Body:
Hardly suprised.
Frank rejection of Roos
29 September 2005 Herald Sun
James Bresnehan
FRANKSTON has rejected an alliance with the Kangaroos next season and yesterday warned the Tasmanian Devils they should do the same.
The Kangaroos have been courting the three non-aligned VFL clubs to establish a place for their players when they are not needed in the AFL next season.
Frankston yesterday sent the Kangaroos a letter declining the offer of an alignment, leaving Tasmania and North Ballarat as the only two possibilities.
But Frankston football operations manager Bryan Mace said Tasmania was strong enough to go it alone.
North Ballarat football operations manager Tim Baker said his club was wary of why the Kangaroos' alliance with Port Melbourne broke down mid-season.
Mace, who has 40 years' VFA and VFL experience with Frankston, said the Kangaroos offer was declined because:
FRANKSTON was not financially destitute, as many clubs were when they took on alliances five years ago to survive.
AFL players rarely trained with their adopted clubs, played on game day and then left, making it difficult to develop strong bonds with their new teammates.
AFL coaches dictated to aligned clubs where drafted players should be used, whether or not the local player was better in that role.
THE $140,000 AFL grant to the non-aligned VFL clubs would be slashed under an alignment.
North Ballarat will decide over the next few weeks whether or not to take on the Kangaroos.
AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade said the Devils would not accept a full alliance.
But they would consider a partial link in which Kangaroos players were farmed out to two clubs.
