EFL: Fairpark coach Sean Stanton re-signs for 2021
Eastern Division 3 club Fairpark has locked in its coach for season 2021, and has now turned its attention to bolstering specific on-field personnel...
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Fairpark mentor Sean Stanton has put pen to paper for season 2021 and is set to become the club’s longest-serving coach in its 50-year history.
Stanton was appointed to the head gig in October 2016 and led the Lions to their first senior flag since 1995 last season in Division 4. The club was set to compete in Division 3 this year before coronavirus forced the season to be abandoned.
Stanton said he was thrilled to be leading the club again in 2021.
“The club has given me so much in a short period of time – I really am grateful for the opportunity and it’s sort of like no other club I’ve been involved in,” he said.
“They’re such a tight-knit group, and everyone’s there for the right reasons and pushing in the same direction, and you don’t always get that at all footy clubs.
“It really is a privilege to be coaching the club.”
Stanton will head into a fifth year at the helm, but said he had informed the club that he was willing to step away from the role if the club felt it was in its best interests for a change at the top.
“I was willing to go down whichever direction the club wanted to go in,” he said.
“I was also mindful that you probably get to the fourth or fifth year and unless you’ve won flag on flag, you probably get to a point where they might need a fresh face in the club.
“Don’t think for a minute I didn’t want the job, but I thought I’d put it out there if they wanted to go in a different path, and I was pretty thrilled when they said they’d retain me for another year.”
The majority of the playing list has also recommitted for next season, but Stanton said the Lions would endeavour to bolster their stocks in preparation for 2021.
“We’re in a position where we could certainly squeeze in another one or two real quality players, and that’s what we’re aiming for,” he said.
“We’ve got a playing-assistant at the moment, Jesse Pearce, who’s been tremendous for us.
“We had a chat a few weeks ago and he thought it’d be great if we could find another playing-assistant, to help me and to help him and the coaching group.”
The premiership coach believes the club’s stability on and off the field has it primed to attack the challenge of a new division.
“Without having a strong network of people around you, you can’t head in the right direction,” Stanton said.
“We’ve got a really dedicated committee who are doing a mountain of work now just to make sure we’re in a really good spot for next year, and next year we’ll have the women’s team on board which is really exciting for the club.
“We’ve got that stability now and a great group of players, I’d like to think the club’s in as strong a position now than what it has been for some time.”
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