Round 15 TAC Cup action saw the Rebels travel to Shepley Oval in Dandenong to play the inform Stingrays. Rebels’ stocks were strengthened with the return of Andrew Hooper, David Astbury, Ben Peters and Josh Cowan from Vic Country duties. The coin toss gained extra significance, given the strong wind advantage to the southern end of the ground, and Dandenong’s known ability to kick early goals. Winning the toss helped the Rebels score three goals to one in the first quarter, however Dandenong won more of the contested footy, despite the tenacious efforts of Dean Gavin and Kevin Bourke, who racked up a number of possessions through the midfield.
A similar story unfolded in the second quarter with Dandenong scoring three goals to the Rebels’ one. North Ballarat won clearances from secondary stoppages, where Josh Free, Liam Hoy and Dean Gavin were “in and under” to hold the opposition and win possession. Marcus Darmody and Chris Curran were also prominent in helping to repel a number of Dandenong’s forward moves.
Chris Giamopaolo’s snap goal on the run within two minutes of the third quarter and Josh Cowan’s goal at ten minutes gave the Rebels an eight point lead, with quick ball movement forward yielding results. This good work was undone by instances of poor communication, which saw Rebels’ defenders fly for the same ball, allowing Dandenong to grab the spillage and score against the wind. A 50 metre penalty to Dandenong, from ill-disciplined play, allowed another goal to give the Stingrays a 17 point lead at the final change.
Lucas Cook and Josh Cowan struggled with injuries to reduce options for the Rebels heading into the final quarter and Jordan Dillon fell heavily early in the quarter to make matters even more difficult. A goal after 4 minutes to an unmarked Dandenong player made the task even more challenging. Liam Hoy was a standout player for the Rebels and he refused to throw in the towel, but too many Rebels’ players lost confidence, as the Stingrays added two more goals in quick succession. Rebels’ “body language” and level of effort slumped, despite goals from David Astbury and Chris Gianpaolo mid-quarter, and Dandenong encountered little resistance in creating scoring opportunities. Aided by a strong wind and the Rebels’ worrying trait of turning over possession from poor kicking at a rate of almost 50%, the Stingrays managed to score eight last quarter goals, with a further eight behinds also registered.
Next week’s fixture against the Gold Coast now assumes greater significance for the Rebels, as they consider their ladder position and the possibility of a place in finals’ action, in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, with the game to be played at Eureka Stadium.
Last Modified on 21/07/2009 09:31