Madison Andrews led a brave Dandenong outfit in its controversial loss to the Gold Coast on Saturday. 29207 Picture: Stewart ChambersBy Paul Pickering
A FARCICAL goal-umpiring blunder saw the Dandenong Stingrays stripped of four points from their game against the Gold Coast on Saturday.
The undermanned Stingrays thought they had pulled off a famous away victory when midfielder Jake Mold kicked a behind after the final siren to break the deadlock, but the result was overturned in extraordinary circumstances 40 minutes later.
The goal umpires had failed to record a goal from Gold Coast’s Matt Fowler after the three-quarter-time siren, but that major was added to the score during a post-match review of the game tape.
The result was amended and the Coasters were installed as five-point winners.
Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats said he wasn’t allowed to comment on the issue, but conceded that it was a cruel blow to his charges. “Everyone was really excited and pumped after the game, so to have that situation prevail was ultra-disappointing – to say the absolute least,” Yeats lamented.
“There was a real empty feeling amongst the group. And it was fairly disheartening for the players and the parents who made the effort to get up there as well.”
The scoring controversy overshadowed a gallant performance from the Rays, who travelled north without nine first-choice players – unavailable due to school and representative duties.
The new AFL franchise was close to full-strength and started accordingly, booting the first four goals of the match.
But the visitors rallied to tie the scores at the main break, and they could have sealed it in the last term if not for some wayward kicking in front of goal.
Mold was paid a free kick in the dying seconds, giving him the chance to register the match-winning score from 25m out.
The Red Hill junior thought a point would do it, so he aimed his kick out to the right as insurance against a stiff crosswind.
His kick may not have won the Rays the game, but it capped a gutsy comeback from the overwhelming underdogs.
“It was an incredibly inspiring effort from the group,” Yeats said.
“We took a bunch of kids up there hoping they’d compete really hard, and we probably walk away feeling like we were the better team on the day.”
In the absence of Tom Scully, Ryan Bastinac and co, experienced midfielders Madison Andrews, Luke Parker (three goals) and Will Petropoulos took their games to a new level.
Defenders Dylan Roberton and Jarryd Amalfi backed up their strong performances from the previous weekend, and dynamic rookie Stefan Baumgartner thrived on more responsibility through the middle.
The Stingrays will host the Calder Cannons at Shepley Oval from 11am on Saturday, before Gippsland and Bendigo clash in the back-end of the TAC Cup double-header from 2pm.
