EFNL 2025: Crucial month awaits Oakleigh District, coach Blake Pearson declares

It may well have thrown its season a lifeline on Saturday – but the next few weeks could be make or break for Eastern Division 3 outfit Oakleigh District, as the coach weighs in.

Oakleigh District playing-coach Blake Pearson says the next few weeks are crucial.

It may well have saved its season on Saturday – for now.

Oakleigh District’s 9.12 (66) to 6.13 (49) victory over Ferntree Gully in Eastern’s Division 3 lifted it to a 2-5 record, setting up a crucial month according to senior playing-coach Blake Pearson.

The Oaks – who sit eighth – face Fairpark (10th), The Basin (fifth) and Silvan (sixth) as they look to right their campaign.

“We’ve been in most games this year and we’ve been playing some really good patches of football, but it’s been 15 or 20 minutes within games that have cost us,” Pearson said.

“We’ve identified that the next two or three weeks are really important for our season, just to kickstart things if we’re willing to compete.

“If we can get back to 5-5, then we really do get our season back on track.”

While the song has only been sung twice, Pearson highlighted full-back Rahim Lahmidi as the standout so far, quelling some of the competition’s best forwards.

“He kept Darcy Fritsch goalless when we played Coldstream and then on the weekend, he kept Elliot Triegaardt to zero goals, and I think he was maybe third or fourth on the goalkicking,” Pearson said.

“He’s really simplified his game, his intercept marking has been really good and he’s been really solid down back.”

And the weekend’s display from Conor Morgan earned plenty of praise for his job on ex-AFL man Jaidyn Stephenson.

“He’s (Morgan) usually a defender, and he’s probably of a similar build to Stephenson in terms of running power, he’s got some speed as well and he’s just someone where if you give him a job, he’ll go out and do it to the best of his ability,” Pearson said.

“When Stephenson went down forward, he was able to stop him there as well.”

While Pearson lamented his club’s long injury list, Ben Hunt, Marc Meachen and Hamish Heath were among the regular starters set to return in the coming weeks.

“We’ll certainly get some guys back over the next three or four weeks – once we get through the halfway mark of the season we should start to get our best team back on the park,” Pearson said.

Dane Swan, pictured playing for Cutters in the AFL Cairns comp earlier this year, will lace up for the Oaks on June 14. Picture: Brendan Radke

The Oaks are also set to benefit from a cameo appearance from ex-AFL star Dane Swan on June 14 against Silvan at Princes Highway Reserve.

“We’ll wear our heritage jumper as well, which is, as it turns out, is Collingwood colours with the stripes,” Pearson said.

“Collingwood have a bye that day as well, so we’re hoping we’ll have a big crowd.”