By JARROD POTTER
TAC Cup – round 5
OVERCOME after a spirited wet-weather fight back, the Dandenong Stingrays could not hold off the Western Jets’ last salvo.
Soggy conditions greeted all comers to Shepley Oval as the Western Jets soared above the field to take the early lead.
The Jets had the upper hand throughout the match – with runners Liam Duggan and Jackson Volpato steaming through the middle to hit up their forward team mates at will.
It left the Stingrays trailing at all changes but some life reared its head late in the third term as Keegan Downie (3 goals) and Jayden Tompkins (2) set up a revival.
The final term swayed Dandenong’s way heavily as debutant Lachie Williams found the goals early in the quarter before Aaron Wilson’s hard clunking mark in the wet set up another pack flier from Tompkins to take a slender lead for the first time in the clash.
Western fought back with goals to Mitch Norton and Jayden Laverde to take the lead and hold on doggedly to seize a 7.12 (54) to 7.9 (51) win.
Narre Warren’s Mitchell Cox made a strong showing in his Stingrays’ debut – setting up goals and spoiling Western opportunities defensively.
Also making a name for themselves on the wet arena were Mitch White, Bailey Dale and Tooradin’s ruck rising-star Elliott Hunt.
“Obviously a bit disappointed – we probably didn’t play as well as what we were hoping,” Dandenong coach Craig Black said.
“We didn’t adapt to the conditions well – overused the ball when we could have kicked it – they were a bit cleaner around the stoppages and they used the ball really well.
“It’s one of those things we’ll practice at training and hopefully next week we’ll come out a bit better.”
Cox, Bailey Rice, Jake Lovett and 23rd man Lachlan Williams all showed they are hungry for the Stingrays’ jumper and stood tall in their TAC Cup debuts.
“Four kids playing their first game and they were all in our better players – Jake Lovett, Lachie Williams showed a bit of life up forward and he (Lachie) was the 23rd so he could only play half a game and we also had Bailey Rice and Coxy so that’s the exciting part of our program and for them to stand up like that on debut is great.”
Defensively impressive Jacob Weitering and Jake Lovett (The Peninsula School) will miss next week on school duty as will co-captain Daniel Capiron (Caulfield Grammar).
The Stingrays face NSW/ACT Rams on Saturday at home from 12pm.
