Dollies hit the Deck

Story by Simon McEvoy
From Frankston Standard Leader

FRANKSTON will ask the VFL to investigate incidents in Saturday’s game against Sandringham that left three Dolphins players in hospital with concussion.

Byron Barry, Clinton Proctor and Marcus Marigliani suffered head injuries.

Barry and Proctor were placed in neck braces and stretchered off.

Proctor was knocked unconscious in the final term after being slung to the ground in a ferocious tackle by St Kilda defender Matt Maguire. It was fair, but brutal.

Marigliani collapsed in the Frankston rooms after the game, the effect of a head injury taking its toll.

All three players were released from hospital on Saturday night.

It was a rugged “I Love Frankston Day”.

Barry and Proctor were worse affected, nursing strained ligaments and bruising around the neck.

“I’ve never known three head-high hits all in one match where you’ve had three guys hospitalised, it’s unusual,” Frankston manager Bryan Mace said.

“I’ve never struck that before.”

Mace said he would write to the league asking for it to review the video tape.

“It just seemed unusual that you get three neck injuries like that. Whether the tackling has been done a little bit differently I’m not too sure,” Mace said.

“I reckon in the AFL the tackling, in particularly at the St Kilda club, has gone up another level. And the handball has gone up too.

“So we’re going to have to pull our fingers out to keep up. Because the way were able to keep with AFL clubs was by tackling pretty hard and taking away their skills.

“We’re not a big team, we haven’t got a lot of heavy, big physical blokes.”

Frankston lost the game by 30 points, despite rushing to a 19-point lead after 10 minutes.

Sandringham stormed home, kicking the last seven goals of the game. The Dolphins were kept goalless in the last quarter.

Frankston coach Shannon Grant said his side’s tardy ball use proved costly.

“We had a crack, our intent was very good but we just butchered the footy,” he said.

“We turned it over when we had it. We turned it over too many times when we were under pressure.

“The way footy is played these days if you continue turning the footy over they are going to hurt you.”

Frankston has begun the season with two losses, but Grant remains positive.

“Look mate, they are doing so much right and they are a good bunch of blokes, you can never question their intent and the way they go about it,” he said.

Sandy full-forward Nick Sautner was kept quiet by Dolphins captain Shaun Pollard but broke free after half-time to kick 6.2.

Pollard, nonetheless, was one of Frankston’s best, along with Justin Berry (27 possessions), Matt Burns (28), Proctor (24), Daniel Keely (23), Neil Winteron (25) and Paul Kennedy (21).

The Dolphins host Casey Scorpions on Sunday.

RESULTS

Frankston 4.3, 6.3, 8.4, 8.6 (54) lt Sandringham 3.2, 5.4, 9.5, 13.6 (84).

Goals: Frankston: Dickson 2, Lourey 2, Corp, Proctor, Baguley, Murray 1.

Best: Frankston: Keely, Berry, Baguley, Pollard, Dickson, Shinners.

Reserves: Frankston 3.0, 5.3, 9.5, 16.5 (101) d Sandringham 4.4, 7.4, 10.4, 13.7 (85).

Frankston Standard player of the year awards:

Round 1 against Coburg Tigers: 3 Bret Dore, 2 Justin Berry, 1 Aaron, Murray.

Round 2: 3 Daniel Keely, 2 Justin Berry, 1 Mark Baguley.