EFL 2019: Fairpark lands longs list of recruits for Eastern Football League season

Fairpark coach Sean Stanton expects the Lions to be one of the beneficiaries of the Eastern Football League restructure after landing a long list of recruits.

James Brown fires off a handball for Belgrave. Picture: Christopher Chan.

Fairpark coach Sean Stanton expects the Lions to be one of the beneficiaries of the Eastern Football League restructure after landing a long list of recruits.

Fairpark has only featured in three finals series since 1998 but expects to be pushing for a top four position in the EFL’s Division 4 this season.

A swag of players have arrived at Fairpark Reserve from struggling Southern league club Mount Waverley, which made a call to arms last year in a bid to avoid falling into recess.

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A total of 11 players have lodged a clearance from the Mountain Lions to Fairpark, including 2016 premiership players Michael Keem, Thomas Petronik, Matthew Jeffries and Alex Mullucks.

Michael Keem during his time at Mount Waverley. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Star midfielder Ben McLeod, who was named in Mt Waverley’s best players 14 times in 15 games last year, is also among the headline recruits.

Four-time SFNL best and fairest winner, premiership player and former coach Jarrod Wilkin has also joined Fairpark, while Nick Doherty and Ethan Tobias will be pushing for senior selection.

Third-year coach Stanton said the group had transferred to the club to link up with former Mount Waverley forward James Gough, who joined the club in 2018.

Fairpark defeated finalist East Burwood and eventual premier Whitehorse Pioneers last year but could only manage a 6-12 record.

“There is a bit of a different feeling compared to the last couple of years that I’ve been at the club, which is all positive, so I just want us to improve on what we did last year,” Stanton said.

“Hopefully we can win enough games to play finals footy.”

Belgrave brothers Michael and James Brown and Wantirna South’s Stephen Colosimo will also give a boost to the Lions’ midfield, while Zac Zaloumis is returning to the club after two seasons at Nunawading.

But the Lions will be without EFL Young Gun winner Hayden DeGraaf, who has relocated interstate, while James Hall has moved overseas.

Fairpark last featured in finals in 2008 and has finished no higher than sixth in the past 10 seasons.

But with the fourth tier reduced from 10 teams to eight, and an influx of recruits, Stanton said the revamped competition would give the club a greater chance of playing finals this year.

“As a club, we all acknowledge we’ve probably under achieved for a number of years now and this will be my third year at the club,” he said.

“I’m the first to acknowledge that we had aspirations of playing finals footy last year and we fell well short of that.

“There is enough upside, from what I have seen so far, to tell me we’re going to be competitive and we’re going to be in the mix to play finals.”

James Gough celebrates a goal during the 2016 grand final. Picture: Chris Eastman

Stanton said the club had also worked hard to develop its under-19s and 17s.

“We probably don’t have the luxury of some other clubs in having really strong juniors, or having had strong juniors, for years,” he said.

“That has been a real focus area for us and we promoted kids last year — we probably played four kids in our senior team last year — and we’ll continue to promote kids if they’re up to it.”

Fairpark opens its season against Croydon North MLOC at Hughes Park on April 6.

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