The Dandenong Southern Stingrays TAC Cup round 8 game was played on Saturday at Shepley Oval, Dandenong which was always going to be a test for the very undermanned Stingrays who suffered a 35 point defeat against arch rivals the Calder Cannons.
The Stingrays were without numerous players due to the Vic Country, Injuries or unavailability, but it gave opportunities for others to press for permanent selection. A total of 7 changes from last weeks side, with 2 players played their first game for the club and 9 others who had played less than 5 games. The lack of height and experience across the ground was evident as many opportunities were lost from unforced errors and poor decision making. The Cannons used the ball much better going forward by measuring kicks and hitting free targets and gaining numerous scoring shots. If they had of kicked straighter the game would have been over in the first quarter. Jake Calvert played a lone hand and dominated the ball in his area, whilst Nathan Foote continued to grow as a consistent and ever reliable one on one player, whilst Nathan Wright and Robert Hill both successfully returned from hand injuries to get some much needed match fitness. The score at the end of the first saw the Rays trailing the Cannons by 9 points.
The second saw the Cannons completely dominate the Stingrays producing the best display of football for any TAC Cup side this year. Cannons kicked 8 goals and kept the Stingrays to 2 scoring opportunities. Jake Calvert was sent back to stem the flow, with gritty hard nuts Nathan Foote and Nathan Wright throwing their bodies at every contest and trying their hardest to rebound the ball inside the Stingrays 50 but to no avail as a colossal wall of Cannons players peppered the ball back inside 50 unrelentingly. At the half time break the Cannons had a 51 point led and the writing on the wall was for more onslaughts to come. Coach Graeme Yeats asked the players to lift in areas that didn’t require talent, the willingness to work to a contest, tackle and pressuring the opposition and finally creating a contest when the ball was in a 50/50 or 60/40 situation.
The third term was a better quarter for the Stingrays as the team used the ball better going forward, worked harder defensively through the middle and control Cannons for periods of the quarter. Strong work across the half back line by Robert Hill, Matt Rennie, Nic Tuddenaham and Nathan Foote produced a lot of rebound and attacking opportunities for the Stingrays who managed to win the quarter with both sides kicking 2 goals apiece, with the margin by the end of the term 48 points. Many scoring opportunities were lost for the Stingrays due to poor inside entries. The efforts of Jake Calvert and first game player Jake Soroczynski straight goal kicking were a highlight, as was the willingness of Nathan Foote to win a 60/40 contest that resulted him in kicking a much needed goal and lifting the moral of players.
The final term was a chance for the Stingrays to finish off their hard work in the third, but giving the opposition that much of a head start never really had them in the game after half time. It was also made harder with the loss of Tyle Williams and Jake Cameron at Half time, which was going to test the fitness of others to carry the load. The Stingrays had lots of play and kicked 6 goals 9 points after half time, whilst limiting the Cannons to 4 goals 5 points. The positive for the Stingrays was the way they attacked the second half and willingness to work themselves back into the game after the second quarter blow out.
Coach Graeme Yeats said, “It was the second week in a row we had to make 6 or more inclusions. We had another two 17 year olds who played their first game which is hard to settle the team, but we are a development program and winning and losing isn’t the major focus. The Cannons were good with their pressure and the intensity for our 17 year olds is something very new to most of them compared to local football. I was pleased with our third and fourth quarter efforts, but to allow a team to kick that many goals with ease in one quarter isn’t good. As a team if we can keep exposing our younger players and get them to the level of intensity that is required each week to compete in the TAC Cup and against quality teams like the Cannons, who at this stage of the year I would have to say are a quality team that are going to be very hard to beat once finals start ”
Next weekend the Stingrays have a Bye for the AFL NAB U18 National Championships. The Stingrays will also have 6-7 players to suit up for Vic Country who takes on Queensland on Sunday 10th June at 12.00pm at Visy Park, Carlton, which are AFL AIS players Lachie Whitfield, Billy Hartung and Clayton McCartney and they will be joined by Ryan Morrison, Billy Rolfe, Taylor Garner and a possibly inclusion of Nathan Wright (Also AFL AIS player).
Last Modified on 06/06/2012 19:38