EFL 2019: Fairpark scores finals win since 1997

It was a clash between two battler suburban footy clubs who hadn’t won a final this century. Now one of them is a single win away from a grand final berth, after ending the other’s flag hopes.

They both hadn’t been in finals for more than a decade.

They both hadn’t won a final this century.

Fairpark and Surrey Park football clubs have known lean times over the past 20 years.

The two sides have just one premiership between them.

Fairpark had a winning percentage of 33 per cent since its most recent finals appearance since 2008, and Surrey Park endured a 67-game losing streak that nearly broke the club.

Ronnie McKendry was the star for Fairpark in the final quarter. Picture: Craig Dooley

Fairpark’s last finals win was in 1997 and Surrey Park hadn’t won a final since it was in Southern league Division 2 in 1999.

But here they were vying for the chance to progress through the EFL Division 4 finals series.

The elimination final was an endorsement to the league’s move to five divisions to give clubs a greater chance of playing finals.

And it was Fairpark that ended a lengthy finals drought.

Emotions spilt over in the rooms as long-suffering Lions supporters roared the team song.

Kyle Hird takes a mark for Fairpark. Picture: Craig Dooley

“You can just see the emotion from the people that have been at the club for a long period of time,” Fairpark coach Sean Stanton said.

“You see tears in their eyes. They probably thought a couple of years ago they wouldn’t see this again and thankfully, it’s been a long time coming, but we were pretty good today.”

The clash seesawed until four goals from Ronnie McKendry in the space of 10 minutes in the last quarter split the two sides in the clash at Glen Waverley’s Central Reserve.

There had been four lead changes in the final term until McKendry inspired the Lions to a 11.12 (78) to 8.10 (58) win.

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“I thought his first three quarters, he was only fair … but late in that last quarter, he turned it on,” Stanton said.

“He has that ability. He is super quick and an amazing set of hands.

“He can just do that stuff that not many on the field can do and thankfully that 10 minutes get us over the line.”

Fairpark’s only flag was in 1995 but the Lions are one win away from their first grand final in 24 years.

Brad Nied fires out a handball. Picture: Craig Dooley

It will meet Coldstream in the preliminary final on Sunday.

“There’s been 10 or 12 guys that have been here for the last 10 or 12 years and haven’t had a lot of success,” Stanton said.

“You can just see what it means to the people around the club. The passion they’ve got, the hard work they put in and as much as it is great we’ve won it, the victory is as much about them as what it was about the playing group.”

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