EFNL 2023: Justin Ficorilli, Tyson McKenzie among raft of Chirnside Park recruits following shock finals exit

It hit the finals having not dropped a match for more than two months before a shock first-week exit. But Chirnside Park’s busy off-season has sought to make amends.

It has been arguably Division 4’s most active club this off-season following a heartbreaking exit from the finals.

Chirnside Park has signed a wealth of recruits in its bid to delve deeper in the hunt for next season’s premiership after this year’s pursuit ended at the hands of Scoresby in a first-week elimination bout.

Headlining the swag is former top-division forward Justin Ficorilli, crossing from Division 3 outfit, Silvan.

The livewire has more than 500 goals to his name in the Eastern league across stints at Croydon and Silvan, helping the Cats to the Division 4 flag in 2022 with 70 majors.

Ficorilli celebrates a goal in the 2022 Division 4 grand final. Picture: Field of View Photography

He’s joined by two-time best and fairest Tyson McKenzie.

The experienced midfielder has been named twice in league teams of the year and has taken in multiple leading goalkicker awards across stops at several clubs.

The journeyman’s stays have included Silvan, Mitcham, Warburton Milgrove and Coldstream, having also served as playing-coach of Congupna in the Murray Football League in 2016 and 2017.

Midfielders Aidan Pemberton (Croydon), Billy Findlay (Ashwood) and Peter Cassidy-Marsh (Nunawading) have also signed, alongside key position player Trent Castledine (South Belgrave), wingman Lee Wright (Silvan) and defender Todd Burger (Forest Hill).

Chirnside Park senior coach Dave Newlands said his group’s shock three-point elimination final loss had driven the club’s recruiting strategy.

The Panthers finished third at the end of the home-and-away season and hit the finals on a nine-game winning streak – claiming the scalps of grand finalists Kilsyth and Surrey Park in the dying weeks of the campaign.

“We targeted players after the final last year which we believe we left on the table … we had great form leading into the finals,” Newlands said.

“We just identified a few things – Scott Dwyer, our full-forward, retired and so did ‘Sticks’ (Grattan Stephens), and I think a lot of people can see that we’re in a pretty good place and want to jump on board.

“It (the finals) was definitely a missed opportunity.

“Taking nothing away from Scoresby – they did their homework on us – but it was a missed opportunity that we don’t want to let slip again.”

Grattan Stephens has retired after more than 300 games. Photo: Hamish Blair

Despite the retirements of Dwyer and Stephens, Newlands said most of the list had recommitted for next season.

“We spoke to them after we lost that (finals) game, and within 24 hours, everyone said ‘Let’s just do it … we shouldn’t have lost that, and we’ll have another go at it’,” he said.

“We’ve also managed to have 15 of our under-19s sign.”

While last season’s ending has left a bitter taste, Newlands said he wasn’t shying away from the expectations of the campaign ahead.

“Personally, a preliminary final is a pass and nothing short of that,” he said.

“If we’re going to go that next step, we need to be playing two weeks (of finals) and hopefully, the third.”