A slow start to the season cost the Sharks senior men’s side their spot in Premier Division for 2024, whilst the senior women’s team had another impressive year, making a Preliminary Final.
Senior Men’s
Ladder Position: 11th (5-13, 75.20%)
Best and Fairest: Matt Haythorne
Leading Goalkicker: Michael Prosenak (26 Goals)
Summary:
A mid-season run wasn’t enough for the Sharks to escape double relegation in 2023.
Park Orchards consolidated their position in Premier Division last year, winning enough games and staying competitive against most opposition teams.
This year, a slow start didn’t give them much hope of survival in the division. Nine losses to the start the year before they broke their drought with a 15-point win over Norwood.
It sparked a minor revival with Park Orchards winning four of the next five, including an eight-point game against South Croydon.
However, it wasn’t enough, the Sharks finishing eleventh, beaten out by South Croydon on percentage.
Key Players:
Matt Haythorne completed a great season with the Sharks by being awarded with the club’s best and fairest award. Haythorne didn’t miss a single game this season, one of just three Sharks players to do so.
He finished just ahead of Michael Prosenak who was the side’s leading goal kicker with 26 majors. A fantastic average of 20 disposals and 2 goals per game, leading the way, particularly in a couple of the side’s best wins.
Best Win: Round 14 – Park Orchards 13.8 86 def. Blackburn 8.11 59 @Morton Park
On a hot streak, the Sharks had won three of the last four games coming into their clash with the Burners at Morton Park.
The last time the two sides met, it was a 67-point win in favour of Blackburn. It was a much different game this time around with the Sharks kicking ten goals to five after Quarter Time.
Michael Prosenak was a clear standout, kicking three goals and having 23 disposals.
Off-Season Focus:
Dennis Armfield stepped down as senior coach of the group after five years with the club. Certainly, a big reason why the club was able to get to the Premier Division level in the first place, a fantastic servant for the Sharks.
Taking over as senior coach for the 2024 season is Paris Harvie, who’s had over twenty years of coaching experience and knows the league very well.
The side re-enters Division One, familiar with most sides in the division, having played against them just two years ago.
Difficult to judge at this point where they’ll fit in, North Ringwood proved to be very competitive this year, making a Semi-Final after being relegated from Premier Division last year.
Senior Women’s
Ladder Position: 3rd (11-3, 224.87%)
Best and Fairest: Kristen Bertoldi
Leading Goalkicker: Jorja Livingstone (23 Goals)
Summary:
Another great year for the Sharks senior women’s side, making the finals for the second year in a row.
Coming off a Grand Final appearance last season, Park Orchards quickly proved to be a threat for the flag again in 2023, winning eight of their first nine games to put themselves in a position for the double chance.
The two other biggest contenders for the flag were Boronia and The Basin, entering Division One after a year in Premier B. Although the Sharks couldn’t take down the Bears, they made a statement win in Round Seven when they knocked off the Hawks by 15 points.
Park Orchards defeated all five sides outside of the top three twice and finished with 11 wins for the season, third place on the Division One ladder.
Their finals series started with a Semi-Final victory over North Ringwood at Silvan Recreation Reserve. The game saw multiple momentum shifts but the Sharks opened the game up late for a 17-point win, Elly Hartnett starring with four goals.
The win set up an intriguing Preliminary Final match-up against Boronia at H.E Parker Reserve. Keeping the number one attacking side of the division to just three goals, the Sharks remained in touch all afternoon, leading for the entire first half. But inevitably, they came up just five points short of the eventual premiers.
Key Players:
Kristen Bertoldi had a phenomenal year at the club, winning the club’s best and fairest in 2023. She played a big role in the side’s success this year, also best on ground on three occasions in the space of four weeks.
Jorja Livingstone was another clear standout, the side’s leading goal kicker in 2023 with 23 goals, frequently in the best each week. She made the Team of the Year for Division One, alongside Bertoldi and Alannah Boell.
Boell finished as the runner-up in the club’s best and fairest, also starring with 18 goals, not missing a single game.
Best Win: Round Seven – Park Orchards 8.8 56 def. Boronia Brown 5.11 41 @Domeney Reserve
In one of the most impressive wins of the season, the Sharks took down the eventual premiers, leading from the first bounce.
A quick start resulting in three goals to one set the tone early before the Sharks extended their lead in the second and third quarters.
In the 15-point Park Orchards win, the goals were well spread out with seven players hitting the scoreboard, Jorja Livingstone the only multiple goal scorer with two.
Kristen Betoldi was listed as best on ground, one of her three best on-ground performances in the space of just a month.
Off-Season Focus:
A really strong side that has plenty of depth to it. The stars of the side that made this year’s Team of the Year are some of the best players in the division, but the Sharks also have a ton of players who play their role week in and week out which has kept Park Orchards as a premiership contender in the division.
Must watch side in 2024, if there’s a team that’s ready to take the next step towards a premiership, then it’s Park Orchards.
Netball
The club successfully put together three teams to compete in this year’s Bendigo Bank Netball series.
In Division Four, Park Orchards Black narrowly missed out on a finals birth, finishing fifth. They came home with flying colours, winning four of their last six games, their two losses decided by a single point each.
Gabby Linton was fantastic, winning the side’s best and fairest award, while Rhylee Farrell scored 211 goals for the season.
Making the finals this year was Park Orchards Red, also winning 11 games for the season. Their finals series started with an upset win over third-place Balwyn, running away with a big 15-point win. They almost pulled off another surprise win against ladder leader Silvan in the Preliminary Final, leading at halftime. They fell just two points short despite a big performance from Jessica Black with 32 goals.
Rachel Harnetty celebrated a great season by winning the side’s best and fairest award.
Park Orchards White managed five wins and a draw in Division Six, once again finishing strong with three wins in a row to close out the year. Sienna Bett was crowned best and fairest for the team.
