Jackas play in two 2026 VAFA men’s grand finals

Jackas fans were out in force on the first weekend in September, cheering on AJAX teams that were in two VAFA men’s thirds footy grand finals.

The Jewish club’s division 4 side, captained by Rafael Tenenbaum and crowned minor premiers a fortnight earlier, faced an equally determined Marcellin side at Elsternwick Park on the evening of September 6 in a nail-biting contest in which the margin going into each break was never more than 6 points.

Doron Segal scored 2 goals for the Jackas, including the game’s opener, but Marcellin hit back with 2 first quarter goals to lead by 14-8.

Both sides scored a goal and 2 behinds in the second quarter, and the Jackas won the third quarter by a single point to trail by just 5 points at three-quarter time.

After each team scored one early final quarter goal and AJAX kicked added 3 behinds, the men in red, white and black hit the front for the first time, by 4 points, when the competition’s equal leading goalscorer Levi Lewis – the team’s assistant coach – scored a goal with just over five minutes remaining.