Cannons fire up for final

By Stuart Teather
THE Stingrays will have plenty to compete with in the TAC Cup grand final, coming up against an immensely talented Calder Cannons outfit.
The Cannons struggled early in the season with many of their best missing due to school football commitments, but since returning to full strength in round 18 the side has won five games in a row.
The Cannons boasted six Vic Metro players this season, and while their two All-Australians – Gold Coast-bound Josh Toy and key position star Daniel Talia – have missed the club’s finals campaign, the side still boasts a formidable line-up.
Big forward Serhat Temel has been the revelation of the finals series, booting 17 goals in three games and almost single-handedly getting Calder across the line against Gippsland in the semi-finals.
One of Dandenong’s biggest challenges will be to find match-ups for Temel, fellow tall Luke Mitchell and talented mid-sized forward Jacob Thompson, who booted four against Eastern in the preliminary final when the game was on the line.
Temel had the measure of Dandenong’s Jarryd Amalfi in round eight, kicking five in a losing side, but Andrew McInnes is likely to get the first crack at him on Friday.
While Calder may have the advantage in attack, Cannons coach Martin Allison conceded the Stingrays boast an impressive midfield.
“They might have a bit on us with Tom Scully in the midfield, the number one draft pick, he’s a Rolls Royce, he’s a beauty,” he said.
“If you just concentrate on Scully, (Ryan) Bastinac will get under your guard, so will (Matt) Shaw and (Luke) Parker.”
Still the Cannons have plenty to work with, with the likes of Vic Metro representative Jake Melksham, Tom Liberatore – son of Bulldogs’ great Tony – and the ever-reliable Steve McCallum and Tom Lucin working through the engine room.
The Cannons miss Toy across the backline but still have plenty of drive out of the defensive half, with Anthony Long – nephew of Bombers great Michael – providing spark from the backline, along with bottom-age star Dion Prestia, who often plays the rebounding half-back role.
Looking at the sides, Allison said it would be tough to split them.
“We’ve obviously had a look at them, trying to see how we match up on them.
“What I’m coming away with is we’re going to be fairly evenly matched.”