Star midfielder Mitch Hallahan made an impressive return from injury in the Stingrays’ 119-point win over Greater Western Sydney on Saturday. 51791
By Paul Pickering
THE latter rounds of the 2010 TAC Cup have become a lacklustre game of musical chairs, but nobody seems to have told the Dandenong Stingrays.
Graeme Yeats’ charges, already assured of a top-four spot and double chance in the finals, had little more than bragging rights to play for when they hosted Greater Western Sydney at Shepley Oval on Saturday.
The AFL’s 18th franchise has already announced that it won’t take part in the finals, therefore every other club is assured of a post-season berth under the new 12-team finals format.
But, if Saturday’s 119-point win is anything to go by, complacency is not an issue for the boys from Pultney Street.
The Stingrays defied a strong wind to kick the opening goal of the match through key forward Tom Lynch, and, despite trailing by two points at quarter time, never looked like being beaten.
They booted 8.6 to GWS’s two behinds in the second term, finishing the half with nine goal-kickers in a consummate display of team footy.
The visitors, who were led by 15-year-old giant Craig Moller in the ruck, benefited from Dandenong’s inaccuracy in the third, but failed to hold back the tide thereafter.
The Stingrays kicked 9.6 from 23 inside-50s in the last quarter, while holding the Sydneysiders scoreless from their two forward entries.
It was the sort of ruthless finish that Yeats demands, and, not surprisingly, skipper Luke Parker was the linchpin.
Parker had 23 disposals, two goals and a team-leading nine tackles pushing forward from a wing, while marking targets Lynch (three goals), Corey Buchan (six) and Todd Elton (two) combined for 11 goals.
Buchan (22 disposals and 13 marks) has now kicked 46 goals in just 10 games since his competition debut in round six.
Co-captain Mitch Hallahan kicked three majors from 14 touches in his return from a niggling foot injury, while midfielders Brad Tagg (18) and Alex Benbow (20) and defenders Jake Batchelor (19) and Riley Heddles (15) were also influential.
Third-placed Dandenong, which has the best percentage in the competition, will now host the ladder-leading Northern Knights in a mouth-watering final round match-up at Shepley Oval this Saturday.
A win could see the Rays snatch top spot, as long as the fourth-placed Oakleigh can upset second-placed Geelong on Sunday.
Saturday’s game begins at 11am.
Meanwhile, three Stingrays were last week named in the AIS-AFL Academy’s 2010 intake.
Matt Buntine (Berwick), Lachie Whitfield (Mount Martha) and Todd Elton (Somerville) were selected in the elite 30-player squad of Australia’s best junior footballers.
The Academy has become a finishing school for AFL prospects, with graduates making up about 20 per cent of players currently on AFL lists.
This year’s intake will travel to Europe next April, visiting the AIS training centre in Italy and playing a game in London, before heading to Gallipoli for the ANZAC Day service.
