Revealed: How close Port Fairy was to losing their football and netball club

A Hampden league club has made a significant move in its bid to end an almost 30-game losing streak with the arrival of one of the competition’s best players.

The new committee at Port Fairy has revealed last season’s Hampden league forfeit was the moment that saved the club.

Now, it’s hoping 2023 is the start of the comeback for the Seagulls.

The club earlier this week announced the signing of Jason Rowan, a three-time premiership player at Warrnambool and one of the league’s leading goalkickers.

He’s won the goalkicking award eight times and has kicked more than 50 goals in a season 10 times.

It’s a massive coup for a club who has finished bottom in the past two years and not won a game in 26 matches.

Former Warrnambool forward Jason Rowan is joining Port Fairy. Picture: Colleen Petch.

“(He’s) very excited by the vision and the project of rebuilding a club,” Port Fairy head of football Mark Handy said.

“Jason has invested in us for the long-term.

“Getting someone of Jason’s caliber in is because of the hard work that has gone on through numerous volunteers.”

Rowan is one of more than a half-a-dozen signings announced by the club so far.

But Port Fairy have in reality needed to find more than 25 players to fill its senior, reserve and under-18 teams.

And the club has gone about it in one way.

“One of the main things we’ve done is re-engage with past players or player who have not played for a certain reason,” Handy said.

“If you are from Port Fairy or a part of Port Fairy, you’re playing for our town.”

Every player signed so far has a link to the club or the town in some way.

It’s one of the ways the new committee is looking at getting the club back to the top and integrated into the community.

New Port Fairy president Rob Evans said while at no stage did the club explore the possibility of amalgamating with another club, or moving to another competition, there would have been a thought about it given the poor position the club has been at on the field.

Port Fairy squad working hard during the preseason. Picture: Port Fairy Football Club.

He said the club’s forfeit last year put them on the front foot for change.

A forum sson after set the foundations for the club turning everything around with Evans joining at the AGM late last year.

“The club was in a critical position, no ifs or buts about it,” he said.

“Financially the club is very strong, the previous committee left the club in a very strong position.

“Finances are not a problem, it was more about getting people power back into the club and players, which Dusty (McCorkell the coach) and his team are responsible for and getting people back wanting to play.

“In my mind when I took on the role as president it was very clear – amalgamation with another club was not on the agenda, stepping back to a minor league was not on the agenda.

“The vision for us is to make Port Fairy a stable, strong, respected club in the Hampden.

“That is the only vision myself and the club considers.”

The club hasn’t put any expectations down on what it can achieve this season.

But the draw hasn’t been kind with Port Fairy to play South Warrnambool, Warrnambool and Koroit, all finalists from last year, in the opening three rounds.

The losing streak might extend in the short-term before they have the chance to secure their first win since 2021 later in the year.

“(The) first (expectation) is to win our first game and two is to develop our juniors, particularly the under-18s to be the best they can be,” Handy said.

“The under-18 are setting the standards on the track. They have been doing extra sessions.

“We just wanted to build a sustainable football netball club, we’re excited by the progress but we’re careful to set expectations.

“We just want to get the club back on track.”

The new Hampden League season starts on April 1.