From Saturday Age
Reported by Brent Diamond
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VFL cellar-dweller Frankston are on track to lose more than $1 million of revenue amid their first winless season, with their future in the competition now on tenterhooks.
After enduring a mass exodus of players and a change of coach at the end of last season, Dolphins general manager Simon Green predicts a million-dollar deficit — given the loss of gate takings and after-match functions — due to construction of a two-storey function centre mid-way through last year that is expected to be completed for next season.
"We've taken a massive hit because the construction site has taken up most of the car park, which has meant less patrons have come to games," Green said.
When up and running, the club are hopeful the $3.4 million facility will help them survive in the long-term as they reach out to AFL Victoria for financial assistance during the short-term pain.
While the club move forward from a controversial decision that left former coach Simon Goosey reapplying for his own role and informally sacked, Goosey said on Thursday that he was hopeful the Dolphins could get back on track after he had taken the club close to finals footy. "If you only consider how many games we had lost by close margins last year," Goosey said on a missed opportunity for September action.
Green said the club were "chuffed" with new coach Patrick Hill, a former Box Hill assistant, and his gutsy performance in a trying season. He said injuries and players departing for lucrative offers in local footy to "get paid twice as much and do half the work" has hurt the club's capacity to be a competitor on the field; as for most they have been shellackings this season.
But it is whether AFL Victoria — who will re-evaluate its changing competition at the end of 2016 — will have the patience for the Dolphins to return from obscurity once more.
Green predicts it will take at least another two seasons to be in the mix of pushing player payments to the edge of salary cap — where there is a huge gap between Frankston and fellow stand-alone club Williamstown — and therefore push for finals. They will bank on their youngsters from local leagues, with some expressing a desire to pursue their AFL dreams.
It seems a long time ago when Goosey was eyeing the opportunity for Brendan Fevola to join the Dolphins. Goosey's exploits to get players drafted into the AFL and help put the Dolphins on the map was part of his expertise. He is now coaching Cranbourne but is likely to be a contender to take Gerard FitzGerald's coaching role at North Ballarat, which will be in a similar situation to the Dolphins next season.
The Roosters will become a stand-alone entity, splitting from North Melbourne, and there are fears, too, about their long-term future.
Frankston will tackle Port Melbourne on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Geelong forward Daniel Menzel will be rested from Sunday's VFL clash against Sandringham after a six-week block on return from a fourth ACL injury.
Cats development coach Paul Hood said it was planned to rest Menzel given he had built up plenty of game time, with the match committee resisting the urge to hand him an AFL return this week.
Hood said Menzel would be available to play next week and he is likely to be in contention for an AFL recall against Collingwood next Friday night at the MCG.
Round 19 (with tips in capitals):
Saturday:
COLLINGWOOD v Richmond, Victoria Park, 10.30am
WILLIAMSTOWN v Werribee Tigers, Burbank Oval, 2pm
PORT MELBOURNE v Frankston, North Port Oval, 2pm
COBURG v Casey Scorpions, Piranha Park, 2pm
Northern Blues v BOX HILL HAWKS, Preston City Oval, 2pm
Sunday:
SANDRINGHAM v Geelong, Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 2pm
