By JARROD POTTER
TAC CUP – PRELIMINARY FINAL REVIEW
TURNOVERS and lacklustre tackling pressure put a premature end to Dandenong’s 2015 TAC Cup campaign.
Dandenong found out the hard way how younger, quicker Eastern Ranges line-up could brush aside the Stingrays’ experience when put into the finals-spotlight.
Dandenong was well placed going into the clash – bringing national champions Brandon White and Kurt Mutimer back into the line-up – with Mitch Cox (illness) and Sam Pickess the unlucky tandem to miss out.
A first-term shootout was about as good as it got for Dandenong throughout Saturday at Princes Park with Mutimer and unlikely forward target – an All Australian full back – Kieran Collins helping push the Rays ahead.
Lachie Batten led from the front through the midfield while the partly rearranged Dandenong defence – anchored by Jacob Weitering, Daniel Capiron and Brandon White – also held strong in the trenches.
The Stingrays kept playing musical positions throughout the day – putting Collins at both ends, Capiron and White onto the wing and eventually Weitering up forward to try and manufacture something of note.
The run and carry was strong for the Rays all afternoon, but no one seemed to spot up the next kick in the line, instead handing it back to the Ranges time-and-time again.
With a fleet of 16 and 17-year-olds taking it to their oppositional elders and then some, Eastern had control over the procession through the second and third terms towards the final fight of the TAC Cup season.
The only reason Dandenong had any chance entering the final term was Eastern’s failure to kick accurately.
It could’ve been all over early if Ranges had capitalised on the rampaging forward spree it created – booting 17 behinds to leave a few things to work on ahead of this weekend.
But the Eastern force wasn’t the only side squandering chances, as Dandenong went missing in the “premiership quarter” – going goalless.
It all but sealed the Stingrays’ fate in 2015 and despite some fourth quarter heroics, it was too little too late to ressurect the flagging Dandenong chance.
The Stingrays rolled the dice in the last term to try and reel in the 31-point deficit – switching likely top draft pick Jacob Weitering (two goals) to full forward. Weitering finished up his elite junior journey with two goals in a minute to give Dandenong one last glimmer of hope.
But Eastern fired off the nail-in-the-coffin to take the first spot in the TAC Cup finale.“I think at the start our inability to use the ball the way we have all year,” Dandenong coach Craig Black said. “We turned the ball over early then we were chasing from the start, so it was pretty tough from there on.
“When we had the ball we had opportunities to go forward, but then when we turned it over they just moved the ball really quickly and was unlike us as we usually start the games pretty well.
“Third quarter I thought we had a crack early, but couldn’t kick a goal and they go down and kick one and took the momentum.
“Then in the fourth, we kick a couple of early goals and gain some momentum, but they were a good young team and took it up to us and had the better of us today which was disappointing.”
Black highlighted the efforts of defender Brandon White – earning the thumbs up for his early role negating TAC Cup leading goal kicker Blake Hardwick – as well as Liam McKay, Weitering and Jake Di Pasquale.
Looking back on what could have been proved tough in the moments after the loss, but Black thought the side had the potential to make a great impact on senior football throughout the country in years to come.
“At the moment we’re pretty disappointed – cause when you think you have a good team that had a chance of going all the way and not making it is disappointing, but hopefully in the next few years we can read up about these names playing AFL or even VFL footy,” Black said. “They’re a really good bunch of kids and hope this spurs them on to get a bit of momentum in their careers when they look back at it.”
Despite the trying day and the bruising disappointment setting in, Dandenong’s final words on field for season 2015 were fittingly upbeat, uttered to the entire playing group by one of the club’s champions over the last three seasons – former skipper and hopeful AFL draftee Daniel Capiron.
“We’ll get through this together… we’re best mates and brothers.”
Eastern was well led up forward by resourceful tandem Callum Brown and Jaidyn Stephenson – who got off the chain to boot three apiece and lead the Ranges into the grand final – while Bryce Batty, Dylan Clarke and Aaron Cotte proved a handful.
Eastern will face Oakleigh in a surprisingly All-Metro showdown on Sunday morning from 11.05am at Etihad Stadium.
TAC CUP
DANDENONG STINGRAYS 2.0 3.3 3.5 5.7 (37)
EASTERN RANGES 3.3 6.6 7.12 8.17 (65)
DANDENONG Goals: J. Weitering 2, K. Collins, S. Gladman, K. Mutimer. Best: D. Capiron, J. Weitering, B. Rice, L. Williams, L. McKay, K. Collins. EASTERN Goals: J. Stephenson 3, C. Brown 3, R. Clarke, B. Hardwick. Best: D. Clarke, A. Cotte, A. Brolic, K. Keppel, C. Brown, B. Batty.
