Storming Stingrays come out firing

By Paul Pickering
A BLISTERING seven-goal first quarter catapulted Dandenong towards a 27-point win over Sandringham on Sunday.
The Stingrays, still smarting from their upset loss to the Northern Knights, welcomed the return of state representatives Tom Scully, Ryan Bastinac, Matt Shaw and James Hallahan for the clash against the TAC Cup cellar-dweller at a windswept Trevor Barker Oval.
And they oozed confidence in the opening term, using the advantage of a stiff breeze to open up a 44-point margin before the Dragons could draw breath.
Hallahan was superb across half-back early, while classy finishers Will Petropoulos (two goals) and Luke Parker (two) found themselves on the end of some supreme clearance work from the likes of Bastinac, Scully and Mitch Hallahan (two).
The signs were ominous for the hometown Dragons, but they grew in confidence with the breeze behind them in the second quarter and managed to reduce the margin to 38 points at the main break.
The second half was marred by skill errors from both sides as the wind strengthened and fatigue set in.
The Rays’ midfielders were kept on a short leash after half time, and tall forwards Myles Pitt, Levi Casboult and Corey Millard struggled to exert their influence in the blustery conditions.
Sandringham big men Dylan Jones, Tom Nicholls and Jack Gunston (two) had no such trouble. They were the catalysts for a five-goal-to-three final term, which restored some respectability to the scoreline for the hosts.
Ultimately, the Dragons lacked the legitimate star power to launch a sustained challenge. But, as Dandenong coach Graeme Yeats admitted, the visitors were far from convincing beyond quarter time.
“We never really looked threatened, but we didn’t go on with the job like we thought we might,” Yeats reflected.
“They probably tried to lock the game down a bit more in the second half, they were more ferocious and we didn’t use the ball that well.”
The high-possession footy played by both sides made for some impression individual tallies, but in the cases of Scully (30 disposals), Bastinac (27) and James Hallahan (22), they counted.
Acting skipper Riley Heddles set the standard for defensive pressure, while Andrew McInnes contested strongly in an unfamiliar role at centre-half-back.
The good news story of the day belonged to Stingrays second-gamer Rohan Kerr (two goals), who suffered a serious ankle injury in his debut against Northern Territory in round five.
He looked lively then, and was even more impressive across half forward on Sunday.
Second-placed Dandenong will now host North Ballarat (third) at Shepley Oval on Saturday, before matches against Geelong (first), Murray (seventh) and Gippsland (fourth) over the next month.
Yeats believes his charges are ready for the challenge.
“We’re going to know where we sit in four week’s time,” he said.
“We’ll find out whether we’re a bona fide team or not.”