Fitzroy Stars sign VFL-listed key forward for rest of 2023 NFNL season

While he might not play a game, Fitzroy Stars has secured a significant coup, signing a VFL excitement machine for the rest of the 2023 season.

A VFL-listed key forward is trading West Preston-Lakeside for Fitzroy Stars.

In a major coup, Box Hill star Jaylon Thorpe has aligned with the Stars for the rest of the 2023 season.

While Thorpe is expected to only make limited appearances due to his state league duties, it is nevertheless a major boost to the NFNL Division 3 club.

The high-flying tall is leading the Hawks goalkicking and running seventh in the VFL with 22 majors in eight appearances.

Stars coach Lionel Proctor revealed a family link and said just having him around the group would be a benefit.

Jaylon Thorpe with a wet weather speccy!@BoxHillHawks#VFLpic.twitter.com/Vq2V56v2Pa

— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 16, 2023

“Jaylon is someone we’ve been talking to for a couple of years, he’s my younger cousin,” Proctor said.

“He’s family with a lot of fellas down at the club and being my little cousin I’ve been in his ear a little bit.

“We know we might not get any games out of him, Box Hill have a bye coming up but that will depend on how his body is travelling.

“It will be good to just have him around, he’s been to a few of our games when he has the chance and just having him around the boys get a lift out of it.

“We’ll try to pick his brain about footy, he’s an excitement machine on the ground and it creates a bit of excitement for our fellas, so if we can get a couple of games out of him it will be a bonus.”

Thorpe has kicked 22.11 this season and averages 10 disposals and 4.5 marks a game.

He has bags of four goals against Geelong and Coburg and booted three against Sydney, Collingwood, Northern Bullants and Southport.

After a 39-point win over last year’s grand finalist Southport, the Hawks sit fourth on the VFL ladder.

Jaylon Thorpe in action for Box Hill. Picture: Jordan Oliva

Box Hill’s last bye of the season comes in Round 20, which coincides with Fitzroy Stars home match against Reservoir.

“We’d love to see him in our jumper, he plays with us every year in the football carnival we play, but I’d love to get him in for a couple of regular home-and-away games,” Proctor said.

The Stars face a potentially season-defining match this weekend when they host Heidelberg West.

However, the match has been moved to RMIT Bundoora due to the condition of Sir Doug Nicholls Oval.

The two teams sit fifth and sixth respectively and a loss could see one fall two games back in the race for the top-four.

The Hawks claimed a 25-point win in Round 2 but Proctor is confident his team can reverse the result.

“That’s the challenge to start beating the sides above us,” he said.

DIV 2: HONEST THOMMO COACH “WE’VE UNDER-PERFORMED”

LEADER: GET YOUR NORTHERN FOOTY NEWS HERE

DIV 3: PRECIOUS WIN AMONG BIG POSITIVES FOR LALOR

“It’s a big one for us, we played them in Round 2 on a Friday night and they’re coming off the bye.

“We were a chance to win that game, so we’ll be confident.”

The Stars scrapped past Lalor on Saturday to keep their finals hopes alive, winning by just three points despite having 13 more scoring shots – kicking 7.18.

Kain Thomas and Jai Burns both kicked two goals, while Steele Timms was named best-on-ground in his second senior game of the season.