One training session, one game, eight goals.
Deer Park champion Kwame McHarg is set to keep EDFL defenders busy after marking his return to the Strathmore Community Premier Division club with a best-afield performance on Saturday.
McHarg is a local football great and was one of two players – along with Chris Stewart – to feature in all seven of the Lions' Western league premierships from 2013-2019.
He claimed the competition's highest individual honour, the Barry Priest Medal, in 2016 and is a two-time winner of the Herb Pascarl Medal for best player in the grand final. McHarg also won four best and fairests during Deer Park's flag run.
McHarg took the field for the first time in more than two years in Saturday's clash against Essendon Doutta Stars, spearheading the win with an eight-goal haul.
Lions coach Jamie Madigan has for several years witnessed McHarg's ability to routinely dismantle rivals as a damaging midfielder/forward.
But even he did not expect the heroics McHarg delivered on the weekend, which came despite the limited preparation of one Thursday night session.
"I've seen him play in seven premierships. Obviously I was involved in them as an assistant coach because Marc Bullen was playing coach, so I've known Kwame really well and nothing surprises me with Kwame, but that performance did," Madigan said.
"Just to be out of footy for two and a half years or whatever and then to play the way he did was phenomenal. I don't think many people could do that. I had a chat to him before the game and said, 'Mate, just go out there and have fun and enjoy it. Whatever you do is a bonus today.'
"But on the Thursday night, he really trained the house down and he didn't miss a beat. So I said to one of our other coaches, 'I reckon he's going to be OK today.'
"But we didn't expect him to do what he did, which was just put on a show. The supporters that hadn't seen him were just in awe, I suppose. After the game, I said that those of us that have been around for a long time at the footy club had had the privilege of seeing him, but there you go, you've got a bit of a glimpse of the Kwame show."
McHarg is living interstate and will not be available for Deer Park every week.
But he is a key addition as the club chases its first Premier Division finals appearance.
Madigan said his side was building a formidable attacking half, with former Gold Coast and Port Adelaide player Trent McKenzie and returning star forward Lachlan Smart, who both have 12 goals from four games this season, leading the way.
"He (McHarg) is living up in Sydney, but he's got family and all that down here. So when he's able to get down and visit, we'll see if we can get him in," Madigan said.
"We're not expecting him to kick eight every week and we're not basing our side around that at all. We'll keep to our structures and shape and the people we've been working on over the pre-season. But obviously with him down there, he's going to pose headaches for the opposition.
"But we want Trent McKenzie to stay down there as a deep tall forward. You've got absolutely exciting small crumbing forwards in the captain Spiros (Amarantidis) and obviously Lachlan Smart, who's been really good for us this year. (Mark) Galea, who's come back to us this year as well, has been our best every single week.
"So we've got a good mix of key talls and smalls and leg speed down there. I think if we get them all on the park at once, they'll pose a danger to opposition defences."
Another big-name signing, former Western Bulldog Lin Jong, has enjoyed an outstanding start to 2025 in the midfield and "exceeded all our expectations".
Williamstown-listed Luke Scicchitano has also impressed as he pushes for a VFL debut.
Deer Park is fielding a new-look line-up, with Tim Quick, Dion Hill, Zen Christofi, and Mitchell Antonello among the key off-season acquisitions.
The Lions are 2-2 after wins over Greenvale (68 points) and the Stars, while they dropped games to premiership favourites Keilor (138 points) and promoted Maribyrnong Park (29 points).
Madigan said he would have preferred to have one more win but pointed to the evenness of the top flight outside of Mick McGuane's Keilor.
"It's a new list, so it does take time. We're hopeful that the first half of the season we can consolidate and then really get some momentum in the back end of the season. Our aim is obviously to make finals," he said.
"We're hoping to play some more consistent footy as well because we've been up and down a bit. We'll have a good week, a bad week. Good sides don't do that, so we really want to consolidate some consistency."
Madigan said the Lions took several lessons from the opening-round loss to the Blues, who piled on 29 goals.
"As soon as you turn the footy over, it can go coast to coast with them if your defensive accountability isn't on," he said.
"And just that they're so skilful and their kicking efficiency when you turn it over, it's hard to get the footy back off them. When you've got (Corey) Ellis and (Josh) Honey and the likes of the midfield and their potent forward line, it's just hard to get the footy off them.
"And just to be more defensive when you don't have the football because some of the goals they got, we analysed the loss and we watched it and they went coast to coast on a few, which wasn't good enough for us to let them do that."
Deer Park finished two games outside the top five last season after claiming the Division One flag in its first EDFL campaign in 2023.
Madigan said the club was on the right track to be successful in the EDFL.
"Categorically we say we're in it not to be thereabouts. We've had a lot of success in the WRFL and it took us a while to get that and establish that," he said.
"I coached Deer Park to a premiership back in 2009 when they were in second division, and we were in second division for a long time.
"It takes a little while, but we're in it for the long haul. We're loving the move to the EDFL. It's great playing against the great clubs in Keilor, Strathmore, and Abers. I coached Abers for three years back in the late '90s, early 2000s. I said to the committee when we were umming and ahhing about do we go to the EDFL or do we not, I just put my hand up and said make it happen because it's a strong comp.
"It's a very good comp and we want to actually challenge ourselves now by being a long-term successful club in the EDFL."
