From Herald Sun
Reported by Sam Landsberger
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FRANKSTON showed there may be light at the end of a dark tunnel stretching back three years and filled with batterings and embarrassments, when it destroyed insipid Coburg yesterday.
The Tigers, with their sloppy foot skills, made the Dolphins look like worldbeaters in handing the wooden-spooners a 67-point win at Frankston Park.
The last time the Dolphins, who entered on the back of 90-point and 87-point drubbings, got anywhere near a similar winning margin was against Tasmania in Round 8, 2008, when they won by 11 goals.
Yesterday was the first time Frankston had won all four quarters in Simon Goosey's 35 games in charge, with his only three victories remarkably all against Coburg.
Tigers coach Adam Potter slammed his side's workrate and attitude, declaring it their worse loss this year.
"Our guys didn't deliver," he said. "Coburg need to have a good look at where it is at as a footy club, because we've got a long way to go."
Potter said the Tigers had an unhealthy reliance on Richmond players.
Sam Power was the only positive, racking up 36 touches.
Goosey said the Dolphins now had Williamstown in their sights, keen for a win against a VFL powerhouse to close the season.
"They won't have a lot to play for, so we want to really take it up to them," he said. "I'm really proud for the boys because it's been a long year and the spirit around the place has been really good."
Goosey highlighted defender Mark Baguley as an AFL prospect after a 31-possession best-afield display.
Baguley also collected 14 marks and even kicked two goals. The 24-year-old is hot on Collingwood's radar and recently met Pies officials.
"He’s strengths are exactly like Hibbo (Essendon’s Michael Hibberd), he’s just such a competitor. You throw the ball there and you don’t want to get tackled by him,'' Goosey said.
Khan Haretuku kicked two goals and looked lively, while Russell Gabriel thrashed Andrew Browne in the ruck and gathered 27 touches.
The big man waltzed into an open goal in the final quarter before the Dolphins celebrated the win on the wing after the siren with their fans.
The Tigers' season reflects that of Richmond's. Stellar wins against finals-bound sides undone by poor losses against bottom-four clubs.
Frankston, which had to inject eight top-up players to its reserves side, slammed home seven goals before Coburg kicked a major.
Fourth place will be decided when Casey hosts Northern Bullants on Saturday, while Sandringham needs to belt Geelong by 10 goals and have Box Hill suffer a similar-sized loss to Port Melbourne to steal eighth place.
The Seagulls look set to host North Ballarat at Box Hill in a qualifying final, with Chirnside Park booked for WRFL finals.
FROM THE VFL
ST KILDA'S first-round pick Jamie Cripps made a stellar return for Sandringham's reserves yesterday, kicking 1.3 from 17 touches and laying six tackles.
CARLTON is toying with the idea of sending full-back Michael Jamison to play on Brendan Fevola in the VFL this week for extra match practice before finals.
COLLINGWOOD looks to have found a player in Paul Seedsman. The tall midfielder kicked three goals in the Pies' final VFL game for the year on Saturday.
MATTHEW Warnock looks destined to join Kyle Cheney and Brad Miller as outcasted Melbourne players after yet another best-on-ground display for affiliate Casey. Warnock finished second in Casey's best-and-fairest last year despite playing just six VFL games.