Frankston Dolphins news

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Simon McEvoy and Paul Amy
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IN football terms, the Frankston Dolphins are a small fish in a big pond.

But the VFL club continues to churn out AFL players, with Kyle Martin and Leigh Osborne the latest Dollies to find their way on to league lists.

Martin, 22, who won Frankston's best and fairest this year, was snapped up by Collingwood in today's rookie draft.

And Osborne, also 22, was taken by the Gold Coast Suns.

Their rise to the big league continues Frankston's reputation as a football factory.

In the past three years, a pod of Dolphins has been snapped up by AFL clubs Michael Hibberd (Essendon), Mark Baguley (Essendon), Dylan Van Unen (Essendon), and now Martin and Osborne.

"It probably shows that we're the club of choice," Frankston coach Simon Goosey said.

"There are a lot of kids who want to come down and hopefully they can see an opportunity."

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Paul Amy
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THE Bull became a Dolphin and now he's a Magpie.

Just as he set out to do when he left Noble Park 12 months ago, Kyle Martin completed the rise to AFL ranks when Collingwood selected him in today's AFL rookie draft.

The Pies had interviewed Martin after his best-and-fairest season at Frankston Dolphins, but made no promises about taking him.

The plumber slipped away from work this morning to watch the draft on his mobile phone and was stunned when his name popped up on the AFL website.

"It's always been a goal to get drafted, and it's a big thrill that it's happened," he told Leader a few minutes later.

"It's a shock, but a good one.

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Simon McEvoy
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THAT'S the last wooden spoon for Frankston.

This time next year the Dolphins will be preparing for a finals campaign, coach Simon Goosey said.

He said season 2012, though yielding only two wins and a draw, would prove the forerunner to a sharp climb up the ladder.

"I wouldn't be happy with anything less," Goosey said.

"The inroads we've made, definitely we'll be aiming to play in the finals.

"Look, I reckon we were only three or four experienced players short of the finals this year."

The Dolphins finished the season with a 43-point loss to the Northern Blues at Princes Park on Saturday.

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Simon McEvoy
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FEROCIOUS tackling was behind Frankston's stirring 18-point win over the Coburg Tigers on Saturday.

The relentless Dolphins laid 93 tackles to wear down a Tigers side that contained 12 Richmond players.

"The pressure for the whole day was excellent," Frankston coach Simon Goosey said. "We had 93 tackles for the day and if you are up near 80 you are doing a pretty good job, so to have 93 was outstanding."

The win, which ended a six-game losing streak, continued the Dolphins' remarkable recent record against Coburg.

Frankston's five wins in the past three seasons have all been against Coburg.

Is Coburg the Dolphins' bunnies? Yep, you'd have to say so.

From www.afl.com.au
Reported By Paul Daffey
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SIMON Goosey, the coach of VFL club Frankston, doesn't normally allow blow-ins to join in during pre-season training. It's an invitation-only affair.

But he made one exception before this season, and he's extremely glad he did.

Leigh Osborne was a 22-year-old half-back from the East Ringwood Football Club, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, who arrived unbidden at Frankston training.

Goosey told him it wasn't the normal practice to just roll up, but he said he'd give him a two-week trial out of fair play.

Goosey swears that Osborne changed his body shape in those two weeks, fining down to a more athletic visage. Then there was the obvious football talent.