Travel bug: Hopes fading for Dockers’ chances of signing James Frawley

COACH Ross Lyon has conceded travel requirements are an obstacle in luring interstate recruits as doubts grow that free agent James Frawley will head west.

AFL - Port Adelaide v Melbourne at Adelaide Oval. James Frawley celebrates his goal. Photo Sarah Reed.

FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon has conceded that hefty travel requirements are an obstacle in attempts to lure experienced interstate recruits as doubts rise that the Dockers will win services of free agent James Frawley.

Dockers’ hopes of attracting the disgruntled Melbourne defender appear to be rapidly fading.

Frawley has held discussions with Lyon and Fremantle officials since the Dockers bowed out of the finals as he considers a switch from the Demons as an unrestricted free agent.

He is could get a lucrative package in the region of $3 million over five years to head west to join the Dockers.

But Frawley continues to be linked with Geelong and the 2010 all-Australian appears to have attracted renewed interest from grand finalist Hawthorn.

Prospects that Frawley will stay in his home state of Victoria are rising and closing the door on a move to Fremantle, who have tried and failed in the past three seasons to lure some big guns either going out of contract or into free agency.

Hopes are fading that free agent James Frawley will join the Dockers. Picture: Colleen Petch

Sydney superstar Lance Franklin, Collingwood power forward Travis Cloke, former Brisbane and Melbourne big man Mitch Clark, Richmond scoring ace Jack Riewoldt and veteran former Geelong premiership forward James Podsiadly have all been on Dockers shopping lists is recent years.

Lyon is convinced that a heavy mental and physical strain on players with constant travel in the AFL makes continuing a career from the west far less appealing.

“Yeah, it is difficult,” he said on radio 6PR.

“I think you’d be naive to think that the travel factor isn’t a consideration.

“You get on the (plane) bird at a minimum of three-and-a-half hours every second week, I think you’d be extremely naive to think that doesn’t play a part.

“There’s a price to go with that, a loading to compete with the eastern board clubs.”

Lyon clearly indicated that expatriate West Australian players at eastern seaboard clubs will be recruiting targets as he continues his quest for an elusive Fremantle premiership.

He threw his endorsement behind Fremantle’s development strategies as an attraction to incoming recruits.

“We’d love WA sons to come home,” Lyon said.

“That’s certainly a focus going forward for us.

“At the end of the day we back our environment and our leaders and our ability to attract.

“We’re going to a $107 million facility that will help us be a club that appeals.

“Our record of growing people on and off the field is more important than that.”

Originally published as Travel bug: Hopes fading for Dockers’ chances of signing James Frawley