Report by Mitch Brown
The Dandenong Southern Stingrays have cemented their place as a TAC Cup premiership front-runner with an 85-point demolition of the Western Jets at Burbank Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The Stingrays are now certainties to finish top-four and qualify for the double chance, with just one match left to play before finals.
The depth of the Dandenong playing list continues to be a talking point – even with the omissions of running defender Thomas Glen, midfield stalwart Kurt Mutimer, All-Australian U18 ruckman Gach Nyuon and key position utility Daniel Capiron, the Stingrays were able to run away with the four points.
Instrumental in the win were the efforts of Thomas Jok, who picked up 28 disposals and a whopping 12 inside-50s, a dominant midfield led by Mitch Cox and Jake Kelly, and a dangerous multi-armed forward attack including leading-goalkicker James Freeman, under-sized dynamo duo of Shannon Gladman and Zak Roscoe as well as returning tall Liam Hulett.
With finals just around the corner, it’s become obvious that Coach Craig Black and his staff have a tough assignment in selecting a best 22 that can hopefully take the Stingrays deep into the finals.
“We’ve found that when you’ve got people hungry for spots, it drives success,” said Black after the game. “Every player knows that if they don’t put in the required effort for the week, there’s someone else that will.
“When we play our best football, we’re a bloody good team. And we want to show that to everyone.”
“The challenge this group has ahead of us is every other team we have is also a very good team aiming for the same result- deep into September.”
Despite the sterling season that the Stingrays have enjoyed thus far, it was the Jets who came out playing to win in the first quarter. It took Jake DiPasquale and Josh Battle to get Dandenong off to a decent start with a goal each, but the Jets responded with two of their own, and were really taking the game up to the Stingrays.
What ensued was a giant game of leapfrog – every time Dandenong pushed out in front, the Jets would respond, not allowing their opponents any leeway whatsoever.
Jake Kelly, Thomas Jok and Jake DiPasquale were certainly giving it their all, popping up at nearly every stoppage, but it was obvious that Dandenong Stingrays were overusing the footy, and the Western Jets were sticking with them every step of the way.
Shannon Gladman and Zak Roscoe bagged a goal each, but not to be outdone, Western Jets returned fire with two of their own to bring the Stingray lead to just 8 points at quarter time.
With the beginning of the second term, the Stingrays worked to tighten up around the stoppages, and put a damper on the free-flowing style of football of the first quarter.
A move forward for Jake Lovett reaped instantaneous results, while Shannon Gladman added his second goal to push the Dandenong lead out to 22, however the Jets refused to capitulate, and soon slammed on two quick goals in response. Try as they might, the Stingrays simply couldn’t shake off a dogged Western outfit who were well and truly playing above their ladder position suggested.
James Freeman threaded the eye of the needle with a tricky setshot from deep in the pocket just before the half-time siren to give his team a bit more breathing room, but there was still an awful lot of work ahead for the Stingrays after a disappointingly flat first half.
The Stingrays were dragged out of their stupor single-handedly by returning key forward Liam Hulett, in his first game for the season. There were audible roars from his teammates as Hulett drilled not one, but two key setshots within as many minutes.
The Stingrays barb began attacking the ball with a renewed ferocity, and saw the benefits almost immediately – 16-year-old debutant Luke Davies-Uniacke claimed his first TAC Cup goal, Jack Holden popped up for his first and Jake Kelly added his second.
Thomas Jok seemed to have the football on a string, while Jake Kelly and Jake DiPasquale continued to lead strongly from the middle, whilst Kieran Collins, Jacob Weitering, Bailey Rice, Brandon White and Zachary Rouse commanded the backline brilliantly.
Meanwhile, a previously gallant Jets team began to show the strain of keeping up with the Stingrays. As Dandenong flexed their muscles, Western started to crumble, both in defence and in attack, and finished the third quarter scoreless and on the wrong end of a 50-point margin.
Spurred on by their third-term dominance, the Stingrays showed no signs of letting up as the last quarter commenced. Defensive powerhouse Kieran Collins was moved forward, and when vice-captain Lachlan Batten hit him lace out on the lead, he had his first goal of the match within minutes.
The Jets’ defence was clearly struggling against the resurgent Stingray attack, with James Freeman sprinting 25 metres unchallenged through the forward line to claim his second goal, while Jake DiPasquale also added to his tally with a snap around the body.
Led superbly by Jake Kelly and Jake Lovett through the middle, the ever-dangerous Stingray forward line were given first use of the ball for most of the quarter. Jack Holden, Zak Roscoe and Kieran Collins all snared their second goals as the Jets defence searched frantically for a way to stop the pain, and once Vice Captain Lachlan Batten joined the party with his first goal, Dandenong had kicked no fewer than twelve unanswered goals since half-time.
Eventually, Western were able to claim their only two goals of the second half late in the match to bring the final margin back to 85, but despite a promising start, it was still definitely a day they’d rather forget.
The focus for the rampant Stingrays now turns to their last game of the home-and-away season, against the Geelong Falcons on Sunday at Simonds Stadium starting at 1.00pm.
Last Modified on 03/09/2015 21:05