By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG phoned in its first half against the North Ballarat Rebels before making amends after the main break to register a 53-point win.
Structurally fragile, skilfully poor and generally not interested in the contest, the Stingrays kicked 1.1 in the first term – the major off the boot of Matt Rennie.
The second term started just as bad as Dandenong failed to make anything positive arise from its entries.
Jack Lonie bagged two goals, but the quarter ebbed and flowed between both ends without much on the scoreboard to show for it.
Dandenong’s turn-on moment came as debutant Jayden Tomkins jagged his first goal of three in an impressive debut.
The Stingrays’ machine roared into life as Billy Hartung (two goals) and Alex Harnett (two) hit the scoreboard and drove the midfield revival.
Stingrays’ scoreline took off with nine goals-to-two after half time and enough facets clicked to run out eight-goal victors.
Jordan Bastinac continues his season flying under the radar, with some solid clearances and top notch touches hopefully keeping his name on Vic Country selectors’ minds, while Rourke Fisher also held his own in a solid debut.
“We weren’t happy with the way we played in the first half,” Dandenong coach Graeme Yeats said.
“We didn’t put it down to effort, just concentration and the discipline to play the role they were required to play.
“There was a void between our best and how we played in the first half – genuine gap in execution.”
Yeats said the shift occurred when Dandenong’s textbook defensive efforts took effect – registering a number of tackles and turnovers to shift the match in its favour.
“That was the contrast between the first 10 minutes of the second half and the first half – pure intensity behind the ball and creating a turnover or two and that’s what we did,” Yeats said.
“I think it was more a pressure valve that went up a little bit across the board – we played our style with the ball better and more efficiently.”
Yeats highlighted his midfielders Bastinac, Blake Mullane and Harnett for sparking renewal, while he was also pleased with his four debutants – Tomkins, Fischer, Caleb Gray and Berwick’s Jake Wilson – and their contributions.
Heading off to the wind factory, the third place Stingrays face the Calder Cannons at Highgate Reserve.
TAC CUP SCOREBOARD
DANDENONG STINGRAYS 1.1 4.6 9.7 13.10 (88)
NORTH BALLARAT REBELS 0.1 3.2 5.3 5.5 (35)
Dandenong Stingrays Goals: J. Tomkins 3, N. Gardiner 2, W. Hartung 2, M. Rennie 2, A. Harnett 2, J. Lonie 2. Best: W. Hartung, K. Gray, J. Bastinac, R. Fischer, J. Tomkins, J. Gains.North Ballarat Rebels Goals: D. Butler, K. Mellington, X. Vearing, S. Hooper, O. McDonald. Best: X. Vearing, M. Bowman, J. Symons, D. Bell, J. Webster, L. Cassidy.
