Seven country regions were represented at the 2025 V/Line Cup in the boys and girls divisions. Image: Luke Hemer
The 2025 V/Line Cup concluded last week, with the Geelong Falcons earning the mantle as the carnival's overall winning program for a second consecutive year.
The carnival opened with an historic night game played between the Boys Division One Bendigo Pioneers and Goulburn Murray Bushrangers at Marty Busch Reserve, with the Welcome Breakfast bringing the competition together on day two.
First played in 1949, the 76th edition of the event saw more than 600 players, officials and their families flock to Ballarat from Monday 22 September to Wednesday 24 September.
Ballarat's top sporting venues, including Mars Stadium, City Oval and Sebastopol’s Marty Busch Reserve played host to 21 matches across the carnival, providing a high-quality stage to showcase the football talent of these rising stars.
The V/Line Cup provides a platform for talented young footballers to compete against each other and make a case for selection in Coates Talent League and Victoria Country representative squads in the years to come.
Seven regions competed in three divisions – Boys Division One, Boys Division Two and Girls – with each team playing two matches across the three days.
Check out results, best players and goal kickers on PlayHQ: CLICK HERE
WATCH match replays via Sportscast Australia on YouTube: CLICK HERE
Keep reading below for a snapshot of each division's carnival performance.
BOYS DIVISION ONE
The Geelong Falcons and the Gippsland Power were dominant in the Boys Division One competition, winning both their matches. The Falcons produced two dominant triumphs over fellow country footy powerhouse regions South East Stingrays and GWV Rebels, whilst the Power defeated SE Stingrays and the Bendigo Pioneers.
Players named best on for the Falcons included Daniel May, Oscar Roydhouse, Harry Price, Samual Leslie, William Blake and Jedah Zurawel, whilst Maxwell Davies, Zen Blythe, Leon Noble, Darcy Irving, Kai Benstead and Zachary O’Connor were standouts for the Stingrays in a tough carnival.
Ky Bannister (Gippsland) was named as a top player in both apperances, alongside teammates Alex Ingham, Fletcher Adams, Noah Bradley, Olliver Muir and Archer Tangi who stood out in the opening match.
There were several other players who starred for their team in both performances, including Lynkoln Richardson, Sam Bruhn and Samuel Brown (Bendigo Pioneers), Dex Rizzoli, Jesse Fowler, Chase Whelan and Jackson Kane (GWV Rebels), Seth Chant, Noah White and Lenny Sims (North East Border) and Eamon Hyde, Oliver Wilson and Koby Ross (Goulburn Murray).
CLICK HERE FOR Boys Division One results, goal kickers, best players
GIRLS DIVISION ONE
The Geelong Falcons were the only girls side to go undefeated in the 2025 V/Line Cup, with a 48-point win over GWV Rebels and a 17-point win over the SE Stingrays.
Standout players for the Falcons included Amelie Ruyg, Emilia Evans, Sienna Schmidt, Remy Sliwa, Layne Harvey and Marli Vardy.
For the SE Stingrays, Shae Anderson, Misha Simmons and Khaliah Turner impressed in both apperances, whilst Taylah Mizzi, Gypsy Quaife and Casey Johnson stood out for Gippsland in both games.
Harper Delamare, Meg Young, Annabelle Carr, Akiva Morrissey, Julia Taranto and Chloe Morello were named best on in Bendigo Pioneers' 52-point win over Goulburn Murray, whilst Sophie Millar, Lacey Wellington, Amelia Joseph Hauser, Jammisyn Lavis, Chloe Ryan and Phoebe Guppy were top performers in a tough carnival for the GM Bushrangers.
North East Border dominated in their opening match againsts Goulburn Murrary, with Isla Geddes, Bella Bowles, Eve Webb-Hunt, Ava Cunningham, Matilda Coughlan and Charlotte Coysh stars of that game.
For the GWV Rebels, Leayla Pohl, Tilly McErlain and Tessa Wilson were standouts across both games.
CLICK HERE FOR Girls results, best players, goal kickers
BOYS DIVISION TWO
The Bendigo Pioneers and the GWV Rebels were both undefeated across the carnival, including a thrilling two-point victory for the Pioneers over Gippsland Power at Mars Stadium on the final day of competition, and a three-point win for the Rebels over the Geelong Falcons on day one at City Oval.
The Pioneers' best players across the tournament included Noah Pearson, Oscar Greenwood, Charlie Dickins (2 goals), Ali Gill (3 goals), Max Stockdale, Xavier Carmichael, Darcy Pritchard, Oliver Spring, Jamison Westley and Lucas Sinclair.
For the Rebels, standout players included Ryder Hudson, Chaz Smith, Damon Warburton, Oliver Power, Freddie Young, Simon Antonello, Freddie Young, Julian Stephen, Griffin Edwards, Kayden Jordan, Jack Griffiths and Zac Martin.
Others to perform well included Charlie Lovich, Cooper Wood, Cole Thickens, Monyjur Nyok, Taj Davey, Josh Slater (SE Stingrays), Kobe Freer, Zayd Gibson, Kaidan Mcgee, Caleb Russell, Levi Brown, Darby Hoare (Goulburn Murray) and Kalti Ross, Trent McKenna, Parker Whitehead, Hudson Doolan, Rafferty Wiseman, Joshua Hunter (North East Border).
Despite falling short in both their games, best players for Gippsland included Linc Chila, Archer Hawke, Hunter Wynd, Isaac Brown, Ollie Ireland, Nayte Grogan, Tyler Sutton, Wil Walker and Tom Carter.
CLICK HERE For Boys Division Two results, best players, goal kickers