By Michael Esposito
DEER Park’s mission to play Division 1 footy next year could not be going any better.
Granted, it’s early days, but with an average winning margin of 129 in its first five games, the Lions have announced themselves as the most damaging team in the Division 2 competition, and the early favourites to take the flag.
Lions president Mark McGoldrick said the plan was for Deer Park to be in the top flight by 2013 at the latest, but next year was the ideal scenario.
“If we’re not quite good enough we’ll make sure over the summer months that we fix the weaknesses.”
Deer Park had the opportunity to move up to Division 1 after winning the 2009 grand final, but opted to stay back. It meant West Footscray, which was on the receiving end of regular thumpings in the top division, was denied the opportunity to play in the more suitable Division 2 competition.
But McGoldrick said Deer Park was far from ready to step up. The Lions defeated Parkside by 21 points in the grand final, but were not the best team throughout the season.
“The important thing was that when we did win that premiership we didn’t have under-18s at the time, but we had a full group of under-16s down, and our seconds were hardly competitive.”
“Just because we were the best team for two hours on that Sunday afternoon didn’t warrant us being an A Grade club,” McGoldrick said. Our five-year plan was based on our juniors coming through the grades.”
This season the seconds are sitting on top and the under-18s have only lost one game.
Undoubtedly a major part of Deer Park’s early success this year has been a result of star recruit James Condos, who has bagged 52 goals in five games.
Condos, a former Werribee footballer who was rookie listed by the Western Bulldogs in 2003, has come on as co-coach with his father Nick and has thrilled crowds with his complete dominance of the competition.
The full-forward said McGoldrick was relentless in his pursuit of his signature.
“Mark head-hunted me halfway through last year and I wasn’t interested at the start but after a couple of calls and a couple of meetings I was happy to take the job on board with my father,” Condos said.
“The main objective was to coach with my father and it was a good opportunity, they had a good list and obviously I could attract a few players which I have, and the recruiting side of things has been pretty good.”
The decision to have a bench and playing coach looks to have been a good one.
“Come game day I pretty much worry about playing and forward structures, and they pretty much take care of the rest,” Condos said.
The 28-year-old has drawn from his experiences playing at a higher level to instil a new level of professionalism into the players.
He has also used his VFL, EDFL and Bendigo league contacts to recruit like-minded players who won’t take any short cuts in their quest for success. These players include Leigh Cook, Nigel Hill, Dean Stankovic, Robert Trajkovski and Christian Day.
“The boys who have jumped on board have all played a higher standard of footy and … we haven’t gone in with a Division 2 mentality,” Condos said.
“From all the experience we’ve brought into the club we’re trying to stamp that authority on the boys, which we have over pre-season, so as soon as the boys adapt to that I’m sure that it will be better long term for the football club, players development, juniors, throughout the whole club.”
McGoldrick said the inclusion Condos, and the senior side’s blistering form, had led to the surge in spectators this year.
Deer Park will take on Albanvale in a top-of-the-table clash this Saturday.
