsea Sutton after a stellar season which saw her have selected in the Vic Country squad, where she played every game in the championships.
There was a three-way tie for the runners-up award, between Grace Dillow, Ella Stoddart and Maya Crestani.
All three players made the final Victory Country squad after all having really impactful seasons.
Other awards were presented to Dillow (Chelsea Caple young gun), Baia Pugh (best first year player), Abby Hobson (most professional and leading goalkicker), Bonnie Williams (coach’s award), Keira Gibbs (most determined), Crestani (most improved), Sophie Hamilton (Kevin Evans Memorial Trainers and Support Staff award) and Brooke Kelly (future star award).
Mel Bradley was the recipient of the Brian Kinder Memorial Best Club Person.
Bradley has been with the club for the last three years in the wellbeing space, always aiming to put a smile on everyone’s faces and always up for a chat.
This year also saw Bradley take on the wellbeing role in the Vic Country under 18 girls program.
One of the highlights of the evening was Dean Duursma’s induction as a Gippsland Power Life Member.
Dean has worked tirelessly with the club for the past 13 years, volunteering his time to help make the program better.
During that time Dean has had all four kids come through the program with Willem being the youngest and graduating from the program this year, while Xavier, Yasmin and Zane are all at their respective AFL Clubs.
Several Power players have been selected for the upcoming National and State Combines.
Willem Duursma, Stoddart and Hobson are off to the National Combine, while Sutton, Crestani, Pugh, Thomas Matthews, Mitchell Stevens and Atkins will head to the State Combine.
The AFLW National Combine runs from October 1-3 and the AFL National Combine runs from October 3-5, where the players are required to go through a series of tests over the course of those three days.
The AFLW State Combine is on October 3 and the AFL State Combine on October 5.
Former player Ash Centra’s AFLW round five Rising Star nomination also put plenty of smiles on faces at the Power.
