Fitzroy Stars confident of building back stronger after relegation to NFL Division 3

Despite a winless season and relegation to NFL Division 3 for the first time in club history, Fitzroy Stars is confident is can bounce back quickly.

Fitzroy Stars is confident its young list can bounce back quickly in NFL Division 3 next year.

The Stars claimed the dreaded wooden spoon in Division 2 this season with a winless season, earning relegation to the bottom tier for the first time in club history.

It’s been a difficult two years for the club following COVID, with just one win in 30 matches.

The Stars hope they can keep its playing list together and use the drop to build a stronger club.

CEO Troy Austin said the club was under no illusions Division 3 would be easy.

Taj Proctor in action for Fitzroy Stars. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“The first priority will be keeping the side together and that will ensure we have an opportunity to bounce back into second division,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to next season, we’ve already started to look at what that looks like.

“Third division certainly won’t be a cake walk, we know there’s some good sides there.

“We played Mernda in a practice match earlier in the year and that was a closely fought game and Mernda was middle of the table.”

“We were close in games, we just couldn’t convert, and if you look at the scoreboard it doesn’t always reflect how competitive we were.

“We had a young side and we’re looking forward to another year under their belts and we’re looking for a couple of big guys – we were pretty small compared to some teams.”

Fitzroy Stars used a staggering 54 players this season with only four players – captain James Dau, Brandon Rich, Kyle Thomas and Riley Livingstone – playing all 18 games.

Like a lot of clubs, injuries and illness hit hard, stretching the club’s depth to breaking point, forced to forfeit one reserve grade game.

Coach Lionel Proctor came out of retirement to play 11 games, while key player Nathan Lovett-Murray was restricted to 12 appearances.

Austin said the Stars’ young core helped save the club from more forfeits and tougher losses.

Fitzroy Stars’ Ashley Hood was one of the clubs’ best performers. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“We were on track for an under-19s team for 2020 but with COVID hitting they had to step up in 2021 and become our reserves because we lost a lot of players and volunteers,” he said.

“Those young blokes got us through the season in the seniors, we had one forfeit unfortunately but the club was determined that only happened the once.”

Livingstone continued his outstanding form in a struggling team this season, earning 16 mentions in the best and booting a club-high 26 goals.

Hotak Akram, Ash Hood, Aaron Lynn and Rich battled bravely against the tide.

Proctor is expected to lead the club again in 2023 with negotiations ongoing.

“We’re in talks with Jacko, both the club and Jacko are keen to make that happen,” Austin said.

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“His first two seasons coming out of playing – he actually had to play again for us and did pretty well, getting amongst the best – have been pretty tough with last year interrupted as well.

“We’ve got David Nelson, who’s a very good assistant, and does a lot of the training and is involved in a multicultural All-Stars game as well.”

While the Northern Football League season is over for Fitzroy, football carries on.

The Stars will compete in an Aboriginal football carnival in October, on October 8-9 in Keysborough for the men’s team and in Bendigo on October 22-23 for the women’s.