Football
10 June, 2026
Fenner thriving in fresh start
The Horsham District Football Netball League senior football competition has welcomed several talented players in the 2026 season, but none have quite brought the same impact through the first eight rounds as Laharum forward Jack Fenner.
The Demons recruit immediately demonstrated his talent with an eight-goal performance against Taylors Lake in round one.
His recent 10-goal haul against Natimuk United took his season tally to 39 goals, seven goals clear of Dylan Shelley as the highest goal kicker in the season to date.
Asked what it means to lead the competition in goals, Fenner was quick to thank the club and the team for allowing him to flourish in his role.
“It is good, but I wouldn’t be there without everyone else,” he said.
“Coming into a new club, you've got to find your feet and continuity, and it's been a seamless transition for me.
“Robbie (Miller) and the likes of Hamish Roberts and Shan Argall, obviously Hamish being the ex-president, they've built something that can allow me to come in and flourish and play to my strengths.
“Everyone on the field's doing their job, so I'm just getting a return on investment from all the hard work everybody else is doing.
“I've probably even left a few out there.
“Kicking 10 last weekend is obviously a great day out, but at the end of the day, you don't kick 10 unless your teammates are winning the ball up the ground.”
Based in Melbourne, Fenner said the decision to play for Laharum this year had been a long time coming.
“I was at PEGS (Penleigh and Essendon Grammarians Football Club) for the last four years,” he said.
“Having been a PEGS boy, and with my best mate’s dad as the coach, I always wanted to give back and help promote the club back into premier footy in the VAFA (Victorian Amateur Football Association), which we did.
“But I’m a bit older now, and I felt the time was right for a change.
“Marcus Demaria, who previously coached Laharum, tried to get me over years ago, and then Hamish and Glenn Doyle tried, but after a couple of unsuccessful years, I wanted to see a bit of a change before I jumped ship, which I was transparent with them about.
“I almost came over in 2025, but I had already recommitted to PEGS, so then we reconvened in October, and they just said, 'What's it going to take?’.
“I said, ‘Well, we need to be competitive; I've got a friend in Pat (MacDonough) who's playing in Dimboola’.
“We were able to get him across the line, and ever since then, it's just been a full investment from me.
The forward insisted that the transition has only been enhanced by the club's welcoming nature.
“I can't speak highly enough of the people involved, like Vanessa (Lenehan) as the president, Robbie, Hamish, Shan, all the boys," Fenner said.
“It's just such a family-oriented and special club.
“I did hear about it and see glimpses of it when I was on the outside looking in, but now being a part of it, it's just been a great move.
“I'm playing probably the best footy I've played in a few years, and it’s been a clean, fresh slate for me that has just been amazing."
Having played at various positions in his younger years, the 32-year-old believes a greater emphasis on strength training, complementing his tall, athletic frame, has elevated his game in recent years.
Asked about his prowess up forward, Fenner identifies his marking ability as his greatest asset.
“My contested marking probably separates me from a few,” he said.
“I don't mind a one-on-one or a two-on-one battle; I take it pretty personally.
“Because I have red hair, I can fire up a little bit sometimes, but I've always been very competitive.
“I pride myself on my ability to mark and get goals at critical times.”
The league-leading goalkicker hopes to continue his strong start to the season, but admits the primary goal is team success, believing the side has the potential to go all the way.
“Whenever I get the opportunity, I want to put it between the big sticks as often and as frequently as I can,” Fenner said.
“If I kick eight and we win, that's great; If I kick three and we win, then that's even better; it means we've got a better spread.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on it, but I think we have got the cattle to go all the way.
“And I don't think we've even fully clicked yet. It clicked for parts of the game against Harrow Balmoral, and the recent game against Natimuk shows that we are starting to come along."