By Will Jeffares
If you were to describe George Grey’s footballing career so far in one word, there would be several strong options. Persistence, determination and drive are a few that come to mind. But there is one that fits the category to a tee.
Success.
Success has followed Grey wherever he plays his football. From winning six consecutive flags as a junior to a VFL premiership at Casey, the 23-year-old is now chasing similar success at Frankston in his first year at the Club, with the side breaking a 16-year drought to feature in this weekend’s first official week of Finals football.
An active kid growing up, Grey weighed up whether to play football or soccer in his youth and, despite a brief period where the latter prevailed, he ultimately chose to stick with the oval ball, where he won a combined 11 premierships across both juniors and school football and showed his strengths as a player.
“Growing up I was actually playing soccer, footy, and did a little athletics. (I was) just always super active as a kid,” Grey said.
“I was playing my juniors footy at Beaumaris, we were lucky enough to win six (premierships) in a row there in Division One.
“There was actually a point there where I picked soccer over footy at one stage, but that was at a bad time with injury.
“It was always weighing up on my mind whether I wanted to play footy or soccer but (I) played footy. I also played for St Bede’s (College), (I) was lucky enough to win five more flags there and through my connection with (former Casey Demons Senior Coach) ‘Sammy’ Radford, he invited me down to go to Casey.
“As a kid, I remember going to the park with Dad a lot and Dad would tell me to kick with both feet. Some trainings he told me, ‘Only kick with your left foot’.
“I think that gave me a big point of difference, which is probably one of my biggest strengths, having that time and space and having a big advantage on the rest of the comp.
“That was something that resonates with a lot of people who know who I am. They’ve always seen my kicking with both feet.”
Through his junior years, Grey was also a part of the Sandringham Dragons program but, due to various interruptions throughout his final year, was unable to find himself on an AFL list and fulfil his lifelong dream.
Fortunately for Grey, he was invited down to the Casey Demons in the VFL, who are aligned with the Melbourne Demons, to vie for a spot on the list, before the COVID-19 Pandemic derailed his first year at Casey in 2020 prior to the commencement of the season, while the 2021 season was also greatly impacted.
However, Grey was able to use that time to knuckle down and discover what he truly wanted to achieve in his life and career in order to turn his dream into reality.
“That top age year at (Sandringham) Dragons, I was just having really niggly, pubic overload injuries and got the flu a couple of times that year, it was really inconsistent,” he said.
“It was such a shame for it to be in that year. I was pretty well renowned every year within every league I’ve been in and then for the one to matter the most and had the most interrupted season, that was really heartbreaking, to be honest.
“My main goal has always been to be an AFL player, that’s been my dream forever.
“I found myself going to Casey with a few mates from St Bede’s, but (I) had to work super hard for it. Then, obviously, the two COVID years really halted things.
“(I) was training non-stop throughout COVID. It was something that I really wanted to do. It gave me a lot of time to reflect on what I wanted in life and what I wanted to work for.
“I couldn’t think of settling down in any way unless I’d turned every stone that I possibly (could) to make the AFL, play AFL and live out my dream and really attack it.”
Joining the Club at a time when Melbourne were having success of their own in the AFL, regularly featuring in September and breaking a 57-year drought to win the premiership in 2021, Grey said that the success found itself seeping into the VFL side, but with a healthy AFL list, he had to work hard to ensure he became a regular in the Casey side.
He formed a bond with former Sydney Swan, Zac Foot, in his first year as a Demon, learning about the professionalism and mindset needed to evolve his game, as the two created a friendly positional rivalry in the side.
“To cement my spot there, it was really tricky. My first year there, there was Zac Foot from Sydney, who was an AFL player and Melbourne were so healthy at the time,” Grey said.
“I remember sitting down with (Former Casey Senior Coach) Mark ‘Harry’ Corrigan, and just saying, ‘I don’t even know if I’m going to get a game here’, and he said, ‘Well, the fact is that you’re going to have to be better than Zac and you’re going to have to compete.
“Zac and I became best mates, but he showed me so much about work ethic, actual training and just extras and how to cover.
“You hear people talk about it and see people do it but when you actually do it with purposeful intent, he was another one, a real driver for me to take my game, attitude, mindset and professionalism to the next level.”
Ahead of the 2021 season, a spot on the Casey list opened up and Grey took it with both hands, impressing through pre-season training and practice matches to quickly win himself a Round 1 berth in the side.
But it might not have been for Grey, with the youngster close to calling it quits on his VFL career prior to the season due to the tight squeeze for list spots, injuries and lifestyle frustrations.
“To be honest, I was actually on the verge of leaving the VFL before the 2021 Season and I was going to be done with it,” Grey revealed.
“I had a couple of injuries, and it was just really hard. At the time, I was doing labouring and then you’re driving an hour out to Casey Fields and it’s pre-season, it’s 30 degrees in the car, and the traffic is horrible.
“I was the last person to sign at Casey in 2021. I saw boys ahead of me who I thought I was so much better than.
“I remember that night, going to training and I was actually going to quit but my mate, Andrew Courtney, said, ‘Mate, just don’t be reactive. Just keep going.’”
And keep going he did.
Grey “stuck fat with it” before finally working his way into the side, never looking back. He would feature 41 times for the Casey between 2021-2023, cementing himself in the side playing as a half-forward and becoming a much-loved figure at the Club.
He was also a part of the dominant 2022 Premiership-winning side, who prevailed over the Southport Sharks by 32 points in the Grand Final, adding yet another flag to Grey’s already impressive CV.
“(I) worked my arse off, to be honest. I wasn’t guaranteed anything with the AFL alignment but (I) managed to work hard enough and get on the end of a VFL premiership, (which) was really special,” Grey said.
“I suppose I catalysed my work ethic and drive in that period. I worked so hard and to be educated by those coaches in the system, I was being a sponge and wanted to get better every day and do what I needed to do to play the best for my role, be a part of the team, win and play some good footy.
“From there, I was a byproduct of a really good culture, and I was quite lucky and just worked hard.”
Grey also paid homage to his senior coaches at Casey, as well as naming a pair of Demons, who were influential figures for him during his time at the Club.
“It’s given me so much perspective, being at Casey. Playing with people like (current Casey Demon) Mitch White and (former Casey Demon) Jimmy Munroe,” he said.
“They moulded me into the person I am, to be honest.
“Along with the coaches. Mark Corrigan, he’s at Geelong VFL now, and (current Casey Senior Coach) Taylor Whitford.
“You leave high school and (go) into a VFL environment, and they helped me so much (in becoming) the person I am, so (I’m) thankful for those people because they were always there for me, and they helped me so much in so many ways.”
Ahead of the 2024 season, Grey made the decision to leave Casey, head down to the Peninsula and embark on a new challenge in Frankston under new Senior Coach Jackson Kornberg.
But it wasn’t just a change of guernsey on the horizon for Grey in the new season, with a positional switch from half-forward to a dashing defender off half-back also in the pipeline for 2024.
Grey said that while the decision to depart from the Demons was a hard one to make, the appointment of Kornberg and the appeal of playing at a standalone club saw the Dolphins as the ideal place to continue his career.
“It was a really tough choice to make. (At) any footy club, you make really close connections, but (Casey) was just a really pivotal stage of my life. Coming out of school, I was there for four years and winning a premiership, I had so many close connections,” he said.
“It was super hard to leave. I loved all the people there, but at the end of the day, the AFL alignment just didn’t provide as many opportunities as a standalone (club) would.
“I knew that, but I was quite unsure of what to do or where to go. Once I heard ‘Jacko’ (Kornberg) got the role, he’s someone who I knew wanted to get the best out of me and I had a lot of trust in him.
“If it wasn’t ‘Jacko’, I’m not sure if I would’ve been at the Club. Only because I just trusted him and the programs that he’s been through and his standard.”
The idea of regaining “a club feel” drew Grey to Frankston, something that was lacking at Casey due to the alignment. He already had connections with several Frankton players and the opportunity to grow his game, and the Club’s culture appealed to Grey.
“I was eager to get a club feel back. I hadn’t really played for a club. Casey was amazing, but at the same time, you don’t even play with the boys you train with,” he said.
“To play with all 23 players, and you train with them, and they become your best mates, I was eager for that real solid club feel and not so much of that element of being a program sometimes in the alignment.
“I saw the vision. Frankston’s a really good area for me, I’ve got a whole bunch of mates there already and I wanted to build something special with the boys.
“I just love building the Club and the culture and, obviously, winning games. I love that whole thing.
“I thought to get a different outcome, to take my game to the next level, I probably needed a different environment. I thought I got everything I could out of Casey.”
Grey made an instant impact at the Club, being voted as Vice-Captain, alongside defender Joe Lloyd, just months after joining the side.
Honoured with his selection, being a leader amongst a playing group is something Grey takes pride in wherever he plays. Title or not, he said he wouldn’t change his ways to fit something that he is not, on or off the field.
“I’d love to be a leader and that’s something that comes naturally to me. I want to get the best out of myself, I want to get the best out of the people around me, I want to get the best out of the Club. I hate seeing wasted potential,” Grey said.
“Whether you put the title ‘Vice-Captain’ next to me or not, I’m going to do the same thing.
“I think the boys (at Frankston) saw that and saw how passionate I was to get better and help everyone else, and how passionate I am about winning.
“Luckily enough, the boys thought of me as a Vice-Captain, but I wouldn’t change who I am to be someone else who I’m not.”
Using elements of North Melbourne and Collingwood stars, Harry Sheezel and Nick Daicos’ games, Grey has enjoyed a stellar campaign so far in 2024 in his new role, making it his own.
The defender has averaged 22.5 disposals a game in 14 appearances, even demonstrating his offensive output over the past month, averaging a goal a game, as he demonstrates his ability to also push into the midfield and be an effective sparkplug for Kornberg’s side as they taste September action.
Selected earlier in the season to represent the VFL State Team, alongside several of the league’s best players, Grey’s strong form has put his name in discussions about a potential AFL berth in the not-too-distant future.
While Grey continues to “string parts of his game together”, he said the year has been a big learning opportunity for him but one he has been happy with from a personal perspective.
“It’s definitely been different because being a half-forward at Casey, it’s a whole different system to being in the system that I am in at Frankston and the position I’m in,” he said.
“I’ve learnt a fair bit this year because I was playing a half-forward, really selfless role last year (at Casey). Then coming in this year to play a bigger role and the attention that I might receive and the expectation, I’m always learning and growing.
“I still think I have so much potential and so much more upside that I’m excited about.
“I’m just super happy with how the team has gone but from an individual output perspective, I have a lot more to give.
“I just try to be the best that I can be. Be the best George Grey I can be. I’m not going to try and be someone else.”
Grey lauded his fellow compatriots down back, including Backline Coach Damien Keeping, highlighting the synergy created in the back six. He also praised midfield duo Trent Mynott and Tom Murphy, who he has become close with as he rotates between defence and midfield.
“Having Taine Barlow in the back six and Joe Lloyd, those two boys are so mature, so selfless and they do a lot of stuff that sometimes doesn’t get rewarded but allows me to do what I’ve got to do,” he said.
“Joe Lloyd is just fantastic. He’s like three defenders himself, he’s super.
“’Vossy’ and ‘Milney’. Their ability to come forward and impact and cover me when I’m being offensive or vice versa, I think we’ve gelled really well as a back six.
“Then you’ve got Josh Smith, Max Williams and ‘Damo’, of course. The whole back six has helped me so much with the way I play.
“Tom Murphy and Trent Mynott, I’ve built close connections with those two on the field. I feel like we sync really well when we link up in passages of play. It’s awesome to have people like those two.”
Unfortunately for Grey, his season would be interrupted mid-year. It was Round 9 against Southport when he suffered a facial injury that would keep him sidelined until Round 16.
During those seven weeks, the Dolphins would win just one of their next six games. They suffered five consecutive losses against tough opposition before snapping the streak with a victory over Collingwood at Kinetic Stadium a week before Grey returned.
Forced to watch from the sideline, Grey described that period as “super frustrating” as he watched from the bench, unable to try and turn things around on the field as he awaited his comeback to the side.
“It was probably one of the toughest injuries that I’ve had. We weren’t expecting it to be as bad as it was,” Grey said.
“The effect that it had on people around me, seeing how upset they were, and the doubt it can have.
“When you see them in that way, it kind of gets to you a bit.
“Sometimes you’ve got to put your feelings aside and set little goals in front of you. No matter how you feel, you’ve got to get things done sometimes.
“Obviously, I couldn’t be (out on the field), but I feel like I can give a lot of direction and leadership out there on the field and get it done then and there
“To try and have that impact on the bench just isn’t the same.”
Grey would find himself back into the team for his side’s Round 16 win over Northern Bullants, recording 21 disposals and eight marks in a fine return.
Despite this, he said it took him a couple of weeks to regain the confidence and normality to his game post-injury. He has since averaged 25 disposals over the past four weeks, regularly hitting the scoreboard, and is back to his damaging best at a vital stage of the year.
“Coming back from (injury), it was definitely an injury that didn’t really go away. It’s still in the back of your mind,” Grey said.
“After the Coburg game (Round 18), I started to feel myself again. I’m really happy and getting back to playing some pretty good footy and the boys are winning again.
“It’s just how a footy season is. Hopefully, it’s never that bad every season. There are ups and downs all the time, but you’ve got to find a way to get through things and keep going on.”
Reflecting on the season from the Club’s perspective, Grey labelled it as one of his favourites in his career so far as Frankston continue to chase success in this season’s Final campaign.
Grey touched on the incredible atmosphere at Kinetic Stadium that he now gets to regularly play in front of, believing it still doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
He revealed that even opposition players around the league have been enjoying the festivities around the ground when travelling down to the Peninsula.
“(This year) has been super, it’s everything that I asked for,” he said.
“I can tell you that people around the VFL and players I’ve played against, everyone kind of says that playing at Frankston is one of the best games they’ve played this year because of the environment and the crowd.
“I feel like it gets said that, ‘Oh, the crowd is so good’, but it’s not actually appreciated for what it is.
“It’s what you play footy for. You want to do things in life you enjoy and have people, family, friends, the crowd and fans going nuts. That’s just what it’s all about, it’s like a show. It’s so fun.”
Grey also commended the addition of several new faces around the Club, including Kornberg, CEO Fraser Bayne and High Performance Manager Jordan Love, who have been vital in shaping 2024 into a historic year for the Frankston Football Club
“Obviously ‘Jacko’ and Fraser Bayne, their impact on the Club, you can’t say it all in words. It’s just been massive,” he said.
“Someone like ‘Jordy’ Love, from a strength and conditioning perspective, he’s come in and really reshaped it and set a new standard of professionalism that I was really craving and was a bit hairy when I first got there.
“To have ‘Jordy’ come in and see that aspect grow and you see ‘Jacko’s’ gameplan grow and how the boys were talking about how it’s so fun to play and simple to understand.
“We’ve learnt so much. It’s like a whole new team from last year and it’s our first year and we’re doing what we’re doing and playing the brand that we are, it’s super exciting.”
After a famous victory last weekend over the Suns in the Wildcard Round, the Dolphins will again travel to Queensland to take on Southport on Saturday afternoon (12:05 pm AEST) in an Elimination Final. Last week’s encounter saw supporters turn out in force at both People First Stadium and Kinetic Stadium to cheer on the side.
The Club is again set to host another watch party at Kinetic, calling on all Frankston fans to get amongst the atmosphere as the Dolphins hunt what would be another incredible victory.
Grey said that he is excited to continue to grow and push forward into September and achieve further success in 2024.
“It’s been one of the most enjoyable years in footy, the winning streaks we’ve had and coming into the rooms and the environment. It’s been so special and to get hopefully more finals wins would be unreal for the Club,” he said.
“To be in finals footy again, it’s a pretty exciting time. The days start getting longer, it starts getting a little bit warmer down here and you can smell it in the air.”
With Grey and his teammates well and truly in the swing of things, it’s fair to say that this Dolphins side won’t back down and will most definitely have a really good crack against the Sharks come Saturday.
