EFL: Luke Walker among additions at Fairpark
Fairpark swept to a fairytale premiership in the Eastern league this year and is now busy preparing for promotion, signing a competition best and fairest winner and star forward.
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Fairpark will be without three of its premiership players next year but coach Sean Stanton believes “our list will improve on what it was this year”.
The Lions claimed this year’s EFL Division 4 premiership to receive promotion to the competition’s fourth tier.
Premiership pair Jarrod Wilkin and Matt Jeffries have retired and grand final teammate Jack Dunn will spend part of next year travelling.
Stanton said Fairpark has re-signed its group of former Mount Waverley players, which joined the club after the Southern Football Netball League club went into recess.
And it has announced a host of new signings.
Koo Wee Rup trio Luke Walker, Mitch Collins and Rory Connelly have crossed from the West Gippsland league club and Gembrook’s Paul Gramc has also joined Fairpark.
Walker established himself as a star at Koo Wee Rup and Pakenham, building a decorated CV.
He won the Ellinbank & District Football League’s best and fairest (West Division) in 2014 and was a former captain at Koo Wee Rup, among other achievements.
Spearhead Collins kicked 135 goals for Belgrave in 2012 and Gramc will be an important player between the arcs.
Michael Smith (Boronia) and Kurt Newton (Stoney Creek) are also among the additions.
Fairpark will also regain star midfielder Ben McLeod from a long-term injury.
Stanton labelled McLeod “the guy I was most excited about leading into this year”.
“I think our list will improve on what our list was this year, which it obviously needs to,” Stanton said.
“We obviously contract not only our senior players but our reserves players, who are on the fringe.
“We’ve done really well to retain most of our list.”
Fairpark will also look to promote out of its under-19s.
Mason Bryne won this year’s Division 4 under-19s best and fairest, and James Lalor and Dale Bent will come into the senior side.
“I definitely think there is four or five kids there that have had some taste of senior footy and we’re expecting next year they will play much more senior footy,” Stanton said.
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“In regards to that, we’re in pretty good shape but it’s a whole uncertainty of going up a division and how we fare is a bit of an unknown.
“I think our list over the last two years … has improved out of sight and I think our list will improve next year.
“Where that has us in the scheme of things is a big unknown but we probably showed throughout the finals campaign that our best footy is actually pretty good for this standard of football.”
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