EFNL 2024: How Boronia is shaping for long-awaited Division 1 promotion

It has had to win the flag three times in the same tier to earn a promotion – but Boronia has hit the off-season with a swag of recruits ahead of its move into Division 1.

Boronia celebrated back-to-back flags and promotion with its 2024 Division 2 triumph. Picture: Field of View Photography

DIVISION 1 football awaits at long last, with a package of recruits set to aid Boronia’s climb.

The Hawks have wasted no time preparing for promotion following a second consecutive Division 2 premiership, adding a string of names set to address a host of key areas according to senior coach Matt Clark.

Recently-crowned Ferntree Gully best and fairest Jordan Church headlines the haul – with the young defender following in the footsteps of father Russell, who played at Boronia and won a club champion award.

This year Jordan averaged some 21 disposals, 9.4 contested possessions, eight intercept possessions and five marks a game from half-back.

He’s joined by Ferntree Gully teammate Brayden Wright, with the ruckman returning to the Hawks after two seasons away alongside wingman Jayden Purdon, while Tom Gasparroni also crosses from the Division 3 club.

And in a further boost, 2023 Mitcham premiership defender Daniel Houeix has signed.

Brayden Wright in the ruck for Ferntree Gully. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Gasparroni is set to return from a long lay-off with osteitis pubis – but the young gun has made his name in a high half-forward role exhibiting a great leap, mark and exceptional pace.

Clark said Church and Gasparroni would bolster the club’s emerging talent.

“They’re that 18, 19, 20-year-old (age) group – we haven’t had ‘19s for a couple of years so it really gives us some top-end quality coming through,” he said.

“Church has not only won a best and fairest at a young age, but he’s also trialling out at Casey at the moment. He’s got a big future.

“(Tom’s) had a year out … but leading into that, he was a 17-year-old playing a really good standard of senior footy.

“We’re expecting Tom to get back to enjoying his footy and get around some really good players and develop under that.”

The Hawks will also reap the benefits of Wright and Purdon playing regular senior footy for Ferntree Gully across the past two seasons.

Wright has won two reserves flags at the Hawks and played 90 senior matches in the brown and gold.

“They’ve played pretty much every game in the seniors in the last couple of years for Ferntree Gully, they’ve gone away, got more opportunity and have felt the time was right to come back and play at Boronia which adds more quality people and depth into our club,” Clark said.

And the injection of Houeix was set to lift an already-potent back six, which conceded just 757 points in Division 2 this season – almost 200 points less than the next-best, Croydon, with 949.

“He’s a really good ball-using defender – another good quality human we’ve got on our list who can play some really good football and used the ball well (in Division 1) which is what we’re looking for,” Clark said.

But the Hawks could be on the lookout for more signings.

“We’re looking at adding another inside mid to our list … and we’ll look to add maybe another quality forward,” Clark said.

The triple Hawks flag coach was confident the package of recruits would complement his side’s game style in the jump to Division 1, with most of the premiership list also re-signed.

EFNL 2024: Contested beast Mitch Mellis won a second consecutive Division 2 league medal in 2024. Picture: Field of View Photography

“We’re going to enhance what we currently do – I think we’re really good once we get the footy, but contested footy will still be a cornerstone of our game,” Clark said.

“But just adding that cleanness and class on the outside – Houeix, Church and those sorts of guys really use the ball well.

“We want to use the ball on the outside as clean as we can, but we’ve got a bit of pace in our game, and we think that’s going to be effective like (2024 Division 1 premier) Mitcham. Not saying we are Mitcham, but that style is pretty similar to what we play.

“We’re hoping that ball movement, pace on-ball and the way we’ve been playing will hold us in good stead.”