FRANKSTON
Affiliated: Mornington Peninsula Football League (MPFL) and precursors 1887-1965; VFA 1966-1995; VFL 1996-present
Club Address: P.O. Box 354, Frankston 3199, Victoria Home Ground: Corner Plowman and Young Street, Frankston
Formed: 1887
Colours: Black, red and white
Emblem: Dolphins
Senior Premierships: Peninsula Football Association - 1911, 1919, 1922-3, 1931 (5 total); Peninsula District Football Association 1929 (1 total); MPFL - 1937-8-9, 1941, 1949, 1952, 1961 (7 total); VFA 2nd Division - 1978 (1 total)
J.J.Liston Trophy winners: P.Geddes 1984, J.Georgiou 1999; A.Edwards 2006 (3 total)
Highest Score: 33.25 (233) vs. Dandenong on 7 May 1989
Most Games: 177 by Peter Geddes
Record Home Attendance: Records unavailable
Record Finals Attendance: 12,291 for 1978 division two grand final at Toorak Park: Frankston 15.13 (103); Camberwell 13.11 (89)
| MINI-BIOGRAPHIES: | Frank Davis Mike Patterson Jeff Sarau |
After crossing from the Mornington Peninsula Football League to division two of the VFA in 1966 Frankston quickly became competitive, reaching the preliminary final in only their second season. Thereafter, however, reality quickly asserted itself, and it was not until 1976 that the side again qualified for the finals. Indeed, with a record of 16 wins and a draw from 18 home and away matches the Dolphins were quite justifiably accorded premiership favouritism, only for their comparative lack of experience in finals football to prove their undoing. A 27 point defeat by Mordialloc in the 2nd semi final was followed by a soul-destroying preliminary final loss to Williamstown by just 2 points.
| Frankston's first, and to this date only, VFA/L premiership
came in 1978. A crowd of 12,291 packed into Toorak Park to see a closely fought
game which at the final change saw Camberwell on 9.11 (65) leading the Dolphins
9.8 (62). At the onset of time on in the last term scores were deadlocked, but
goals from centre half forward Ray Orchard and full forward John Hunter gave
Frankston some breathing space and they held on to win a thriller by 14 points.
Ruck-rover John Kennedy and rovers Brian Jones and Alan Sampson were high in
Frankston's best as were key forwards Hunter (6 goals) and Orchard.
Promoted sides frequently found it difficult to compete at the higher level but Frankston proved an exception and quickly consolidated. A 1st semi final appearance in 1981 ended in disappointment, but three years later the Dolphins reached their first ever top level grand final only to succumb to Preston by 54 points. Further finals appearances in 1986 (3rd) and 1987 (4th) saw Frankston establish themselves as worthy, if not quite pre-eminent, competitors. With the VFA in a state of near turmoil and clubs disbanding and re-organising continuously Frankston remained stable and competitive, albeit without quite managing to make the ultimate breakthrough. The first year of the VFL in 1996 yielded a minor premiership and this inevitably gave rise to a great amount of optimism among Dolphins supporters but, disappointingly, the side proved unable to overcome Springvale in either the 2nd semi final or the grand final. |
Action from a Frankston (white shorts) versus Coburg clash in 1986. |
Victoria's main domestic competition has undergone significant change in recent years, with further changes likely in the future. A number of traditional clubs have either fallen by the wayside or felt constrained to alter their fundamental orientation in order to survive. Amidst this uncertainty, Frankston's future is by no means certain. However, the club at least shows the signs of remaining competitive on the field, and while this is no longer the be all and end all of club survival it is arguably still its fulcrum - or, to put it another way, financial viability is easier to maintain in a climate of optimism and on field achievement. Most supporters, however, are concerned less about their club's financial well being than they are about its on field success; in this context, a single 2nd division premiership in more than thirty years can not be regarded as satisfactory, but at least Dolphins supporters have the satisfaction of knowing that, unlike the vast majority of its competitors, Frankston has managed to retain both its autonomy and its independence.
Where now?
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