By Jonty Ralphsmith
A hot start has seen Dingley to a comfortable victory over Port Melbourne in Southern Division 1.
Dingley was willing to transition and use the width of the ground in a six goal to two opening quarter.
The Dingoes won it out of the centre and played with belief and buy-in to the new system, generating run and speed going inside 50.
The Dingoes were also able to lock it in attack with Kristian Feehan leading the impenetrable defence with several intercept marks and important bodywork.
Port Melbourne got on top in the second quarter to keep themselves in the contest, kicking three of the four goals after the quarter-time interval.
After that, the contest was tight, with Dingley able to hold on to their lead and never let the Colts within two goals.
Port Melbourne, missing their ex-AFL stars Josh Caddy and Billie Smedts to different injuries, allowed Dingley to take the upper hand in the midfield battle.
They were well fed by ruck Adam Lloyd who used his size at stoppage and in marking contests around the ground.
“He’s been going alright but he really got on top in the ruck battle I thought,” Dingoes coach Zach Horsley said.
“He gave us first access which meant we were (ahead) in clearances but around the ground we probably won more than what we did in the centre.
“It was just as much his ability to get around the ground and take contested marks for us and give us that option which was really impressive.”
After going down comfortably to Cheltenham in round one, Dingley has now posted consecutive wins – over reigning premier Cranbourne and the highly regarded Colts.
The likes of Lachie Lamble, skipper Jackson Peet and Lucas Walmsley all played with their usual dare, but Dingley is playing a brand that is much more willing to open the ground up.
In recognising times to slow the ball movement down, the defence has also been able to stymie opposition’s dump kicks and attacking bursts as the players seem to have adapted to Horsley’s way.
“Last week gave us a lot of belief in it and now we can just trust each other and the program and the system and just play footy because we know what we need to do, which is great,” Horsley said.
“It’s good to keep the momentum going.”
THE CAT’S OUT OF THE BAG
Horsley didn’t want to speak about Lochie Benton in preseason.
He wanted the youngster to be a secret weapon, with the 20-year-old who has played VFL footy for GWS virtually unsighted prior to this season in the Southern League.
Eagle-eyed Dingley watchers would have seen him kick five goals from the midfield in both the practice games, against Pakenham and Woori Yallock.
Round one was quiet, then he played an important role last week, setting up attacking chains late in a tight clash with Cranbourne.
But it was Saturday that he really announced himself for the season.
He had three of Dingley’s first four shots on goal, then set up Adam Peacock to kick a pearler from 50.
When he was at his best, Dingley was at its most rampant.
The son of Dingley vice president Matt led the first quarter rampage as he was everywhere in the front half and looked damaging every time he went near it.
He was moved onto a wing and remained a key part of their offensive ball movement through the middle of the game, before rising to first gear again in the final stanza.
With Port still nagging and several of his teammates missing opportunities to put the game to bed, he won a free kick from 30 and calmly slotted it to extend the margin behind four goals 12 minutes into the quarter.
He put his head over it all quarter and had his hands on the pill repeatedly inside 50 with his cleanliness, selflessness and ability to step through traffic exemplifying his class.
“He’s a match-winner,” Horsley said.
“I don’t think he came off in the second half, we played him wing and half-forward and just let him run, so a player of his calibre, you just have to let them go.”
Other clubs are hearing plenty about his class, with the consensus being that it would be no surprise if Benton follows in the footsteps of Walmsley and wins the league medal.
FIRST QUARTER BLITZ
The Dingoes set the tone for the win from the opening bounce.
It was all played on the hosts’ terms, with Dingley dominating possession and switching it nine times.
They got speed on the ball when they got it to the open side and looked potent going inside 50.
It’s a complete change from their scoring sources last year.
Luke Frith applied pressure and kicked the first of the game, before Benton converted with his second shot of the match.
Peacock found himself in space on multiple occasions at the top of 50 in the first quarter as Dingley picked their way through the Colts defence.
Rory Goldsmith and Jackson Peet also scored in the first stanza, with Goldsmith’s energy symbolic of the new Dingley way which was on show in the first quarter.
EAGLES DO IT EASILY
Cranbourne flexed its muscle on Saturday night on the road against an inexperienced Bentleigh, running out winners 17.8 110 to 4.7 31.
After not being able to break the game open early, Cranbourne piled on four goals late in the second quarter to create a 20-point halftime lead.
Bentleigh couldn’t capitalise on its chances early in the second quarter, having the opening three shots of the quarter after the first break but not converting any.
Marc Holt took a one-on-one mark inside 50 on a counterattacking play before hand-balling to Ryan Jones who ran into an open goal on the counterattack for Cranbourne.
It was a morale-flattener for the hosts after they had some run early in the second quarter, with a Kirk Dickson snap from 40 a few minutes later energising Cranbourne further.
When Holt kicked the second of his five goals on the night soon after, it felt like the Eagles had finally stamped their authority.
It was party time for the Eagles in the second half which banged home 10 goals to one, led by Dillan Bass, Cam Angus, Zak Roscoe and Jake Stephens.
Jones finished with three goals as his bodywork and workmanlike effort inside 50 also played a part in the victory.
Small forward Tyson Barry is still several weeks away from returning from a broken foot.
After playing the standalone Good Friday fixture, the Eagles will now have a bye before taking on St Paul’s McKinnon in round five.
DEE-LIGHTFUL START TO SEASON
Springvale Districts remain undefeated after getting the better of Chelsea Heights 14.9 93 to 10.11 71.
It follows victories over St Kilda City and Mordialloc, with the wins setting the Demons up to make a charge for the Division One finals.
The Demons finished sixth last season, four games out of finals, with the Chelsea Heights win a necessary one against an opponent promoted from Division Two this season.
Mordialloc was a club which finished lower on the ladder than Springvale Districts, the club couldn’t afford to let jump them.
St Kilda City, meanwhile, finished fifth and is an opponent Springvale Districts will ideally pass in 2023.
The most pleasing aspect of the weekend’s win was that Matt Wetering didn’t score a major but the visitors still found the big sticks 14 times.
Wetering scored 12 goals across the first two weeks clunking marks and proving a nightmare for opposition defenders.
On the weekend, he still brought the ball to ground but it was others who would have gained confidence.
Big American Shakor Bragg-Taylor, who played an important role in the ruck with Ryan Auld missing, played his part up forward with two goals.
George Angelopoulos scored two important goals in the first quarter.
Springvale Districts conceded the first two goals of the game, inside three minutes, before on-field leaders including skipper Mason Russell, Angelopoulos and unflappable defender Brodie Ledder helped turn the tide.
By quarter time, Springvale Districts had a 24-point buffer and never let the hosts back in.
