TAC Cup – round 8
RUNNING hot and cold Dandenong Stingrays eventually found just the right temperature with a 17.10 (112) to 13.8 (86) win over Tasmania.
Everything hinged on a fantastic third quarter as Dandenong drilled seven goals to two with Bailey Dale and Taylor Joyce hitting the scoreboard with a pair apiece in quick succession.
Alex Harnett generated a ton of run through the midfield and tackled like a rabid dog while Jayden Tomkins flew for a number of stellar marks and a pair of last-quarter goals to seal the 26-point win.
Also impressing were captain Jack Lonie, Daylan Kempster and Sam Geurts, who all stepped up when it was their turn.
It was a stark turnaround from the first half where Tasmania gained ascendancy by the half-time break.
A four-goal second-quarter showed Tasmania won’t sit still or be led to the ball by their northern counterparts.
The telling difference in the first half came in reasons to handball – Tasmania made it a weapon while Dandenong used it as a measure of last resort.
The link up play from the visitors will surely have impressed the astounding coterie of AFL/VFL recruiters surrounding Shepley Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Tasmanians Callum Mitchell and Phillip Bellchambers made ample room for themselves and hit up forwards Mitch Rainbird, Josh Fox and Nicholas Dodge to take a 16-point half-time lead.
One goal against traffic from Keegan Downie was the only highlight of a middling second term for the Stingrays, erasing their promising start from the first bounce.
Dandenong gave a debut to emerging AIS-AFL ruckman Gach Nyuon and the Narre Warren prospect toiled to get to the ball and assist first choice rock Elliot Hunt.
“I thought it was that the kids really applied themselves and stuck to the plan,” Dandenong coach Craig Black said.
“We drifted away a little bit but the players were a bit disappointed with their second quarter… we didn’t make any radical moves it was just the boys who decided to play great footy.”
Their inexperienced personnel – with first choice players and potential draft picks To, Lamb, Daniel Capiron, Rourke Fischer and Jake Wilson unavailable – didn’t matter for Black as the on-field effort from the younger group impressed him.
“It’s good that you can give those guys a rest – it’s been a solid eight weeks of footy going away on the AIS tour – but I don’t care who’s not in the team just the 23 that’s in the team getting the job done.”
Dandenong faces the Northern Knights on Sunday at home from 12pm.
