Report by Mitch Brown
The Dandenong Southern Stingrays have suffered a premature end to their 2016 campaign, going down in their do-or-die semi-final clash with the Sandringham Dragons, 4.6 (30) to 13.13 (91).
Despite a spectacular home-and-away season that saw the Stingrays claim the minor premiership for only the 3rd time in the club’s existence, unfortunately the Rays were unable to keep up the momentum throughout the finals, crashing out in straight sets.
Sandringham were on top from the get-go, and barely let their foot off their accelerator all day, as the Rays struggled to work their way into the game.
The news was even worse for wingman Tom Jok, whose day came to a close in the second term with a hamstring injury. Jok finished the day on crutches.
The Dragons had an uncanny ability to peel off from their direct opponents and find a lot of space to run into, and that run was a deciding factor in their emphatic win.
Up forward, usual suspects Josh Battle and Sam Fowler (2 goals apiece) were the only goalkickers for Dandenong, with the Sandringham defence locking down the Rays’ attack with ease.
Myles Poholke and Tommy Glen were again the pick of the midfielders, seemingly having a hand in everything through the engine room; while back flankers Hunter Clark and Matt LaFontaine also put in excellent performances.
Jordan Stewart and Mason DeWit were the best of the defenders, holding their opponents accountable all day in the face of a flurry of Sandringham forward movement.
But unfortunately, these individual performances weren’t enough to drag the embattled Stingrays across the line.
“The scoreboard, and the pressure around the ground, was pretty one-sided,” conceded coach Craig Black post-game, in his silent and gloomy team rooms.
“We look at today and say we need to do a lot of things better.”
In spite of the poor finish, Black was still positive about his team’s 2016 as a whole.
“We played something like 56 players this season, with 35 or 36 debutants, so to be able to do that, finish on top of the ladder, and get to play two finals, is still an achievement for us.”
While the season as a whole can be considered a success, the semi-final that ended it cannot be – the Dragons had the jump on the Rays from the very start, and Dandenong never held the lead at any stage during the game.
Sandringham were far more comfortable with the open spaces of IKON Park, getting away from their opponents and collecting uncontested possessions like they were going out of fashion.
While the Dragons continued to impose their will on the Rays, the tension around the ground was palpable, with several mini-melees and a frenzy of jumper-punches between the two clubs.
The Stingrays simply struggled to stay accountable, and went into half-time on the wrong end of a 24-point deficit.
The coaching staff were keen to point out that the Dragons had been unable to really punish the mediocre efforts that plagued the Rays’ first half, and pleaded with their charges to lift their intensity and rise to the challenge, as they have done so frequently this season.
The third term started strongly for the Stingrays – aided with some cool-headed movement from Hunter Clark and Jordan Stewart, Sam Fowler managed to trouble the scorers first, cutting the margin to 18 points and leaving a glimmer of hope for the Rays.
This hope was short-lived, as Sandringham quickly snuffed out the Stingray momentum with three more unanswered goals to create their biggest lead of the day – 39 points at three quarter time.
With the game almost beyond reach, the Dandenong boys still committed themselves admirably until the final siren signalled the end of their 2016 season – the final margin was 61 points.
There were plenty of tears in the Stingrays squad as they trudged off the field for the last time – with around half of the playing side never to pull on a Stingray guernsey again.
But coach Craig Black was adamant that the 18- and 19-year-olds would still always be a part of the club.
“We want them to feel like they’re always part of the family, and that coming through the Stingrays was an important part of their journey. We will always welcome them back.”
The entire Dandenong Southern Stingrays organisation want to express our utmost gratitude to all of the players, families, staff and fans for their undying support throughout the ups and downs of the 2016 season. We are immensely appreciative for it all.
Last Modified on 26/10/2016 21:10