Local footy: Brendan Fevola signs on at Deer Park for 2021 WRFL season
AFL champion Brendan Fevola has made a decision on his local football future after he was set to take the field for Deer Park in 2020.
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One of the star attractions in community football will be back in the Western Region Football League in 2021.
Crowd-pleaser Brendan Fevola has recommitted to Division 1 powerhouse Deer Park for 2021 after he was set to return this year.
The former Carlton and Brisbane Lions gun has taken on a playing assistant coach role at the Lions, who have claimed the past seven premierships.
It will be Fevola’s second stint at Deer Park, with the forward booting 50 goals from 11 games for the club in 2016, including a bag of four in its grand final victory over Hoppers Crossing.
Fevola then spent two seasons in coaching roles at Melton South and took the field for Hastings in 2019.
“Brendan signed with the club last year anyway and I talked him into going around again,” new Deer Park coach Mark McGoldrick said.
“His ability is still going to still be a great asset to the team and we retain his profile, which will hopefully (attract) some young blokes to the club, which is the path we’re going to go down being a transition year. We’ll obviously use Brendan’s profile for that.
“He’s going to be 40 (in January) next year and realises his name and ability won’t just get him a game.
“I’m never going to say Brendan’s going to be the fittest bloke in the world, but he knows he’s got to get fitter to play. Apart from his talent, he’s always going to take a good backman.”
Three-time premiership captain Jack Purton-Smith has also been appointed a playing assistant.
McGoldrick said the star midfielder was a “critical” signing and could take over the top job in coming years.
“Jack’s been a great player at the club,” he said.
“Well-loved around the club, he’s a super-fit individual.
“He loves his footy, has aspirations to coach, so he just might be the bloke to take over from me once everything settles down at our club.”
Key senior players Jack Redpath, Scott Greenhough and James Wong have also re-signed, giving Deer Park enviable weapons in the attacking half.
The Lions will field a new-look line-up next season, with irreplaceable champions Kwame McHarg and Chris Stewart headlining the departures since the end of the 2019 campaign.
Jase Perkins, Jackson Barling, Max Bruin, Troy Kelm, Shaun Harrison, Shannon Byrnes, Daniel Cooper and Kevin Klix have also exited.
McGoldrick previously led the Lions from 1993-1996 before returning and holding the top job from 1999-2000.
“As a coach in a transition time, I’m prepared to take a couple of steps back and we’ll go and recruit young blokes,” he said.
“Then we can make our way back to where we’ve been.
“We know we’re going to have holes. We’re not going to have a lot of depth, and we understand that.
“But we’ll still be competitive. Sides will have to come to John McLeod Oval and earn their wins.
“But we’re under no illusions … we hope it will be a quick road back but we’ve just got to be very selective with the way we go about it. We’ve got to bring some young people into the footy club.”
The Deer Park Club, Cleanaway and Orica have committed to sponsor the Lions again in 2021 in a boost amid the coronavirus crisis.
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