Report by Mitch Brown
The Dandenong Southern Stingrays have returned to the winners’ list in emphatic fashion, demolishing the Eastern Ranges by a whopping 73 points, 15.11 (101) to 3.10 (28).
Bouncing back from their woeful performance last week against the Calder Cannons, the Stingrays were back to their clinical best, utilising their run on the large spaces of Box Hill City Oval.
With a significant amount of water still in the ground, the oval was akin to a mudslide in spots, with plenty of Stingrays relishing a dive or two through the mud to get to the footy.
Despite these tough conditions, Dandenong were able to maintain a high disposal efficiency and terrific intensity around the ground all day, putting in a brilliant four-quarter performance.
Tommy Glen appeared to have the ball on a string, with the Ranges unable to curb his impact all day. Dylan Atkins was also brilliant, using his height to his advantage, while the forward pressure of first-gamer (and 23rd man) Dylan Morris was also a highlight.
Riley D’Arcy was by far the most dangerous forward on the ground, finishing with 4 goals in just his second Stingrays game and standing up in the absence of big men Josh Battle and Tom DeKoning.
Down back, Bailey Morrish was again excellent, while Jordan Stewart’s cool head was a great asset for the Stingrays on the rebound.
It was an especially pleasing result for coach Craig Black, who admitted that there weren’t many negatives from the day’s result.
“Our effort around the contest was completely different from last week, and that’s credit to the boys.
“After the game last week, they were really disappointed with the result. If you lose like that, it can really knock the wind out of you. But as we always say to our kids, back your abilities.
“As a coach, you just love what you saw today.”
After the Ranges booted the first goal of the day, the Stingrays snapped into action. They were collecting the lion’s share of the ball, but inaccuracy in front of goal really hurt. It wasn’t until the 18-minute mark that Riley D’Arcy kicked truly for the Rays’ first of the day.
Despite only holding a 3-point lead at the first term, the Stingrays had started well around the ground, and it was only a matter of time before their hard work through the middle paid handsome dividends.
What followed was classic Stingrays – high-intensity, high-workrate footy that yielded a massive 7 goals for the quarter. Dylan Morris popped up for his first TAC Cup goal, while Riley D’Arcy, Danny Allsop and Tom Murphy continued to lurk dangerously, booting a goal each.
The difference in effort was noticeable simply from the state of the players’ guernseys. While many Eastern jumpers were crisp and without mud, most of the Stingrays were plastered with muck from head to toe – they just wanted the ball more than their opponents.
With a 36-point lead at the main break, coach Craig Black urged his charges to maintain the workrate and not take their foot off the accelerator – instructions that were heeded by a hungry Stingrays outfit, who continued to outplay the Ranges and extend their lead.
Dylan Atkins was instrumental throughout the middle, Nathan Scagliarini was again in control of the engine room, while hard-bodied efforts from Chad Harris, Lachlan Young and Aaron Darling didn’t go unnoticed either.
The fourth term carried on much the same way as the quarters before it – the Stingrays refusing to yield to a withering Eastern outfit, and adding a few more easy goals to close out a 73-point winning margin by the time the final siren blared across Box Hill City Oval.
And while it is terrific to see such a brilliant performance against worthy opposition, the Stingrays must not get complacent – a date with the skilful Oakleigh Chargers awaits.
Both sides will don vintage guernseys for a heritage event not to be missed. The match kicks off at 1pm from Warrawee Park in Oakleigh.
Last Modified on 07/07/2016 21:21