The fate of Fairpark’s season came down to the last round of the season where the Lions avoided double relegation with an 11-point win over Scoresby.
Fairpark
Ladder Position: 7th (5-11, 61.48%)
Best and Fairest: Kyle Hird
Leading Goalkicker: Ben Gilling (23)
Summary:
It was the great escape for the Lions in 2022, avoiding the double relegation with some gutsy performances at the two bookends of their season.
Without a lot of expectation behind them at the start of the season, the pressure was somewhat off the club with many expecting the club to drop with Division Three’s double relegation. The Lions however got off to a great start with two wins in the first two rounds, both by six points or less against the highly fancied Ferntree Gully and Glen Waverley.
The wins did begin to dry up after their breakout start to the year. However, comparing the club’s performances to the year prior, it’s easy to notice the improvement of the group. The issue was just having that consistent form over all four quarters.
With three games to go, the club was facing potential relegation but Fairpark pulled off a great upset at home against Whitehorse, storming home from behind at three-quarter time. Their season all came down to a head-to-head battle to avoid the bottom two when they clashed with Scoresby in the final round. It was a game of momentum with who could make the most of the breeze when they were kicking with it. After Scoresby led by three points at halftime, a four-goal to zip third term gave them a 22-point lead. It proved to be a match-winning margin with the Lions holding off the Magpies in the final quarter to guarantee that they would be playing in Division Three in 2023.
With what he was able to achieve this season with the current group, Sean Stanton was named Coach of the 2022 EFNL Division Three Team of the Year.
Key Players:
Kyle Hird and Mitch Nied were arguably the Lions two most important players for the season, both finishing one and two in the club’s best and fairest.
Young Mason Byrne had a breakout season for the club, taking his game to a new level, versatile enough to play in several positions.
With 23 goals for the season, Ben Gilling was very important in key wins for the club including a bag of four goals in the win over Whitehorse and three goals in the club’s last game of the year against Scoresby. The ex-Mulgrave senior player has made for a fantastic option up forward for Fairpark.
Standing tall all year, James Waldon’s defensive efforts earned him a spot at Full Back in the Division Three Team of the Year.
Best Win: Round 1 – Fairpark 11.9 75 def. Ferntree Gully 11.8 74 @Wally Tew Reserve
The perfect way to start the season after a tough year on the field in 2021. The Lions took on the Eagles under lights at Wally Tew Reserve. Coming into the season, many expected Ferntree Gully to be one of the premiership contenders. The home side jumped out to an early lead but Fairpark was able to keep them to just two goals in the second and third quarters before holding off a late Ferntree Gully push to win by one point.
2022 best and fairest winner Kyle Hird led the way with a best-on-ground performance while Ben Gilling kicked three of the side’s eleven goals for the night.
Off-Season Focus:
The club have been on the front foot early, recruiting a few key players to add a bit more experience to a relatively young list. Fairpark recently announced Josh Allison as a playing assistant coach for the 2023 season. A strong inside midfielder who was a part of the historic premiership at South Croydon in 2017, Allison adds just as much off the field as he does on the field. Also re-joining the Lions is Jason Want, a former captain and best and fairest winner who again will bring some more much needed experience to the list.
Overall, it’s still a young group so the club have made some great decisions this off-season already. The development of their youth will be vital going forward. They’ve shown glimpses of what they can do but once the side can put together some more consistent four-quarter games, they’ll start to close the gap on the clubs above them.
Fairpark Women’s
Ladder Position: 7th (1-11, 26.47%)
Best and Fairest: Bianca Firth
Leading Goalkicker: Sarah Birthisel (8)
Summary:
The Fairpark Senior Women’s took the field in Division Three of the Deakin University Senior Women’s competition this year. Despite challenging in multiple games throughout the season, the side finished with just one win, a 56-point belting of Mooroolbark. Unfortunately for the club, they weren’t able to pinch a second win and would finish seventh on the ladder.
Key Players:
Winning the club’s best and fairest was Bianca Firth, just a vote ahead of Kahlia Sommers. Rounding up the top five in the Fairpark B&F count was Tahlia Zaloumis, Annie Egan and Larissa Thomas.
Leading the side’s goal-kicking this year was Sarah Birthisel with eight goals for the season, consistently kicking at least one goal in seven matches.
Best Win: Round 2 – Fairpark 8.8 56 def. Mooroolbark 0.0.0 @Heights Reserve
A great win for the club at the start of the season against the Mustangs away from home. They controlled the game right from the first bounce, putting up what would be their highest score of the season while keeping Mooroolbark scoreless.
Nicole Crivellaro and Rachel Harriage starred with three goals each while Larissa Thomas was named best on ground for the Lions.
Off-Season Focus:
Still, plenty of positives to look at from the year, focusing on the growth and development of their players. That will be key to continuing to improve the side’s skills ahead of the 2023 season and hopefully able to add some extra wins on the board.
Fairpark Juniors
The Fairpark Junior club had another solid season in 2022. The club continues to grow, adding another team while their strong junior Auskick program hosted a successful EFNL 7s series at Lewis Park in August. The series had great representation and was a big tick for the club. Fairpark will be looking to continue this growth into the 2023 season.
