Former player and ace administrator rejoins Frankston as CEO

Dolphins favourite Adrian ‘Rocky’ Lloyd is returning to Kars St to replace Mick O’Neil. And the club is chomping into its debt and can see “blue sky on the horizon’’.

Dolphins best and fairest Will Fordham.

“ROCKY’’ is back.

Former leading Frankston administrator Adrian Lloyd is returning to the club as CEO.

The Dolphins announced this morning that Lloyd — “Rocky’’ to everyone in Frankston and Mornington Peninsula football — would be replacing Mick O’Neil, who finishes in October.

Former player O’Neil took over when the club parted ways with Gary Buckenara a few weeks out from the season.

O’Neil is planning a return to the commercial world, but he said he would stay involved with the Dolphins in some capacity.

Lloyd’s association with Frankston goes back to 1970 when he was a premiership player with the Under 19s.

He was secretary in the club’s premiership year of 1978 and later became the first fill-time general manager of the Dolphins.

In 1995 Lloyd was headhunted by Carlton to serve as commercial manager.

Adrian 'Rocky' Lloyd.

He filled the same position at Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Rebels before being enticed back to Carlton.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to rejoin Frankston Football Club as CEO,’’ Lloyd said.

“I want to pay tribute to Mick O’Neil, who stepped into the role for this season. He has led the club so well and I wish him all the very best as he re-enters the corporate world in the financial services sector.

“Our club is moving in the right direction under strong leadership from president Peter Geddes and the board. Frankston Football Club gave me the opportunity to remain in sport as an administrator when I left to join Carlton at the beginning of 1994, and I want to repay the opportunity they gave me way back then. I look forward to working with the team both on and off the ground as we prepare for the 2020 season.’’

Lloyd’s return was ratified in the week Frankston made the fifth of seven repayments due to creditors as it builds towards a sturdy financial footing and long-term future in the VFL.

The Dolphins tumbled into administration in 2016 and a few months later lost their licence to play in the state league.

Dolphins draft prospect Mitch McCarthy.

To continue operating the club was required to make a series of debt repayments. Late week it week completed its second for 2019.

Two more, next April and September, will settle its obligation of $410,000.

“We can see blue sky on the horizon,’’ O’Neil said as he discussed his departure.

“We’ve got one year of DOCA (deed of company arrangements) payments left and then we’re in a really healthy shape.

“We all knew the four years of paying the debt was going to be hard work. When we didn’t have footy (2017) we were able to build a little bit of a buffer through the goodwill of a lot of people.

“We’re not there yet. There’s still some way to go. But once it’s done we can make some real progress. It will allow us to cast our minds ahead.’’

O’Neil said Frankston would look to pay the full salary cap once its DOCA obligations were finalised, putting it on equal footing with the other stand-alone VFL clubs.

Frankston gained only one win under first-year coach Danny Ryan, but O’Neil insisted its performances were better than the ladder suggested.

Nathan Freeman is expected to return to Frankston next year.

“You don’t see it with the wins and losses but we are improving,’’ he said.

“We had a number of close losses — four games by under a goal and seven by under two or three goals. We probably need a bit more polish and maturity to punch through in those and turn them into wins. The idea of the off-season will be to re-sign a lot of players in the next week or two and aggressively pursue players at the top end.

“I’m really bullish about where we’re going on and off the ground. Whoever comes in and takes over has the opportunity to really kick some goals and create a legacy, not of just getting the footy club back up, but actually getting it thriving.’’

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O’Neil believes the Dolphins have three “genuine possibilities’’ at the AFL drafts: best and fairest Will Fordham, captain Josh Newman and ruckman/forward Mitch McCarthy.

He said former Collingwood rookie and basketballer McCarthy improved significantly this year, had a lot more improvement in him and was attracting interest from AFL clubs.

“He’s come a long way this year, really matured,’’ O’Neil said. “He’s got huge upside.’’

He said Fordham and Newman would be no-risk selections as they proved themselves against AFL players every week.

O’Neil said the Dolphins expected former Magpie and Saint Nathan Freeman to play on next year.