By JARROD POTTER
UNDETERRED by the conditions, Dandenong smashed through the Western Jets and sent Mother Nature back to the drawing board.
Not even driving rain and ferocious gale-force winds could stop the Stingrays racking up a 54-point triumph against the lacklustre Western Jets.
Sunday storms lashed the state and made life at Burbank Oval, Williamstown, particularly treacherous.
Seemingly those natural obstacles proved more challenging for Dandenong to overcome than its actual opponent as the Western Jets could hardly muster any forward momentum.
Even with the wind at their back, the Jets failed to fire as the Stingrays’ back six held them to a scant two-goal-six effort across the day.
It was a day for the in-and-under types as Dandenong’s smalls sent the Jets scrambling in defence as well.
Danny Hughes, Danny Allsop and Tom Jok (two goals apiece) were the best of the goal-kickers while the 18-behind score line was more indicative of the conditions than Dandenong’s attempts to kick around or against the wind.
While a three-goal-nine third term wasn’t an ideal outcome, the Stingrays surged against the wind to outscore the Jets down the stretch and take the emphatic 9.18 (72) to 2.6 (18) triumph.
“It was pretty trying conditions,” Stingrays coach Craig Black said. “Really happy to just get away with the win – but to win by so much was really pleasing.
“Said to the boys at the start of the game, there were always going to be mistakes made, but as long as we made less than them we could get that win.
“The second quarter was nearly the windiest conditions I’ve played or been involved in – pretty hard shots at goals and there were only a few we’d expect to kick.”
Tommy Glen continued his rampant domination of 2016 TAC Cup, sending his biggest message yet to all the recruiters who overlooked him at last year’s draft, while Matt La Fontaine, Tom Jok and Brenton Wells all excelled.
“Tommy Glen and Tommy Jok are both in a similar boat,” Black said. “If you ask them as well they’re aware of the deficiencies that didn’t get them onto a AFL list.
“They know they’re not completely done with that, but they’re working on the areas they needed to identify and been able to show some pretty good improvement.”
Mason De Wit brushed off the hand injury that benched him for most of last week’s clash against NSW/ACT and returned to his usual defensive post with aplomb.
With Murray and Sandringham finishing in a draw, Dandenong remains the only TAC Cup side with an unblemished record heading into round six.
“We’re obviously pretty happy with where we’re sitting – we don’t look too far ahead, and I’ve said before it’s about setting good standards at training, individually and as a team,” Black said.
“We’re hard on them as a coaching program to improve, especially at training, and at the moment we’ve been training well and that’s coming through into our games.”
Dandenong will return home on Saturday morning to battle the Northern Knights from 11.30am.
TAC CUP SCOREBOARD
WESTERN JETS 0.0 1.3 2.3 2.6 (18)
DANDENONG STINGRAYS 3.3 3.3 6.12 9.18 (72)
WESTERN JETS Goals: B. Lester, J. Webb. Best Players: O. Junker, B. Romensky, N. Buykx, N. Stuhldreier, J. Cotter, F. Campisi. DANDENONG Goals: D. Hughes 2, T. Jok 2, D. Allsop 2, K. Beveridge, S. Fowler, M. Poholke. Best: T. Glen, M. DeWit, M. La Fontaine, T. Jok, B. Wells, R. Piper.
