The Lions were roaring in season 2022 as the club won it’s first ever Premier Division final with a 63-point win over the Tigers.
By Ryan Long.
Doncaster East
Ladder Position: 5th (11-6-1, 130.53%)
Best and Fairest: Zac Clarke
Leading goalkicker: Sam Rowe (44)
Summary:
Big season for Doncaster East, winning their first ever Premier Division Final.
Despite getting over the line in only a couple of games in their first season at the Premier Division level last year, the Lions were a far better side than the ladder suggested with multiple close losses.
This year, they proved their best was good enough, they defeated South Croydon by 55 points in Round 4, defeated Noble Park by 41 points in Round 5 and even knocked off Minor Premiers Rowville by six points in Round 13.
Despite some very strong performances across the year, three losses to finish the home and away season saw the Lions slip to fifth place.
It meant they would face off against Balwyn in the first week of the finals. In a second-half belting, the Lions went on to win their first-ever finals match in the EFNL Premier Division. A week later, they met South Croydon in a Semi-Final, falling fourteen points short.
Key Players:
With a star-studded list, Doncaster East had six Lions feature in the EFNL Premier Division Team of the Year for 2022, Simon White, Chris Phelan, Jack Sholakis, Sam Rowe, Zac Clarke and James Appleby.
Clarke had a phenomenal year, winning the club’s best and fairest, averaging 48 hit outs per game.
Simon White was the general down back, averaging three intercept marks per game to go along with six rebound 50s.
Up forward, Sam Rowe kicked 44 goals and was well-assisted by the likes of Sholakis, Phelen and Scala who all contributed nicely to the scoreboard.
Best Win: Elimination Final – Doncaster East 18.15 123 def. Balwyn 9.6 60 @Central Reserve
Potentially not as great of a performance as the Rowville victory or the pummelling of Noble Park but this was by far their most significant win of 2022. A 63-point thumping of the Tigers was the club’s first finals win in Premier Division.
After getting out to an early lead, Balwyn worked their way back into the match to be just one point behind at the main break. However, the Lions broke the game open in the second half, kicking 11 goals to two to set up a massive win.
Chris Phelan was fantastic, with 34 disposals at 88% efficiency to go along nicely with his four goals. Gold, Rowe and Sholakis all finished with three goals each in a very dominant attacking display.
Off-Season Focus:
Although Doncaster East will have a couple of key players move on including best and fairest winner Zac Clarke, the Lions have once again done well on the recruitment front in the early stages of the off-season. Some of their biggest signings thus far have included Tom Bell, Luke Tynan, Lachlan Waddell and Taylin Duman.
They’ve had incredible success with ex-AFL players coming to the club over the last few years and it’s put the Lions in a fantastic position to make consecutive finals series appearances.