Dempsey sets sights on flag

By Paul Pickering
DARREN Dempsey arrived at Shepley Oval this Spring with 200 games of District/Premier cricket experience, a Ryder Medal and a fistful of club championships to his name – but no premierships.
The 33-year-old batsman’s career with Ringwood and North Melbourne had spanned 14 years, but he’d never played in a grand final of Victoria’s top club competition.
Dempsey came to Dandenong to change that, but a fortnight ago his – and Dandenong’s – flag ambitions were in tatters.
The talent-laden Panthers lost their first four one-day games of the season to join Casey-South Melbourne at the foot of the table.
But a pair of authoritative innings from the new skipper has the 2006-07 premiers back on track.
Dempsey batted at number four during the string of losses, before promoting him-self to open against Essendon in a bid to take the pressure off young stars Brett For-syth, Kumar Sarna and Tom Donnell.
He made 80 in the Panthers’ run chase and set the foundations for a last-over victory at Windy Hill.
“We spoke about (the move up the order) at the team meeting, because (opening) can sometimes be hard for guys who aren’t as comfortable with their spot in the side and the competition,” he said.
“But it doesn’t worry me as much, so I can just go outand play some shots and set the innings up – and it work-ed.”
Dempsey followed that knock by top-scoring with 85 as the Panthers amassed a commanding total of 7/377 against Richmond on Saturday in the first of the two-day fixtures.
It was his second half-century at Shepley Oval.
“I’m really enjoying it,” Dempsey said of the move to Dandenong.
“It’s a good bunch of people, a well-organised club and there’s plenty of talent there. It was obviously a difficult start, but I’m confident that we can be there in the end.”
Dempsey left North Melbourne because the 75-minute drive from his Mooroolbark home was taking its toll.
And with Warren Ayres – a former Victorian squad team-mate of Dempsey in the late ‘90s – relinquishing the captaincy, Dandenong seemed like a perfect fit for both parties.
The chance to skipper a loaded first XI and possibly claim that elusive premiership was more than just a bonus.
“If I get to the end of my career and I haven’t won a premiership it’s not going to destroy me,” Dempsey said.
“But it’d definitely be good to get there, and I’ve got that opportunity here.”
Dempsey said he was rapt to see Ringwood win the flag last summer, but he reckons the Panthers are capable of taking it off them this summer.
“It’s always tough when you’ve got a few of your better players playing state and international cricket,” he said.
“But the challenge for us now is to make sure we get through to the finals, because they’re often available again come finals time.”