Corrigan Talks Through the VFL Season and Previews 2025

Corrigan’s Reflections on the 2024 Season
I’m extremely proud of how the team conducted themselves throughout the year.

We played some exceptional football, especially after facing two tough defeats in the opening rounds. The group showed remarkable resilience, bouncing back to win eight consecutive games, and we witnessed significant progress from our younger players.

During the Finals, the team’s effort was never in doubt. However, I feel we lacked a bit of boldness in how we approached moving the ball. We faced two excellent teams—the eventual grand finalists—which made it even tougher.

We were aware of the challenges ahead but unfortunately couldn’t create or capitalize on enough opportunities to consistently play our style of football.

Corrigan on the Young AFL Players Impressing

I think all players in some way, shape or form had their moments.

Connor O’Sullivan while being a first year player, he presents as more extroverted leader from a communication standpoint. He always has plenty of energy, so I was really impressed by what he brought throughout the year.

Lawson is the obvious one, but there are some other guys in there that made significant inroads.

Some other guys like Oli Wiltshire and Mitch Edwards who probably didn’t get to play as much footy, but they certainly showed in patches what they are capable of.

Corrigan on Standout VFL Players
Marcus Herbert made significant strides as a genuine VFL player, and with continued improvement, he could attract the attention of AFL clubs this year.

Among the younger players, Joe Pike, who is now on our AFL list, stood out, while Paddy Hughes played nearly every game, missing just one or two. Hopefully, he can build on the confidence from last season and continue to improve.

Tobyn Murray displayed some excellent stretches of football, and Darcy Edmends, in his debut year with the program, also impressed by playing almost every game.

We had a number of younger VFL players contributing this year, and the hope is that they remain with us and take their games to even greater heights this season.

Corrigan on Dan Capiron’s First Year as Captain

He was outstanding again.

Angus Byrne was the captain the year before, but Cap was arguably the captain in different areas and has been a stalwart of the VFL program for six or seven years now.

He was outstanding and he has the upmost respect for people within the program, but more importantly he has the respect of the playing group and the coaching staff alike by the way he goes about it.

He has been doing it for a long time, but he champions what is is to be a VFL player in terms of work outside of football, but then working on your game as well. He has a good balance and a great rapport with the players, then his form over the last two years has been outstanding.

We are really fortunate to have him in the program and going again as captain of the footy club, because he is great with the players, great with the staff and starting to dip his toes into coaching as well. He is a great asset.

Corrigan on the Focus Heading into 2025

VFL football always presents a challenge at the start of the year with new players coming in.

There are new AFL players and new VFL players, so there is always a period where everyone gets to know one another, establishing relationships and a connection. You can put some pieces in the program to try and fast track that, but ultimately that takes time.

You are always going to be faced with that situation, so for us it is going to be a case of how can those familiar faces make the new guys feel comfortable early on. For us I feel like we have still got the core contingent from a VFL standpoint, from leadership and those young boys returning.

Hopefully adding a couple more mature VFL players to the mix to help some of the young VFL guys, because we have six or seven new draftees so making sure we have got a blend of characters too within that program.