Stingrays turn the table

The Dandenong defenders earned their kudos on Saturday as Dan Moloney takes a strong contested grab. 126943 Pictures: JARROD POTTER

By JARROD POTTER

TAC CUP – semi final

BOOKING a TAC Cup preliminary final clash in fine style, Dandenong stunned the crowd to record an emphatic 53-point win over Geelong.
Putting behind them a 59-point defeat against Geelong last month, Dandenong came out firing.
Even with a few misses to their name, Dandenong fought past Geelong with relish and left no doubt that the Stingrays are now a revived premiership contender.
The turnover count damaged the Falcons and left the Stingrays in complete control after the first frenzied five minutes.
The defenders had complete control over the Falcons’ forwards as Kyle Grey, Mitch White and Dan Moloney racked up the touches and marks. While Geelong could get the ball inside-50, the Falcons could not keep it there as Dandenong mauled them from the goal-line and beyond.
The dam started to burst in the second term as Dandenong advanced on the scoreboard. A four-goal term left the Falcons reeling, but the knock-out blow was delivered after the break. The Stingrays swarmed to tackle in packs and force the Falcons widely and indirectly to the goals.
Dandenong held a 24-point half-time lead.
Co-captain Jack Lonie started to flourish as the goal-sneak lived up to his title and drilled three goals in the third en route to five for the match.
Dandenong’s four-goal term left little doubt of who would win the clash – with a 40-point buffer at three-quarter-time already showing Geelong had started to wave the white flag.
The party started in earnest as Lachlan Williams drilled Dandenong’s first of the last term to seal the game.
Four more would fly through including a 50-metre bomb from Bailey Dale to take the score to 15.8 (98) to Geelong 6.9 (45).
Pushing through the midfield, Blake Mullane had the ball on a string as he threaded passes to the forward contingent, while Bailey Dale and Aaron Pawel also impressed through the centre of the ground.
“Just really happy for the kids,” Stingrays coach Craig Black said.
“Just the way they applied themselves today, (Sunday) it’s two weeks in a row we’ve been able to stick to the plan that we wanted to and play really unselfish footy.”
Turning around their lacklustre last month of the regular season to push through and win two finals was put down to great form by Black.
“It obviously helps when two of their better players aren’t playing, but take that away and our guys have been really focused… playing themselves into great form at the right time and that helps,” Black said.
“When the kids have something they believe in… the ball keeps rolling and it carries on.”
Dandenong will now face Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup preliminary final on Saturday at VISY Park.

TAC CUP
GEELONG 0.2 2.3 3.6 6.9 (45)
DANDENONG 2.0 6.3 10.4 15.8 (98)
Geelong Goals: P. Bright 2, H. Kershaw, J. Sheahan, D. Hodge, B. Beardsell. Best: J. Sheahan, J. Nelson, H. Goddard, Z. Cordy, H. Kershaw, L. Maddock.
Dandenong Goals: J. Lonie 5, L. Williams 2, T. Lamb 2, R. Fischer, B. Dale, A. Wilson, B. Mullane, A. Harnett, M. Cox. Best: K. Gray, M. White, J. Lonie, B. Dale, D. Moloney, A. Pawel.