Fitzroy coach Luke Mahoney reflects on journey to VAFA top flight

While he wasn’t able to finish with a premiership, departing Fitzroy coach Luke Mahoney is “really satisfied” with the club’s rise to VAFA Premier Division for the first time.

Fitzroy will play VAFA Premier for first time. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Fitzroy will embark on a maiden Premier Division campaign next season after a rapid rise through the VAFA ranks.

Coach Luke Mahoney departs having taken the Lions from Premier C in 2018 to the top flight in four full seasons.

While Saturday’s Premier B grand final defeat to St Bernard’s was a disappointing finish to the season there was no hiding Mahoney’s pride in his club.

“That was certainly the goal, to keep progressing on last year,” Mahoney said.

“We lost the semi-final by a kick to Haileybury, who won the grand final, so this year was all about improving and to make the grand final and go to A-Grade for the first time in club history is a great achievement.”

Ted Clayton celebrates a goal for Fitzroy. Picture: Josh Chadwick

“The plan when I joined was always to try and get the club to A-Grade, we had the interrupted year-and-a-half with COVID, and then to be able to achieve C to B to A is really satisfying.

“I’m really proud of the time, I really enjoyed the club and I’ll certainly miss coaching down there.”

In its first season in Premier B in 2019, Fitzroy avoided relegation in a nerve-wracking final day – defeating Beaumaris to jump from ninth to seventh and safety.

When local footy returned fully in 2022, the Lions responded, charging up the ladder to play finals at the level for the first time.

The club stepped up again this season, winning 12 games to finish second on percentage and knocking off old foes Beaumaris again in the preliminary final to clinch promotion.

Donovan Toohey, Ted Clayton, Harrison Grace, Charlie Faubel, Max Ellis, Rhys Seakins and Jack McKay are all high-quality talents that have excelled this season.

Mahoney believes, if combined with some astute recruiting, the club has the core to be successful in Premier Division.

“They’ve definitely got a great group of young talent on the list,” he said.

Fitzroy defeated Beaumaris in the preliminary final. Picture: Josh Chadwick

“The jump from B to A is a big one but the aim should be to stay up, which is not easy, so they’ll need half-a-dozen senior players to be competitive.

“It’s a great opportunity, A-Grade is obviously an attractive destination.

“Myself, trying to recruit over the last few years, it’s always been one thing that’s gone against us when having discussions with certain players so they can’t use that as an excuse anymore.”

The Roys were gallant in the grand final but weren’t able to send Mahoney out a winner.

St Bernard’s completed an undefeated premiership season with a 31-point victory.

Fitzroy started brightly but ran out of steam after half-time.

“We started the game really well, we came into quarter-time 23 points up and our pressure was threw the roof,” Mahoney said.

“We put St Bernard’s on the back foot early but maybe a couple of opportunities we should have got, 4.6 could have easily been 6.4.

“The third quarter was a bit of a dour affair and we had the same amount of scoring shots but went in 10 points down.

“The breeze did drop off in the second half but we missed a couple of shots you’d hope you’d kick.

PREM B: HOW ST BERNARD’S IMMEDIATELY BOUNCED BACK

LEADER: GET YOUR AMATEUR FOOTY NEWS HERE

PREM A: FERGY MASTERCLASS ENDS COLLEGIANS DROUGHT

“The game finished really quickly in the last quarter when they kicked three in the first three minutes.

“That’s certainly how St Bernard’s have got us in the past, they have an ability to score really quickly and we did well to hold them off until the last quarter.”

Nathan Ligris was the Lions’ best in defeat, while Ellis, Toohey, Clayton, Laird Ramshaw and Harry Tauber were also strong contributors.

Fitzroy will look to replicate Uni Blacks and cement their place in Premier Division after losing the grand final the year before.