Eight players from Dandenong’s 2008 grand final side, By Paul Pickering
ONLY the resurgent Calder Cannons stand between Dandenong and its first TAC Cup premiership.
The Stingrays have been the runners-up three times in their 17-year history in the country’s elite junior competition, so Friday’s grand final represents an opportunity to shake the ‘bridesmaids’ tag.
Most recently, it was the Steele Sidebottom-led Murray Bushrangers that condemned the Rays to ruin with an 81-point drubbing in last year’s showcase event at the Docklands.
That loss will provide extra motivation for eight top-age Rays who will return to the big stage on Friday.
But coach Graeme Yeats is adamant that there is no psychological scarring from last season’s loss.
“We didn’t see it as a failure (last year),” he reflected, noting that the opposition was among the best sides he had seen in his six-year tenure.
“We saw it as a productive year, as we will this year, whether we win or lose on the weekend.”
Calder may not be the Bushies of ’08, but Yeats knows they will be a formidable opposition.
“I think it’s exciting, because both teams are in really good form,” he said.
“Last year we were a bit battered and bruised going into the grand final and I think we probably peaked at about round 18 or 19.
“But you can sense that there’s a real resolve in the group at the moment, and I thought our run was really exciting (on Saturday).”
Yeats said he would be reluctant to tinker with the successful preliminary final side, with ruckman Ben Mitchell, on-baller Mitch Gent and key defender Jarryd Amalfi all playing their part after returning to the line-up.
If the Rays go in unchanged, the unlucky onlookers will include Jake Mold, Stefan Baumgartner, Matt Clifford and Daniel Harrison.
