By Christopher Kourtis.
Coming off a strong 2024 season, Park Orchards are ready to go again. Their senior men’s side will look to go a step further and lift the cup, while the senior women’s side prepares for their first ever season in the Premier Division.
After coming agonisingly close to premiership glory and promotion in 2024, the Park Orchards senior men’s side will look to right their wrongs in 2025.
The Sharks ended the home-and-away season with only one loss before bowing out of the Grand Final to a strong Mitcham side. Despite the heartbreak of 2024, head coach Paris Harvie is looking forward to the season ahead.
“Obviously, you want natural progression as a whole club,” said Harvie.
“We know that there are challenges ahead of us again in Division One… we need to improve in a lot of areas.”
The Sharks have retained their strong core of players over the off-season, including 2024 Team of the Year players Mclaren Spiteri, Kane Keppel and Michael Prosenak. Among this core are many of Park Orchards’ homegrown talents, says Harvie.
“We’re a very homegrown club,” said Harvie. “We really like to give opportunities to our kids.
“If there’s a spot that we can’t fill then obviously we’ll look elsewhere.”
Head coach Harvie has done just that – among those calling Domeney Reserve home next season is former VFL champion and five-time Best and Fairest winner Tom Wilson, alongside former AFL- and VFL-listed James Parsons.
Despite the strength of their list, Park Orchards are not taking Division One lightly in 2025.
“To think that we are just going to turn up and be a ready-made finals team – it’s not going to happen that way,” said Harvie.
“We are going to challenge, and there’s a lot of teams that are going to challenge us.”
The Sharks will open their account at Belgrave South Recreation Reserve, taking on South Belgrave in Round 1. Park Orchards won both meetings last season.
Premiers in 2024, the Park Orchards senior women’s team are now the new kids on the block.
Storming through the finals series after a third-place finish, the Sharks have earned themselves promotion into the top flight.
In his first year as senior coach, Dave Boell will take 2025 one step at a time.
“We just want to set ourselves [the goal] that we are competitive,” said Boell. “We’re not pre-guessing a win-to-loss ratio."
Boell is looking to add his touches to what has brought this side success in the past – according to the senior coach, it’s what is needed.
“I’d say we’re actually going to change our style significantly, given that we are jumping up a class,” said Boell.
“We need to change some of what we do in order to be competitive at that level."
Plenty of Park Orchards players are up for the challenge of a new division, with the side boasting “very healthy” numbers for the season ahead.
Among those who have committed to another year are Division One Team of the Year talents Remy Archer, Molly Heymanson, Jade Hutchinson and Jorja Livingstone. Joining them for another season is club Best and Fairest winner Kristen Bertoldi and leading goal kicker Elly Hartnett.
Park Orchards will make their Premier Division debut against The Basin in Round One at Batterham Reserve.
