Williamstown will forever be the reigning premiers of the FOXTEL Cup with the AFL last week announcing the state league knockout competition will not continue next season.
Introduced in 2011, the FOXTEL Cup aimed to pit the premiers and runners up from each state league competition against each other, with games played on a Tuesday night live on Fox Footy during the home and away season.
In total five VFL clubs were part of the 32 state leagues teams that participated in the FOXTEL Cup, with the Seagulls holding the unique record of winning the first and last season of the competition in 2011 and 2014..
Werribee (2012, 2013) was the only other club to make the FOXTEL Cup Grand Final, defeated by Claremont by 44 points in 2012, with Port Melbourne (2012,2013), Northern Blues (2011) and North Ballarat (2011) all joining Williamstown (2011, 2012, 2014) as the clubs involved from Victoria.
Williamstown coach Andy Collins, a back to back premiership coach in the FOXTEL Cup with the Seagulls and West Adelaide (2013), said he was disappointed the competition would not continue.
“It was a competition in its infancy, and I think with what we achieved at Williamstown this year, a lot more clubs were starting to get on board with how to do the FOXTEL Cup and how to win it.”
Collins revealed he contacted Claremont’s 2012 FOXTEL Cup premiership coach Marc Webb to work out how to best prepare for the knockout competition.
“He shared a bit of information with me, and I have no doubt that assisted in the victories in 2013 and 2014 … helping with the types of programs he was running.”
AFL General Manager Broadcasting, Scheduling and Major Projects Simon Lethlean said the midweek competition had been extremely positive for second-tier footballers.
“The FOXTEL Cup was designed to provide another pathway from the state leagues around Australia for players to showcase their wares for a potential AFL career,” Lethlean said.
“In the four seasons across 2011-2014, a total of 26 players who had played in teams from the FOXTEL Cup were drafted on to AFL lists.
“However, as the competition has continued through multiple seasons, the demands of the FOXTEL Cup have had to work alongside the goals of senior state league sides, in regards to seeking team success within their state competition, which has proven to be an ongoing challenge."
Kane Lambert was one of the draftees that played in the FOXTEL Cup – selected last week in the AFL Rookie Draft by Richmond - starring in the 2014 Grand Final win with 20 disposals and a goal in his clubs 63 point mauling of West Perth.
This was on the back of 26 disposals against East Perth in the Semi Final in his only other game in the 2014 campaign by the Seagulls.
Last Modified on 08/12/2014 17:16