By Hayley Wildes
Although there was no TAC Cup action over the weekend, the Dandenong Stingrays were still busy at work, continuing to drive improvement as they look to stay atop the TAC Cup ladder.
Last Wednesday night, the squad was put through its paces by an AFL legend; three-time premiership player, Norm Smith and Brownlow Medallist, Simon Black.
Black, who runs the Simon Black Academy – an elite Aussie Rules and education academy – knows plenty about the talent coming through the pathways these days and was impressed with what he saw from the Rays.
“It was great – they’re obviously a highly-talented bunch of young men and very capable,“ he said.
“They’re a really committed bunch of guys and they’re obviously going really well, which is great to see and they’re really well led by Craig Black.
“I just did a couple of drills with them and worked with some of the midfielders on some stoppage craft and just tried to add my bit of experience and share some ideas. Obviously, it brings back memories for me – I had aspirations at that age to make it into the AFL.”
Black was also impressed with togetherness of the squad.
“They’re a great footy club – it had a great feel and atmosphere within the group. I got that feeling that they’re a tight-knit group too – it was a pleasure to be down there for the night,” he said.
The Simon Black Academy, which is in its third year, provides its student-athletes with the opportunity to progress their football skills, while also studying a university degree in business and sports development.
Former Dandenong Stingray Tom Murphy attended the Simon Black Academy and was their first student-athlete to be drafted into the AFL system when he was taken with pick #4 in the 2017 AFL rookie draft by North Melbourne.
Murphy made his AFL debut in Round 11 against the Brisbane Lions. He didn’t disappoint; gathering 14 disposals and revelling in a big 54-point win.
Black talked about Murphy’s success and the hard work he put in to get drafted.
“We were pretty thrilled for him. He’s a great young man and he worked his butt off, so it’s just really pleasing to see him get the opportunity and be rewarded for his hard work in the last 18 months,” he said.
“He’s quite a big-bodied guy and has played a fair bit of inside mid, so he can play that role really well. He can also go forward or he can go back – he’s a bit of a utility, I believe, and he’s got some real attributes that can help him survive in the AFL.”
With a plethora of Rays currently in the AFL system, there will likely be a few more joining them in 2019.
