Although the Demons went down by 21 points at the Hawks at the MCG on Sunday, the match-up between Frawley and Franklin was one of the game’s highlights.
Franklin collected 22 disposals and kicked three goals, but Frawley was equally impressive with his ability to spoil and harass.
Bailey indicated the contest was even in the end.
“I thought the battle was pretty good,” he said post-match.
“I thought James gave his all, as he does every week. He’s a super competitor and he’s just a terrific young bloke, who has got such a great future ahead of him.
“He’s a great leader at the club. He really gels people around him and sets a standard on how he trains and how he plays - he’s just a ripper and he’s a fantastic young man.”
Bailey said Frawley’s form in a trying position showed what type of character and player he had become for the Demons.
“Playing down back, you’ve got a few difficult things against you in the game, because you try and spoil the ball and you try and defend the goals,” Bailey said.
“And the game is about marking the footy and kicking goals, so the backs have got a pretty tough gig, but he’s just a fantastic bloke to have at the footy club, James.
“His teammates down there are really following suit as well, so hopefully we’re going to be building a really good back six or seven, who are going play 100 more games together.”
