Determined Stingrays pipped by a point

By Jarrod Potter
ANOTHER one-point loss was dished out to the Dandenong Stingrays over the weekend, as the Geelong Falcons fought off a Rays’ fight-back in the last quarter.
Highgate Reserve was beset with howling winds, which hampered the goalkicking efforts for both teams. Dandenong kicked five points into the wind and 61 with it, showing the disparity in the conditions at each end.
The first quarter saw the Stingrays regularly finding the ball, despite gale-force winds, but they only generated two behinds. Falcons’ forward Sam Gordon was unstoppable in the first stanza, booting three goals from textbook leading.
At the break, Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats geared his team up and urged them to be “hard at it” and not assume the wind would do it for them.
“The breeze won’t do it for us; our intensity at the ball will,” Yeats said in the huddle.
Yeats’ message sunk in, as the Stingrays lifted their work rate in the second quarter.
Adam Giobbi created a goal from a brilliant tackle, drilling the tough shot from tight in the forward pocket. Hard tackling from Max Gearon and Jason Salopek paid dividends as well, giving Dandenong first use of the ball for most of the term.
The Falcons didn’t go away despite seeing less of the footy, taking full advantage of limited opportunities to snare three goals against the wind. Stingray Brett O’Hanlon kicked two goals late in the quarter, leaving Dandenong 11 points down at the main break.
The third quarter was a forgettable affair, with neither side finding much of the scoreboard in the fading light.
The Falcons’ Andrew Boseley asserted himself as one of the premier backmen in the competition, by spoiling marks and generating strong run from the backline.
Jordan Kelly and Giobbi were among Dandenong’s high possession winners for the term, but their efforts weren’t rewarded as the Stingrays only kicked three points, leaving them 17 points adrift going into the final quarter.
Despite the margin, the Stingrays were determined to win, jumping the Falcons from the first bounce under Highgate’s sparse lighting.
Quick goals to O’Hanlon and Giobbi pushed the momentum in favour of Dandenong, but against the flow of play, Geelong’s Lachlan Edwards and Taylor Adams struck goals to push the margin out.
Jarryd Capiron responded and an amazing mark and goal effort from Nick Haynes took it down to a one-point margin with 90 seconds to go. The last clearance went Stingrays way, but a chance did not eventuate, leaving Dandenong down by one point.
That was the losing margin for the second time this season, after they were beaten by a point by Gippsland Power in the first game of the year.
Dandenong’s forwards were impressive. O’Hanlon crashed every marking contest he could find and slotted 3.3, Nick Haynes was rotated up forward and off the wing, playing the link-up role in the same style as Nick Riewoldt, to keep the ball moving in the conditions.
Best afield for the Stingrays was Giobbi, stepping up to fill the midfield roles usually occupied by the unavailable AIS representatives, Lachie Whitfield and Jason Pongracic. His two goals and countless marking passages through the midfield kept the Stingrays in the contest against the wind.
Nick Tuddenham was also impressive in varied roles, especially when moved up forward to crumb the talls.
The TAC Cup takes a break over Easter. The Stingrays return after the holiday to face the Oakleigh Chargers at home on 30 April.