EFL: Ex-AFL, VFL big man Jordan Lisle joins Balwyn

Eastern league defenders can expect to have their hands full next season after news that Port Melbourne co-captain Jordan Lisle is heading to the competition.

Jordan Lisle is exultant after booting a goal for Port Melbourne against Richmond in 2019.

From the Borough to Balwyn.

Port Melbourne co-captain and former Hawthorn and Brisbane Lions forward Jordan Lisle will return to his Eastern league roots next year, joining Balwyn.

Port had announced on Thursday that its spearhead was calling time on his much-awarded VFL career.

This afternoon Balwyn confirmed it had secured the right-footer.

Lisle said the club had arranged him an “exciting employment opportunity’’ that was too good to turn down.

“At this stage of my life … I’ll be 31 next year … I need to start thinking about setting myself up for the future,’’ he told Leader.

Delisted from Brisbane at the end of the 2014 season, leaving him with 23 AFL appearances, Lisle joined Port in 2015 and topped the goalkicking in each of his five seasons under Gary Ayres.

He led the VFL table on three occasions, including in 2017, when the Borough won the premiership (Lisle regards the flag as a highlight of his career). And he was a regular pick in the VFL team of the year.

Jordan Lisle slots a goal for the Borough. Picture: Chris Eastman

Lisle will be coached at Balwyn by Ayres’ great mate and former Hawthorn teammate Rodney Eade.

“I’ve spoken to ‘Rocket’ a couple of times; he’s pretty excited about it, and so am I,’’ Lisle said.

“I played my juniors at Blackburn but I never played a senior game in the Eastern league. I’ve watched a few, and it’s one of the strongest comps outside the state league. I expect it to be strong again next year.

“They (Balwyn) are a club that is used to being a success, which is something that appeals to me, because I come from a winning culture at Port Melbourne. They (the Tigers) haven’t won a flag for five or six years and for them it feels like a drought.’’

Eade said this afternoon: “We kicked a lot of goals last year but at the pointy end of the season we didn’t have a big forward line and so we didn’t have a (tall) target.

“So (Jordan) coming into the team will straighten us up a bit and take a bit of pressure off a couple of other forwards there who carried the load, did very well but he’s just able to give us that presence there.

“He’s had a terrific career in the VFL so we’re very fortunate to get him on board.

“He’s looking for life after footy and where it was going to head for him, and with good connections we were able to help him out in that area.”

Ayres said Port Melbourne would be “forever grateful’’ it gained Lisle from Brisbane.

“(He) had a strong connection with the playing group and very high footy IQ,’’ he said.

“I loved him as a player but loved him more as a person.”