Rumbalara's Levy Tejones has signed with VFL club Coburg.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
The last person Charlie Di Stefano thought he would be lining up against in his first weekend as an official VFL player was Marcus Bontempelli.
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But he wasn’t dreaming - this was the former Shepparton United product’s new reality.
Di Stefano has been training with the Western Bulldogs’ VFL program Footscray since halfway through last football season, albeit without the guarantee of a contract.
However, the current Parkside gun continued to turn up weekly to train with the team that would ultimately become the state league’s premiers in 2025, and was rewarded with an invite back to the club for the preseason.
From there, Di Stefano has put in the hard yards, and it culminated in a double surprise of a lifetime.
“They asked me to return this preseason and I started there in early December and did every session through to now,” Di Stefano said.
“They invited a few of the VFL boys up to Noosa to play an AFL intra club about two weekends ago, and I was one of them.
“The Friday before we went up, that’s when they offered me the VFL contract.”
While already taking plenty of learnings out of the experienced heads at Footscray, an opportunity to witness the standards of multiple All-Australian footballers in person was a bonus Di Stefano knows will only enhance his development.
“It was amazing, it was my first ever hit out against a team of AFL players, let alone the best in the business like Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards, Tim English,” Di Stefano said.
“I played half forward most of the day and I thought I did well, you know, given who I was playing against, and I took a lot out of it too.
“Hopefully in the next few months I can take what I’ve learned from playing against those kind of players and improve my game from it.”
Footscray was the only VFL club taking an interest in Di Stefano’s development, but the 21-year-old stated it was a blessing, with his dedication to the sole opportunity driving his work ethic to reach the next level.
Charlie Di Stefano in his junior days at Shepparton United.
Photo by
Laura Briggs
“I tried not to think about (the contract) too much, I really enjoyed being around the Footscray facilities, the AFL facilities have been great,” Di Stefano said.
“But, it is always in the back of your mind especially as you get closer to footy season.
“I hadn’t had any interest from other clubs, it’s always been the Bulldogs, which is good because I haven’t had any conflicting thoughts.
“And obviously with the contract, sticking it out here was the right choice.”
In other VFL news, Rumbalara’s Levy Tejones has signed with standalone club Coburg.
The speedy small forward is set to dazzle for the Lions after a Murray Football League season that saw Tejones boot 34 goals from 18 games, as well as have eight matches where named in the best.
The northern suburbs club placed 11th in 2025, but it marked its best campaign since the COVID interrupted years that changed the landscape of the VFL.
Tejones began as a train on in late November when preseason began for the Lions, and has since impressed with his sharpness with the Sherrin.
The club expressed their enthusiasm for the Shepparton talent in a statement on social media.
“Bringing elite skill and unmatched energy both on and off the field, we’re beyond excited to welcome Levy to the team ahead of the 2026 season,” the Coburg club post read.
The VFL fixture was officially unveiled on Wednesday, with Tejones’ first chance at state league action set for Saturday, March 21, when the Lions travel to take on league newcomers Tasmania in Hobart.
Di Stefano’s first opportunity with Footscray could come on the same date, when the Bulldogs take on Melbourne’s VFL unit, Casey.
