As many as seven future AFL players were part of a star-studded Brighton Grammar squad which took out the Associated Public Schools (APS) premiership on Saturday against Caulfield Grammar.
School footy competitions, and the APS specifically, have increasingly become a beacon for talent in the last decade and Brighton Grammar has been the benchmark.
At the helm of Brighton Grammar is Simon McPhee, a highly respected coach in the industry who several Brighton Grammar alumni reference for his impact in their career and he is ably assisted this year by Melbourne AFL-listed Jake Melksham.
Jake Miller, projected in the top five of the 2027 crop, highlighted how Melksham and McPhee have taken his game to the next level since arriving at the school this year.
“For them to put me under their wing, Jake Melksham to help me out at every training session on Tuesday and Thursday has been awesome and I've improved rapidly with their experience and knowledge and it's just little things I tweak that I've improved on like footwork and positioning and aerial things," Miller told Zero Hanger post-game.
As well as the coaching staff, the APS competition gives players the opportunity to play a different style of footy which prepares them in a different way to the next level.
The responsibility and honour of representing your school and dealing with the pressure of a vocal crowd cannot be replicated in the talent pathway.
People came in their thousands to Brighton's Crowther Oval. The Brighton village was brimming with schoolkids, graduated students and banners as tongues were wagging on Church Street two hours before the game.
The atmosphere of the inaugural APS grand final brought the electric atmosphere and school culture and pride to the fore.
The crowd was at fever-pitch when Brighton Grammar pulled away in the third quarter giving them what proved to be an insurmountable three-quarter-time lead. Caulfield Grammar was plucky and trimmed the final margin to nine points, but it was the hosts inaccuracy as much as anything which kept Caulfield in it for a sustained period, for Brighton seemed to always have first hands on the footy and, crucially, won territory on the small ground.
“It was so emotional when the siren went,” premiership player Mason Tapping said.
“You just look around and see how much it means to everyone when people ran onto the ground knowing we'd won it but it was also emotional because we'd played our last game for the school.”
The team-first nature of school footy is also entirely different to the individual development focus of the Talent League.
The allowance of tagging has prepared Arki Butler for what he may, in due course, face at the higher level, while Miller has also copped heavy attention.
“It's been tough but I know it's a good thing for the team. I know if I'm getting double teamed it means someone else is free,” Miller said of the attention he gets for Brighton Grammar from opposition defenders.
“It's a bit frustrating at the time but it's all part of footy so I'll get used to it and has been a great learning.”
Year 11 student Archie Bakoulas has established a reputation in defence in the last 18 months, playing a key role for Vic Metro's Under-16s last year and showing promise for Sandringham this year.
He has been exposed to a different role at school level which has improved his footy.
“It's grown my game. I can show my aerial presence on the wing and I can show my running power which has been fun,” Bakoulas said post-game.
“(Simon McPhee) took a chance on me playing me early in year 10 which I was grateful for because those opportunities have helped me behind the scenes and Jake Melksham has helped my set shot routine.”
As well as Butler, Miller and Bakoulas, others in draft calculations from Brighton Grammar include Tyson Bradley, Riley Stratford, Jasper Williams and potentially Jack Surkitt.
Williams is an interesting case study, for he was not on a Talent League list at the start of the season but has since made the decision to join Sandringham and has gained draft interest off the back of superb school form, which continued with a best afield performance on Saturday.
“He's been great. We knew he could play, it has just taken some time to get him going. He's handy for us because he can play multiple positions and his follow-up and clearance work has been fantastic and he's been a good teammate as well so he has grown enormously this season,” McPhee told Zero Hanger ahead of the match.
It's sacrilege in modern sports discussion for organisations not to invest in players off-field, but given education and footy are aligned at prestigious Melbourne schools, values of respect and sportsmanship are impressed upon the students.
The bulk of Brighton Grammar's premiership side was year 12s and many made reference to their growth across their time at the school and feel empowered for life beyond graduation.
"(Simon McPhee) has been unreal for me,” Surkitt, who has had an injury-interrupted 18 months, said of the coach.
“Everyone talks about the time he'll put in as a coach but during my time off field he's made me better as a person which I'm really grateful for.”
Brighton Grammar premiership team: Arki Butler ©, Henry Thomas, Alessandro Macnab, Nic Williams, Harry Zerna, Billy Blazey, Jasper Williams, Jack Nicholls, Riley Stratford, Will Irving, Mason Tapping, Jake Miller, Oakley De Zeeuw, Eddie Peat, Jack Surkitt, Quentin Hofmann, Archie Bakoulas, Tyson Bradley, Archie Bull, Miller White, Thomas Roche, Max Mansfield
Best players
Jasper Williams: Impenetrable in defence, his intercepting was first class. Did not have a mark taken on him all day when he floated back and spoiled excellently when needed as well. Was the starting ruck and was a big part of Brighton Grammar's contest dominance, consistently using his strength at ruck contests and finding synergy with his midfielders.
Nic Williams: An unheralded, role playing link forward whose intensity and competitiveness was first class. Left everything he had out there and made his presence felt.
Quentin Hofmann: Kicked two first half goals and, as he has done all year, benefitted from the time the opposition was putting into Miller. Led up to the ball carrier well and found separation on the lead, showing good forward craft and aerial skill.
Tyson Bradley: Caulfield Grammar did well early to keep him deep which limited his ability to intercept and clear defence but came into the game as it went on and was particularly influential as Brighton Grammar got the break in the third quarter.
Arki Butler: Although a fair way below his best, Butler, mostly stationed as a deep forward, kicked two critical goals, including arguably the sealer in the last quarter and his composure and class when he found the footy was typically excellent.
Harry Zerna: Quipped post game that when he arrived at the school he was a “disgustingly bad footballer” before the tutelage and advocacy of coach Simon McPhee got him onto the Western Jets list. His goals tally for the season does not do justice to his impact and on Saturday his presence was again commanding. Provided arguably the highlight of the day, soccering through a goal from a ruck contest inside 50.
Jake Miller: It seems almost sacrilegious to put Miller in the standout category given how well his direct opponent Harley Bell played for much of the afternoon, but Miller still kicked three goals. He kicked the first of the game and Brighton's last and where he was able to impact was at ground level, staying involved even if Bell was able to effect a spoil.
Jack Nicholls: Played with vigour and great balance and poise on the big stage in a consistent four quarter showing, popping up in big moments. Got involved in possession chains and was impactful with the footy.
