VFL: Why ex-Saint and Blue Jack Newnes chose the Frankston Dolphins

Jack Newnes rejected countless local footy offers to become a Frankston Dolphin for the rest of 2023. He reveals the motivation for signing on at the VFL club.

Jack Newnes is a VFL Dolphin.

It’s been only three weeks since he joined Frankston but Dolphins mid-season recruit Jack Newnes says he has “already fallen in love with the club”.

It has been a whirlwind nine months for the 30-year-old, juggling his departure from the AFL with the arrival of his first-born son and a move to Mornington Peninsula.

Although he concedes his delisting “came as no shock”, Newnes’ numbers suggest he was unlucky, having played 52 of a possible 66 senior matches.

After his delisting he signed with Northern league power Greensborough.

But his stay at the Borough was short as an ankle injury, the arrival of his son and his relocation to the Mornington Peninsula restricted him to just one appearance.

Instead of cashing in on a myriad of calls from local clubs, Newnes decided to link back up with an old friend at the Dollies and he hasn’t regretted it.

“I had a bit of a connection with DR (Dolphins’ coach Danny Ryan), he was the Welfare Manager at the Saints when I was there – we get along really well” Newnes said.

“I hadn’t really even considered it, I had my mind set on some local footy down here and then got a call from DR a little bit into the process and he was keen to have a chat.

“I liked what he had to say, I liked the thought of the Frankston footy club and where it’s at, where the board members want the club to be.

“It just kind of flicked a switch in me, ignited me to want to give it a crack, I am obviously not as fit as I was when I played AFL footy, but as long as I am helping out the younger guys and the side, I am happy to be there.”

Jack Newnes played 207 games at AFL level. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Newnes celebrates one of his 76 career goals. Pic: Michael Klein

Projecting in a different direction to most delisted AFL players, Newnes joined Franklston with no intention of trying to get back into the system.

But he hopes to see others launch on to a list and see the Frankston faithful taste some success.

“Absolutely not, that ship has sailed – I have already dropped the bundle with my fitness,” he said.

“That’s absolutely nowhere near the plan, I am just here to help out the club and do what I can.

“I came out of an AFL system, long team meetings, hard conversations, and then I went back to local footy, I wasn’t there for long but I enjoyed it.

“Coming to Frankston, it’s probably a balance between both.

“I have only been there two weeks (now three), I am still figuring out how it works, obviously the VFL system is a lot more in depth than local footy but not as in depth as the AFL system.

“For these last five games I am going to get a feel for the club and get an overlook of how everything works.

“Individually, I would love to see some young guys from the club get drafted, (and) the mid-tier guys get what they want out of football by getting the best out of themselves.

“Who knows what could happen, I’d love to see the guys play some finals and succeed.”

Newnes during his match with Greensborough. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Newnes during Frankston's match with Werribee. Picture: MARCUS ROBERTSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Frankston has captured Newnes’ heart already; provided his body holds up, he knows where he will be in 2024.

“My intention is to be at Frankston next year,” he said.

“We love living down here on the coast, I have a house in Richmond, but I potentially will flick that off and see what happens down here.

“My intention is to be at Frankston, I have already fallen in love with the club, they’re a ripping bunch of boys, coaching staff and even the fans play a part in that.

“They’re a great club so, at this stage, my intention is to be at the Frankston footy club next year and we will see what happens after that… we will see how my body holds up.”