The Basin jumps into EFNL top-five with big win over Ferntree Gully

Some might have thought The Basin “weren’t going to be very good” but the Bears are eyeing a finals place. Coach Joel Perry opens up on improving the side and the challenges ahead.

Connor Edwards in action for The Basin in the Eastern Football League (EFL). Picture: Davis Harrigan

Football can be a funny game — just ask The Basin and coach Joel Perry.

On the weekend, they claimed an 86-point win over Ferntree Gully to leap into the EFNL Division 3 top-five.

The last time the Bears played the same opposition, they themselves were held to one goal.

It’s an example of the inconsistencies Perry has been looking to iron out throughout the 2025 season, a year after the club was relegated without a win.

“We haven’t won two straight since rounds 2 and 3,” Perry said.

“Like some of the other teams in the division, we’ve been good at home and then struggled in some away games. Coming down, a few people might have thought we weren’t going to be very good.

“But we were always quietly confident in the group we had. We’ve got a lot of young guys who we wanted to get some games into and we’ve been able to do that.”

The Basin sit one game clear and percentage of Silvan in the race for the last finals spot with games against Fairpark, Knox and Oakleigh District to come to close out the home-and-away season.

They’ll start as favourites in the first and last of that trio based on ladder position but Perry knows his side can’t take anything for granted.

“The aim was to always get better and if we played finals, it was a bonus,” he said.

“We’re not there yet but it’s important we keep on task in the next few weeks. What I have been focusing on is trying to give the boys the tools to continue improving themselves.

“Trying to keep the environment positive especially off the field is so important for what we’re trying to do.”

The Bears could be two games clear in the top-five by the end of next weekend if results go as expected with Silvan taking on second placed Scoresby.

“Before the clearance deadline, Fairpark got some quality guys in and we won’t be taking them lightly,” Perry said.

“Bryce Galvin has come across from Bayswater and he’s someone we’ll need to put some work into inside their forward line.

“It’s important we keep the finger on the pulse and keep working on the areas we’ve been aiming to improve in.”