27th July, 2025
Both sides put up valiant efforts in doubleheader against Oakleigh
On a fresh day in Seaford, both our girls and boys battled it out against the Chargers for rounds fifteen and sixteen respectively.
The girls match got underway at 11:30am and both teams were fighting hard.
It was a low-scoring affair in the first term however, with no side able to kick a major.
Oakleigh found some momentum in the second, kicking two goals inside the first five minutes to open up a lead.
We continued to challenge them but couldn’t get any reward ourselves.
They added another in the fourteenth minute and would go on to lead by nineteen points at half time.
But the girls stayed the course and dug deep in the contest.
A duo of behinds from Charlotte Gilmore and Alice Cunnington was followed by a major from Matilda Argus who put through our first goal of the match in the fifth minute. Those three were among the best on the day.
Oakleigh hit back to push the margin back out shortly after.
More minor scores at goal for us came before Cunnington finished on the run right on the siren to trim the margin. A trademark passage from our number twelve.
It was only a nine-point game with one quarter to play.
Unfortunately, the Chargers put on the next three goals over the next fifteen minutes to push the lead back out.
Kiara Triep got on the scoreboard after converting from a set shot in the sixteenth minute.
In the end, we went down 8.5 (53) to 3.7 (25).
But it was a strong effort against a great Oakleigh outfit.
Mizuki Brothwell was a rock in defence, finishing with 18 disposals while Cunnington also had 18. Molly Reimers was good for her 15 touches and five marks, as were Argus, Indi Sherritt, and Scarlett Marsh. Nikita Harris was a beast on the inside with thirteen tackles.
The girls have a few weeks off before returning to action on the 17th of August against the GWV Rebels at Mars Stadium.
Shortly after the conclusion of the girls match the boys’ one commenced.
We had three debutants in Bentley Avenell, Xavier Bevis, and Will Cortese.
It was Callum Smith, Max Lee, and Gus Kennedy as the on-ballers in the opening bounce.
After Oakleigh drew first blood in the third minute, Marcus Prasad opened our scoring with a major from a set shot to level things.
But unfortunately, they would put on the next six to lead at quarter time by thirty-six points.
Bentley Avenell snagged our second and his first in Rays’ colours to give us somewhat of a spark.
Our third of the day came through a Tyson Anic set shot to trim the margin even more.
The boys continued to fight in tough conditions.
Oakleigh hit back to stem our flow before Prasad kicked another in the seventeenth minute.
We hit the change rooms down by twenty-six points.
The chargers kicked the first of the third but we remained calm.
Gus Kennedy laid a strong tackle inside-fifty but missed closely before Lochie Commons finished impressively for his first of the game almost immediately after.
We added another shortly after through Oscar Lonie.
Another goal to Anevell, his second, cut the lead to just thirteen points in the twelfth minute of the term.
Some slick skills from Anevell near goal saw him boot his third and all of a sudden it was an eight-point game.
Unfortunately, Oakleigh hit back immediately with a major and added another on the siren to kill our momentum.
With one quarter to play, Dandenong trailed by twenty-points.
Darcy Szerszyn (16 disposals, seven marks) was elite down back, as was Adrian Cole (15 disposals, eight marks).
Ruckman Fraser Marino (29 hit outs, eight disposals) played a great game also.
The rain continued to come down with the Chargers pressing.
A Commons major gave us a glimmer of hope but the visitors were too good and would eventually go on to win 13.7 (85) to 9.4 (58).
Anic led us for touches with 27 while Toby Sinnema also accumulated 25 of his own. Smith had 21, Jasper Russell had 20, and Kennedy also chipped in 18.
The boys also have a few weeks off before joining the girls over in Ballarat to take on the GWV Rebels for round eighteen.
Dandenong Southern Stingrays 