By JARROD POTTER
TAC CUP – round 14
DANDENONG swam away easily with a 65-point win in the slop over Bendigo Pioneers.
With four big name inclusions – Tom Lamb, Aaron Wilson and co-captains Jack Lonie and Daniel Capiron – returning from Vic Country duties, it was on-paper the most power-packed Dandenong line-up to hit the field this season.
In conditions wet enough for one of the supporters to bring their boat, Dandenong and Bendigo had to contend with the rain and a mud-packed centre square, which lead to a slow opening term.
Despite the star-filled line-up, the first quarter didn’t mesh for the Stingrays though – as the champion team failed to fire – kicking only one goal early in the quarter.
Injury to Jacob Weitering, forcing the key defender to head to the goal square to contest what he could, and a red-card to Keegan Downie halted the Stingrays’ surge, but after half-time the match was played on their terms.
Throughout the second half the match firmly belonged to the Shepley Oval boys as Dandenong kicked 11 of the next dozen goals to seal the emphatic win.
The win could have been an even bigger percentage booster, but the conditions did not lend to straighter striking as Dandenong kicked 15 behinds.
Quadruple goal hauls from Taylor Joyce – now into equal second just two goals behind North Ballarat’s Jesse Palmer in the TAC Cup goal kicking – and 17-year-old Somerville goal-sneak Lachlan Williams impressed the coach with their forward efforts to put the match beyond doubt.
Coach Craig Black tinkered with the line-up once again to great effect as he put full-back Daylan Kempster in the ruck to chop out for Aaron Pawel with first choice ruckman Elliot Hunt unavailable.
Black also switched Mr Versatile – Tom Lamb – to the half-back line and he earned his stripes linking up the play from the defensive end while Aaron Wilson, Sam Geurts and Blake Mullane also earned best afield mentions.
“First quarter we were a little disappointing and second to the footy,” Black said.
“But after quarter time I thought the boys cracked in and were a lot better.”
The third-placed Stingrays start of a tough month leading in to finals begins this weekend as Dandenong faces fifth-placed Sandringham before clashing with Oakleigh (ladder leader), Western Jets (seventh) and Geelong (sixth).
“I think we’ve got a really good challenge coming,” Black said.
“We play some really good teams – if we’re playing our best footy it’s a really good opportunity for the guys to prove themselves against some top sides.”
Dandenong heads to Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday with the opening bounce at 2pm.
