SFNL: A band of young guns have surged Frankston Dolphins to the top of the Division 3 ladder

A brigade of young stars have earned the praise of Frankston Dolphins coach Taylor Stratton after his side sent a statement on Saturday.

Archie Zarb. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Frankston Dolphins coach Taylor Stratton jokes “the kids have kicked me out” when talking about the position he’s playing this year.

The Dolphins sent a statement on Saturday, rinsing South Mornington to the tune of 98 points in a Southern league Division 3 top-of-the-table clash.

The Dolphins have won seven on the spin and it is, according to Stratton, largely due to the hoard of kids who are running their midfield.

Tom Limpens, Archie Zarb and John Ogilvy are taking command of the Dolphins’ pursuit for a maiden flag.

“We’re blessed that the guys running our midfield and doing the brunt work are the younger brigade,” Stratton said.

“They’re super fit, they train unbelievably hard and have forced their way into those positions and now they’re theirs.

“They’re the future and playing so well, I am proud of them because of the way they’ve handled themselves this year, they’ve just excelled.

“Our midfield is 17 to 20 year olds and Pistol (Pete Mawson).”

Young gun Archie Zarb. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The Dolphins lost two of their first three matches as they chased connection amongst a newly formed line-up.

But Stratton declares the group now in sync.

“We were finding out feet early days, guys weren’t really settled, there were new faces, we were trying a few things and we’ve just made changes that were beneficial,” he said.

“More importantly to that, it’s credit to the playing group, the way they train and their attitude to training is second to none – they all really want to get better.

“Their work ethic at training has been a pillar of strength on game day and they’re getting some rewards.

“We’ve bonded a lot more, a few get-togethers, a few functions, guys know each other a bit more.

“It’s hard when you lose blokes and we’ve had to add some in and it takes a little bit of time – probably longer than I thought – but we’ve bonded.”

John Ogilvy fires out a handball. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Having lost two grand finals after being a dominant home-and-away side, the Dolphins know the importance of staying on task.

Stratton wanted the group to enjoy a terrific win but expected them to have moved on by training on Tuesday.

“There’s still a long way to go,” he said.

“Everyone is knocking off everyone – and that’s perfect – that’s the perfect type of league you want to play in.

“Yes, it was a good win, I am not going to lie and say it wasn’t but now we’ve enjoyed it, reviewed it and simply have to move on now.”