By Jonty Ralphsmith
Cooper Simpson: remember the name.
The 17-year-old Stingray, eligible for the 2023 draft, kicked the sealing goal for Dandenong on Friday night against Gippsland.
In terrible conditions at a wet SkyBus Stadium, the Mount Martha product got a clean gather and kicked a 40-metre goal, off one step in traffic.
He put his arm in the air and acknowledged the parochial Rays’ crowd, before being swarmed by teammates as the major put his side up by nine points with six minutes to go after trailing virtually all match.
That came just a minute after fellow 2023 draft prospect Sam Frangalas gave Dandenong the lead with an opportunistic goal from 35, which was reward for his best game at NAB League level as he finished with 29 disposals.
Simpson’s polish and class in the midfield belied the scrappy conditions as he finished with 20 disposals.
“Cooper’s fantastic – we saw his poise late in the game, he’s a powerful athlete and he has taken on the responsibility of playing inside midfield really well,” Dandenong development coach Martin Bonett said.
“The 17-year-olds are a tight-knit group and they’re building something special so we’re going really well in that area.”
The rugged conditions better suited Gippsland’s style of footy, with just one goal kicked in the first 35 minutes of play.
Kicking with the wind in the first quarter, Coby Burgiel got the first centre clearance and the Power dominated territory as Dandenong over-possessed and tried to play dry weather footy.
Burgiel kicked the only goal of the first quarter and was tough on the ball, finishing with a team-high 20 touches, while highly rated 2023 prospect Zane Duursma (19 disposals) got some midfield minutes.
Bonett was impressed with his team’s ability to adapt mid-game.
“We struggled to adjust to the conditions early but in the second half we got it forward a lot more,” Bonett said.
“In the last quarter the multiple entries we were getting put them under pressure and our organisation behind the ball was fantastic so we managed to hit the scoreboard at the right time.
“The conditions made it a really competitive game so it’s really good to get the result.”
Mitch Sybkowski’s return from schoolboy footy to the NAB League was seamless as he showed his strength as an inside midfielder finishing with 30 disposals.
Henry Hustwaite (27 disposals, six tackles) also impressed with his composure and trademark sidesteps through traffic and Harrison Jones’ presence and size up forward got him three crucial goals.
The result means Dandenong finish the home and away season in third position while Gippsland hold on to top spot despite losing three of its last four games.
Both sides have a 10-3 record and their top three finish gives them a rest next week, as teams ranked 4-13 on the NAB League ladder will battle in the wildcard round to determine who makes it to the last three weeks of the NAB League season.
