Stingrays hold off Cannons for third win of season
Lenny Roberts.
Coming off a close loss last weekend, Dandenong were at home looking to bounce back against the Calder Cannons for round seven.
There were two debutants for the match with Lochie Commons and 16-year-old Louis Salopek both getting their opportunity.
It was a cold-ish day with the sun coming out in patches over the Shepley Oval.
The Stingrays were kicking towards the south end for the first term.
Sam Lewis, Gus Kennedy, and Callum Smith were the three on-ballers for the opening bounce, with Fraser Marino handling the ruck duties.
Calder owned the early territory before Henry Hayes found Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves inside-50, who went back and slotted the first major of the day.
An even game both in the contest and on the scoreboard with neither team able to do much damage in the front half.
The Cannons responded with their first in the thirteenth-minute.
Smith was prominent in the midfield in the first quarter, as was Toby Sinnema.
There were several missed opportunities at goal for the home side which gave Calder a slim three-point lead at the first break.
Jasper Russell opened the second term by banging home a goal on the run in the second minute to give the Rays’ the lead.
The chilly conditions continued to have an effect with the game being played between the arcs for the next ten minutes.
A multitude of behinds were scored by Calder who were pressing in the middle stages of the term but the Rays’ defense held firm.
Eventually the ball went up the other end where JayDe Varlet took a big pack mark in the goal square.
He went back and drilled the set shot for Dandenong’s third.
Shortly after, Hibbins-Hargreaves popped up deep in the forward-fifty to goal. The very next possession, Commons snapped truly on the run for his first goal in Stingrays’ colours and gave his side a handy lead and some momentum heading into the main break.
It was 5.4 (34) to 1.7 (13) scoreline at half time.
Nate Marchant got things going in the third term by goaling before the flood gates started to open.
Hibbins-Hargreaves found his third of the afternoon through a long set-shot which was quickly followed by a major from Marcus Prasad who was lively all game.
Both Charlie Orchard (23 disposals, six marks) and Darcy Szerszyn (12 disposals, seven marks) were elite behind the play. Forming a brick wall in defense with their intercepting attributes.
A second goal to Commons in the thirteenth-minute blew the lead out to a game-high forty-four points.
Just about best-on-ground was Lewis, who was instrumental in the engine room. Finishing with a season best of 27 disposals and five tackles.
The Cannons eventually broke the drought in the sixteenth-minute with back-to-back goals to keep the door slightly ajar.
But Hibbins-Hargreaves kicked his fourth to steady things just before the three-quarter-time break.
A thirty-six-point buffer for the Rays.
Calder drew first blood in the last; however, the damage had already been done.
Kennedy brought great pressure all game. And produced one of the highlights of the match, a perfect smother right in front of the benches.
The remainder of the match was a stalemate with just one more goal for either side being scored, that being from Smith. Who capped off a 27-touch performance with a major in the twentieth-minute.
In the end Dandenong ran out 11.9 (75) to 4.12 (36) victors.
Tyson Anic racked up an impressive 26 touches while Russell, Sinnema, and Prasad all registered 24 of their own.
The Stingrays dominated the inside-50 count (59-36), disposal tally (370-268), and marks (92-74) in what was a relatively complete display.
Their season tally now sits at three wins and three losses with their next match against the Bendigo Pioneers on Saturday at home.
Dandenong Southern Stingrays 