Young rays snatch win

By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG snatched second spot on the TAC Cup ladder with a 20-point win over the Western Jets on Saturday, despite fielding one of the most inexperienced sides in the club’s history.
The Stingrays had 26 squad members unavailable due to injury, state representation, VFL and school football, leaving coach Graeme Yeats with just 24 players to pick from ahead of the clash at Williamstown’s Burbank Oval.
But the 22 he picked didn’t let him down.
The visitors – coming off a three-week break – started brilliantly, kicking three goals before the Jets could score and taking a 21-point lead into the quarter-time huddle.
They executed Yeats’ game plan to perfection in the first half, defying the blustery conditions with some intelligent run-and-carry football.
The margin was 27 at half-time and just 20 at the last change, but two quick goals from lively Stingray Jake Mold upon resumption effectively ended the Western challenge.
Dandenong conceded three late goals to mask an otherwise convincing victory, but nothing could veil Yeats’ pride in his undermanned group’s performance.
“They came at us a couple of times and we looked a bit vulnerable in the third quarter, but we were able to just hang in there, so we’re rapt to get the win,” he said.
“We’ve been able to just keep ticking over and winning games without our best players out there.”
Yeats was delighted to introduce another three debutants – Brad Tagg, Darcy Holden and Daniel Pennant – on Saturday, but he saved his highest praise for emerging bottom-age stars Luke Parker and Andrew McInnes.
Parker, who announced himself with a dominant performance on the Gold Coast last month, was best-on-ground with 26 disposals, two goals and seven tackles pushing forward from the midfield. Still, at just 16, he looks to be a star in the making.
McInnes (two goals) worked tirelessly across half-forward, providing a much-needed marking option to complement roaming big man Levi Casboult.
“He’s a beauty,” Yeats said of the 188cm utility. He had a couple of bigger Jets defenders pushing him around and trying to intimidate him, but he kept standing up under pressure and taking marks.”
Casboult struggled to shake Jets skipper Kyle Hartigan in the first half, but found his way back into the game and finished with four for the afternoon.
Mold was never far from the big man’s toes, working hard for his three goals and six tackles, while defenders Dylan Roberton and Jarryd Amalfi were as reliable as ever. Kim Taylor booted five majors for the home side, while ruckman-turned-forward Sean Tighe and hard-nosed on-baller Michael Fogarty also gave the Stingrays some headaches.
Dandenong is now sitting at 6-2 for the season – three games behind the unbeaten Geelong Falcons – ahead of Saturday’s game against seventh-placed Eastern Ranges at Box Hill City Oval.