EFNL 2024: Eastern league rising star Jay Rankin signs at Premier club Doncaster East

One of the Eastern league’s most exciting young talents has put pen to paper at a Premier Division club for 2025 — and there’s said to be VFL interest.

Jay Rankin has made the jump from EFNL Division 3 Fairpark to Doncaster East in the top-flight. Picture: Valeriu Campan

He’s one of the Eastern league’s most exciting rising stars – and he’s set for Premier Division football in 2025.

Fairpark tall talent Jay Rankin will test his wares at a higher level after signing at Doncaster East.

The ruck-forward enjoyed a rapid rise in recent seasons at the Division 3 club where his dad – Leigh Rankin – is a 300-game legend.

A breakout campaign in 2023 caught the eyes of scouts, landing a spot on the Dandenong Stingrays’ list before kicking 33 goals in 12 matches at local level this year.

Jay Rankin kicked a combined 53 goals for Fairpark at senior level as a teenager across 2023 and ‘24. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Doncaster East senior coach Ryan James said Rankin’s move came about through a mutual connection to outgoing Fairpark mentor Sean Stanton, who was keen to promote the teenager.

James said the 19-year-old had also garnered the interest of state league clubs.

“I can’t talk highly enough of Fairpark – they were fully supportive of Jay trying to further his career and there is a fair bit of VFL interest,” James said.

“It’s just all about seeing how far this kid can go.”

The matchwinner played three games for the Stingrays in 2023, and has kicked a combined 53 majors in the senior ranks across the past two seasons.

James said Rankin had already impressed on the track.

“He’s been really dominant as a young kid in that comp (Division 3) … and even in his first week of training with us, our boys who’ve been at a higher level remarked this kid can move and he trains hard,” he said.

And he’s set to combine with former AFL forwards Josh Schache and Tim O’Brien at the Lions in 2025.

“They’ve both been really good with Jay early and Tim’s going to take him under his wing, and as a 19-year-old there’s not too many better key forwards you could probably learn off,” James said.

“The ability of Josh, Jay and Tim to work together, it’s going to be pretty hard for the ‘oppo’.

“He (Rankin) could even potentially play on-ball … we’re really excited about the talent he is.

“I can’t stress how good Fairpark were about helping a kid try and push his footy as far as it can go.”

Doncaster East opens its season at home to Berwick on April 12.