Fitzroy Stars confident of remaining a flag contender after grand final heartbreak
Three of Fitzroy Stars’ biggest weapons have already recommitted for 2025 and coach Lionel Proctor says the club will use its grand final heartbreak to fuel it in 2025.
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Let it burn.
That’s the mantra Fitzroy Stars coach Lionel Proctor says the club needs to take into pre-season after coming so close to a drought-breaking premiership.
The Stars fell 15 points short in Saturday’s NFNL Division 3 decider against Old Paradians.
It’s the club’s third grand final defeat in the last 11 years.
Proctor lamented a number of lapses in concentration in the second half of the match but couldn’t have been prouder of the season as a whole.
“We’ve got to let that result burn over pre-season,” Proctor said.
“We’ve got to come back bigger, stronger and fitter but the guys are really keen to stick together because we know we’re not far off.
“It was obviously a disappointing ending after such a promising year.
“I’m really proud of the lads, getting where we got to after a couple of tough years.
“We lost two games during the season and the ultimate one at the end, we weren’t able to get the job done, so well done to Old Paradians they took a lot of our game away.
“We fell down defensively throughout the day, a bit of ill-discipline and kicking seven points in a row doesn’t help in the last quarter.”
Not even an eight-goal masterclass from VFL-listed forward Patrick Farrant could lift the Stars to victory.
Trailing by 21 points at three-quarter-time, Fitzroy had the wind at its back in the final term and where within 12 points early but lost composure delivering inside attacking 50m.
It finished with a costly 2.7 in the final term, while Paradians booted 2.1.
Allan Norris was superb matched up against Sam Gilmore in the ruck and playing a kick behind the ball, while Neville Jetta, Farrant and James Trajkovski also stood tall.
Critically, Team of the Year trio Farrant, Jai Burns, Kain Proctor as well as forward Allan Williamson have all recommitted for 2025.
Proctor said there was a sense of determination not to let another opportunity slip.
“A lot of our guys were quick to recommit for next season, which is really good,” he said.
“Obviously the could see the direction we’re going, how exciting the year was and we’ll look to build on that as well.
“We’re probably lacking a couple of talls and we’ll work on that in the pre-season.”
For Proctor himself, he is weighing up his future.
The Northern league great said he would let the dust settle before deciding on his 2025 commitment as a coach and player.
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“I’m definitely going to be around but there’s some conversations to be had around that,” he said.
“We’ll sit down with the coaching staff and discuss that, so there should be a decision soon.
“(Playing wise), still working through that, I’m not sure.
“These young blokes don’t get any slower and I definitely have.
“I was caught out on the weekend with a bit of lack of speed and reaction time and I was really disappointed personally on grand final day.”
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