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This is a huge milestone day for Frankston FC - to come from being bankrupt and having their VFL licence cancelled in Sept 2016, to becoming a successful, professionally run club, and playing in a final 8 years later. Massive effort from all involved with the club to pull this off, but we should be especially grateful to Peter Geddes, Gary Buckenara and Mick O'Neil for their amazing work when it looked dire for the club, and setting this club up for a successful future.
Dolphs will go in huge underdogs on Saturday but who knows, they have improved so much during the year, hopefully theres a little more left in the tank to get over the Suns.
Win, lose or draw its been a very successful year for Frankston.
Club will be hosting a live screening of the game in the clubrooms on Saturday. Finger food will be provided in addition to the bar being open, as well as discounted merch available. Hopefully we get a decent turnout for it.
I still think it's silly that Gold Coast are playing for 7th while we're playing for 8th (which will force us to play another final in Queensland if we win.) If they didn't want 10th to be able to go above 8th or 9th then why not just make it 7th vs 9th and 8th vs 10th? If you have to play 7th then winning should mean you get their position.
Regardless of how our season ends, it's a huge milestone to be playing finals again. I just hope we can build on it next year.
My best wishes to Frankston and hope they go further into the finals; they deserve a reward after the lean years. It would be nice being the first club to win the premiership from 10th position
I highly doubt we'll get anywhere near the flag this year, but you never know. Our games against Werribee and Footscray this year proved we can compete with the best even though we didn't beat either of them.
If we can build on this performance next year - retain the bulk of our playing list and continue to recruit as well as we have - and finally break the cycle of yearly rebuilds then maybe one day we can make a run at it.
I believe the recruitment process is already underway. The coaches have identified the type of players they need and that will be the focus. Quality over quantity. Hopefully they can get the quality we need. I heard they are targeting (like most clubs )a key forward, a key back, a ruckman and a midfielder.
Dolphs dont have to improve all that much to really trouble the Suns, but it is hard to see them getting the win up there.
A lot of VFL fans cheering for the Dolphins.
Good luck to all.
We might be from the bush. but we ain't green
Go dolphins. Hard task but Frankston have nothing to lose. Been a great year and plenty to look forward to in next few years. Gold coast afl team playing on same day at mcg which helps Frankston on Saturday. Im sure gold coast will have a few players kept as emergencies for afl team.
Good crowd at training tonight to farewell the boys.....found myself feeling a bit emotional as the boys came off the track and came over to thank the supporters for turning up. Can't help but feel very proud seeing these boys go around, they're a quality bunch of kids and they fight for one another and give all they have. No matter what happens Saturday, this has been a tremendous year in the history of the club and the positivity and atmosphere at the club is honestly unprecedented. To think we were in the grave just 8 years ago.....to come back to this point is amazing, without any of the advantages enjoyed by the AFL reserves teams or the standalones with poker machine money. I'm not taking a shot at any other club there, just pointing out how brilliant this outcome is from a club in our position. There are many people who have given their blood, sweat and tears in those 8 years and I personally thank them all, including those that are no longer at the club.
There was a time that being a Frankston person was something you might even be embarrassed to admit - undisciplined, disorganised, never quite up to it. That is no more, this is a genuinely gutsy and professional outfit. The future is bright.
Must say i like your posts AJ - never arrogant always passionate. Your passion for your club really shows and you could chose any of your posts at random and after reading you realise that Frankston means alot to you. Great to see theirs some people who still love their stand alone club.
Always had a soft spot for Frankston, loved the friendliness of the people, the trip up there, the great atmosphere, the volunteers and fans that share a great camaraderie with the opposition fans (seems to be the case with Port Melbourne fans at the very least) and as such always considered them as my 2nd favourite club.
Common dolphins! Bring back a win so we can see Frankston play a Melbourne final!!
17 PREMIERSHIPS, 19 X Runners up
THE VFLS MOST SUCCESSFUL CLUB - THE MIGHTY PORT MELBOURNE BOROUGH!
I'M PORT MELBURNE BORN, I'M PORT MELBOURNE BRED, I'LL BE PORT UNTIL I'M DEAD!!!
Love to see both Williamstown and Frankston win on weekend.
Mega if Frankston win they head back to Gold Coast to play Southport
Ouch !!! Thats harsh !
17 PREMIERSHIPS, 19 X Runners up
THE VFLS MOST SUCCESSFUL CLUB - THE MIGHTY PORT MELBOURNE BOROUGH!
I'M PORT MELBURNE BORN, I'M PORT MELBOURNE BRED, I'LL BE PORT UNTIL I'M DEAD!!!
Yeah MegaA, we have to wait until AFTER we beat Southport to come back to Melbourne. That's ok, I'm patient......haha
Happy to be leading at half time after a pretty ordinary first quarter. Long way to go but we're a chance.
What a bloody magnificent effort Frankston! I'm at work, but saw the last couple of minutes. That must create some very very strong belief in the playing group.
* It's time to restore the VFA name.
Elimination Finals update
1st Elimination Final
Southport vs Frankston at Fankhauser Reserve
2nd Elimination Final
Box Hill vs Williamstown or Richmond at Box Hill
The club held a watch party in the rooms today, about 50 or so people in attendance. The noise in those last few minutes cannot be described.
Just a superb last half by skipper Trent Mynott. How good was he in the last quarter? Kept driving Frankston forward winning a number of free kicks in the forward line by committing his body to the contests. Really inspirational effort ..
Good players all over the ground for Frankston but Angus Grant was fantastic again in the ruck, and Ollie Moran had easily his best game for Frankston with some beautiful linking up from half back. Stainthorpe had a much improved game and is starting to show his massive talent and could be a real star next year.
Southport will be tough next week, but there's no reason why the Dolphins can't win again.
I still can't really process what I saw on Saturday. I think that may be the finest moment in 40 years of following the club. I find it hard to single out anybody, there were heroes all over the park. Yes, Mynott was superb, Ollie Moran showed way more poise than at any point of the season, Grant was a warrior in the ruck as he always is. Murphy was looking unstoppable before he got hurt. I think if I had to single anybody out it might be Kyle Stainthorpe.....with Max Williams out, our only real height in defence was Josh Smith (who was great), and so Stainthorpe had to fill a role he's too small for, and you would have thought too inexperienced for......well he was an impassable rock in defence. I seriously want to mention pretty much every bloke out there, because they were daring, brave and absolutely single minded as a group.
The scenes at the club.....well, I've never seen anything like it. Tears aplenty, and to see Bryan Mace so emotional was something I won't forget. The club is on the crest of a wave right now, may it continue at Southport!
Hopefully the dolphins continue with another on the road win at Southport.
Good luck to all the Frankston connections.
Would have thought all VFL supporters will be hoping for the Dolphins continued success.
We might be from the bush. but we ain't green
100% digs, except if they come up against my Seagulls, otherwise would love them to go all the way and a home final at Kars St would be unreal but not sure if that's possible - they surely deserve one after travelling to QLD twice in a row and tomorrow's game will be played in 33C heat, good luck with that