Bailey Lambert signs with VFL club Frankston
After battling for opportunities at Richmond, the son of former Tigers and Brisbane star Craig Lambert has signed at the Dolphins.
Victorian Football
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Frankston got its (young) man.
The Dolphins had Richmond VFL-lister Bailey Lambert on their list of most-wanted recruits and he signed yesterday, joining a number of his teammates from his home club, Noble Park, at SkyBus Stadium.
A midfielder and forward, Lambert, 20, has been with the Tigers for two years but struggled for opportunities.
The son of Richmond best and fairest and former Brisbane onballer Craig Lambert, the right-footer was a good performer for Noble in the Eastern league.
“Rapt to have Bailey joining the club,’’ Dolphins coach Danny Ryan said this morning.
“He’s a quality young person from a great family and he’s a really promising player.
“He had two years in the Richmond VFL system, and he’s been well educated and well trained. He can play midfield, he can play forward. He’s a very strong overhead mark.’’
Ironically, Lambert made his VFL debut against Frankston in 2018, and had 30 possessions.
He came to Victoria at the end of 2017 after a season with Redland in the NEAFL. Lambert had also been in the Lions Academy.
Former Noble Park coach Mick Fogarty said Lambert would be a good addition for the Dolphins.
“It’s been about opportunity for him, and he should get it at Frankston and I’ve got no doubt he’ll play some good VFL footy,’’ he said.
“He’s at VFL standard. He’s an inside bull who wins his own footy and can also get it on the outside, and he also has terrific hands, an uncanny ability to pluck balls from the sky and kick goals.’’
The Dolphins have also signed young ruckman Will Kennedy, who won the Western Jets’ best and fairest this year as a 19-year-old player.
Kennedy played two games for Frankston last season as the 23rd player.
Captain Josh Newman, best and fairest and draft hopeful Will Fordham, former AFL player Nathan Freeman, key defender Dylan Gordon and emerging ruckman James Rendall are among the players who have re-signed for 2020.
Departures include Mitch McCarthy to Port Melbourne, Corey Rich to Williamstown, and Goy Lok and Jack McHale to Sandringham.
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Meanwhile Ryan remains enthused about the appointment of former Richmond and Port Adelaide forward Jay Schulz as an assistant coach.
Player manager Liam Pickering alerted the Dolphins to Schulz’s availability.
“To have him on board is awesome for our players,’’ Ryan said.
“He was having discussions with a couple of AFL clubs in Melbourne about a development coaching role and he was also in the mix to join Matty Nicks at Port Adelaide. He has a really sharp mind for coaching, a passion for teaching the craft of forward play, in terms of running patterns and more technical aspects of the game.’’
Former Sandringham and WAFL star forward Lachie Oakley has also joined Frankston’s coaching staff.