EFNL 2024: Fairpark coach Sean Stanton to step down at season’s end

Fairpark’s longest-serving coach will step away at the end of the season. The premiership mentor reveals why, and reflects on his time at the helm, declaring he wants to coach again.

Fairpank premiership coach Sean Stanton (left) will finish up at season’s end. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The curtain is set to fall on the tenure of Fairpark’s longest-serving coach.

Sean Stanton will step away at season’s end after eight years at the helm of the Eastern league club he led to a drought-breaking premiership.

Arriving at the Lions at the end of 2016, he declared the time was right for a fresh voice.

“I love the club and I think there’s so much upside with the playing group but if I looked within which I had to, I felt I needed to make the right call for the footy club,” Stanton said.

“As a result, I felt the best thing for the club was to get a fresh voice in, a new coach with new ideas who hopefully can recruit three or four top-end talents.

“As sad as it is because I’ve got such great ties and connections with the club and I love coaching, I just think I need to do what’s right for the club because they’ve been so good to me.”

The club languished in Division 4 when Stanton took on the job.

It hadn’t won a flag since 1995 – or a final since 1997.

Taking the Lions from the doldrums to the premiership dais in 2019 with an upset grand final victory over East Burwood in driving rain embedded Stanton as just the club’s second flag coach in its five-decade history.

🏆 Fairpark wins its first senior premiership since 1995, defeating East Burwood by 15 points in the #EFLDIV4 GF. Ronnie McKendry wins the Colin Tainton Blue Ribbon Medal for best afield with three goals. Captain Jesse Pearce and coach Sean Stanton hold the cup aloft: pic.twitter.com/mOddYPXLP2

— Dan Cencic (@DanCencic) September 8, 2019

But Stanton said the highlights stretched well beyond raising the Division 4 cup.

“The grand final was massive … but there’s probably three or four games that stand out, for mine,” he said.

“My first year at the club, I think it was Round 2, and we played Donvale.

“Unfortunately, my father passed away earlier that week and the club – and it’s been the case from day one – wrapped their arms around me and showed all the support in the world.

“There was not a single person that would’ve tipped us to win that game, and to the credit of the group, they dug deep.

“It’s something that sits very close to me.”

Coaching club legend Leigh Rankin in his 300th game on the eve of the 2019 finals also rates a mention as sparking the Lions ahead of their breakthrough flag.

“We were going into a finals campaign and we were really flat – we weren’t in great form and needed a circuit-breaker and something to lift the group,” Stanton said.

“Playing him in his 300th just before the finals was incredible – it was great we were able to get a win, and I reckon that spring-boarded us into our finals campaign.”

Fairpark coach Sean Stanton calling the shots. Picture: Craig Dooley

Promoted to Division 3 following the 2019 triumph, Fairpark – and local footy – felt the brunt of Covid in 2020, with Stanton lamenting the club had retained its premiership list before the pandemic put paid to the season.

Returning in 2021, the Lions finished last in Division 3 with a new-look side – but avoided slingshotting back to Division 4 as the league froze relegation amid a shortened season.

But they narrowly avoided the dreaded drop for a second consecutive year in 2022, with the club winning a cut-throat final-round clash against Scoresby.

The coach lauded the 9.7 (61) to 7.8 (50) victory as another treasured moment.

“A couple of years back when we lost most of our premiership team for various reasons, it was a double relegation and we had to win the last game of the year against Scoresby,” Stanton said, who declared at the time he was “Lost for words, speechless”.

“We’d been absolutely decimated by injury, but just to show the resilience of the group, that victory was also really special.

“There’s been so many great moments, and it probably sounds a bit cheesy and cliché, but I’ll genuinely leave the football club with so many great friendships and memories.

“I’ve seen players turn from young kids to grown men.”

Fairpark celebrates its flag after upsetting East Burwood by 15 points in the 2019 Division 4 grand final. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Coaching remains in Stanton’s plans for the immediate future.

“That made it (my decision) slightly difficult because we could’ve got to a point where I could’ve coached again (at Fairpark) next year, but I didn’t think it was the right thing,” he said.

“I actually think I’m coaching pretty well at the moment.

“I love coaching and I’ll certainly keep my eye out (for a job).

“I’ve moved down Bayside way … if there’s the right job and it’s the right fit, I’m keen to continue coaching.

“If it means nothing pops up and I have a year off, so be it. I’m not just going to jump into a job because it’s there – it needs to be the right one.”

Fairpark sits eighth of Division 3’s 10 teams, winning four matches from 14 amid an injury-plagued season.

With four home-and-away games remaining, the premiership coach was resolute in his commitment to setting the Lions for future success.

“It’s a focus of continual improvement, trying to get games into kids – and we’ve done that – and that’ll hold the club in really good stead,” Stanton said.

“We want to enjoy ourselves, we’ve got two games at home and two away.

“It’s going to be a pretty tough ask, but the club that I know and have known for the last eight years, we’ve shown a level of resilience and when things get tough, we find a way.

“I’m really excited about what the future holds for Fairpark, but in the same breath, it’s going to be sad when the curtain falls in four weeks’ time.

“It’s genuinely been the most enjoyable time.”