The final chapter of the Dandenong Stingrays 2011 TAC Cup season was the annual vote count and presentation night which was held at the Dingley International Hotel, Dingley on Friday 7th October 2011.
The vote count saw ultra consistent forward Nick Haynes awarded the Stingrays Best and Fairest award for season 2011. 19 year Haynes established himself as a top line TAC Cup Forward/Midfield with his strength in the air, run and carry and precise footskills making him a draftable commodity as he headed to the AFL National Draft combine at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. Haynes polled in 11 out of 14 games for a total of 93 votes to win by 6 votes from bottom age hard running backman Nathan Wright. Wright polled in 11 of his 19 games and will be looking forward to 2012 to step up and be an A-Grade TAC Cup Backline/Mid-fielder.
Third was the ever reliable Robert Hill who progressively enhanced his standing as the year went on. Polling 86 votes in 15 out of 19 games. Hill was the most consistent vote getter for the Stingrays in 2011 and finished the year off strongly only to fall short by one vote to young Nathan Wright.
Key defender Jordan Kelly won Graeme Yeats’s coaches award for dedication and selflessness. Jordan has overcome major injuries in the past two years and went on to play in the Under 18 Vic Country NAB AFL Nationals and attend draft combine where he posted very competitive times.
17 Year old Scott Durdin won the trainers award for his efforts to overcome his 12 month broken wrist and long serving trainer (20 years) Brian Hunt won the prestigious Club Person of the year. To top the night off 3 other Stingrays staff were recognised with their long serving effort of 20 year service awards in John Hunt and Bob Burns (trainers), John Somers (Head Trainer) and Alan Trigg (Development coach and recruiter) to the Dandenong Stingrays.
Whilst a grand final appearance or a premiership would have been the icing on the cake, the year for the Stingrays overall was exceptional. They finished the TAC Cup season in 4th position. Matthew Buntine and Alex Benbow were named in the TAC Cup Team of the Year and Graeme Yeats named as TAC Cup coach of the year. Alex Benbow won the Morrish Medal for 2011 and Lachie Whitfield named in the All Australian team. 10 players represented Vic Country in the Under 18 NAB AFL championships and another 4 Under 16’s represented Vic Country in their age group. Four players; Lachie Whitfield, Jason Pongracic, Clayton McCartney and Billy Hartung were named in the 2012 AFL AIS Academy squad on the back of Todd Elton, Lachie Whitfield and Matthew Buntine this year. Five Stingrays players attended the AFL Draft combine at Etihad Stadium and another four players attended the state combine screening in Melbourne. Team success is only part of the Stingrays key performance indicators, the ultimate goal is to expose as many players at as high a level possible to be looked at a potential AFL recruits and to that indicator, the Stingrays season has been very successful.
Number
|
First Name
|
Surname
|
Total Votes
|
No Games in 2011
|
Average Votes per Match
|
39
|
NICK
|
HAYNES
|
93
|
14
|
6.643
|
10
|
NATHAN
|
WRIGHT
|
87
|
19
|
4.579
|
4
|
ROBERT
|
HILL
|
86
|
18
|
4.778
|
34
|
BRETT
|
O'HANLON
|
80
|
17
|
4.706
|
3
|
LACHLAN
|
WALLACE
|
59
|
19
|
3.105
|
26
|
PIVA
|
WRIGHT
|
58
|
13
|
4.462
|
37
|
JASON
|
PONGRACIC
|
55
|
13
|
4.231
|
29
|
MATTHEW
|
BUNTINE
|
46
|
10
|
4.600
|
27
|
RYAN
|
MORRISON
|
43
|
14
|
3.071
|
5
|
ALEX
|
BENBOW
|
41
|
16
|
2.563
|
45
|
TODD
|
ELTON
|
35
|
9
|
3.889
|
32
|
JORDAN
|
KELLY
|
34
|
6
|
5.667
|
59
|
DARREN
|
MINCHINGTON
|
34
|
8
|
4.250
|
14
|
DAMIEN
|
JOHNSTON
|
30
|
18
|
1.667
|
7
|
LACHIE
|
WHITFIELD
|
29
|
9
|
3.222
|
23
|
JASON
|
SALOPEK
|
26
|
11
|
2.364
|
42
|
JAKE
|
CALVERT
|
25
|
15
|
1.667
|
30
|
MAX
|
GEARON
|
25
|
14
|
1.786
|
13
|
COREY
|
BUCHAN
|
24
|
15
|
1.600
|
2
|
DALE
|
SUTTON
|
21
|
17
|
1.235
|
8
|
NIC
|
TUDDENHAM
|
20
|
16
|
1.250
|
11
|
BILLY
|
ROLFE
|
14
|
17
|
0.824
|
33
|
JIMMY
|
JENNINGS
|
13
|
8
|
1.625
|
25
|
ADAM
|
GIOBBI
|
12
|
10
|
1.200
|
56
|
DANIEL
|
JACKSON
|
9
|
3
|
3.000
|
52
|
AARON
|
LEES
|
8
|
10
|
0.800
|
35
|
MITCHELL
|
VINEY
|
8
|
6
|
1.333
|
47
|
ANDREW
|
VELLA
|
6
|
2
|
3.000
|
55
|
JOSHUA
|
WESTERMAN
|
5
|
6
|
0.833
|
44
|
LEWIS
|
PIERCE
|
3
|
4
|
0.750
|
15
|
JACK
|
SHEPPARD
|
3
|
5
|
0.600
|
17
|
JACKSON
|
DALTON
|
2
|
4
|
0.500
|
20
|
MATT
|
RENNIE
|
2
|
7
|
0.286
|
40
|
JARRYD
|
CAPIRON
|
1
|
6
|
0.167
|
36
|
STEWART
|
DAMON
|
1
|
11
|
0.091
|
Last Modified on 11/10/2011 20:41