Dandenong Journal Star - 10th March 2014

Page 60

DANDENONG JOURNAL

Page 60 Monday, 10 March, 2014

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SPORT

Lions’ force decider A RESILIENT last innings effort from Springvale Lions kept its baseball premiership hopes alive on Saturday night. Needing to win to push the Baseball Victoria Division 2 grand-final series to a third match, Springvale roared to victory over Williamstown in the 10th innings through pitcher Freddie Flores and superb team hitting to claim a 9-5 victory and force a decider. Going ahead 4-1 early in the clash, Springvale was pushed down the stretch by the Wolves - bringing the margin back to level pegging at the end of regulation time through Williamstown’s Ryan Camov late in the ninth. Flores forced Williamstown to leave a man on third base, continuing his impressive changeup pitching for the series, before the 10th innings began. Flores took it to Williamstown

with bat and ball - pitching through all 10 innings before slugging one of the match-winning runs as Springvale smashed six runs in what would be the last innings. The Lions’ win forces the series to a third match, scheduled for Sunday, 1pm at Melbourne Ballpark. The Springvale success started last weekend as Baseball Victoria Women’s Division 1 champions Springvale Lions snared a 6-3 win over Footscray at KM Wearne Reserve. Victoria Brown pitched the whole game to keep Footscray off the plate while Shae Lilywhite, recently named Baseball Australia’s Open Female Player of the Year, made a couple of clutch hits as did Shanae Flanigan, whose huge hit brought home a pair of team mates to push the Lions ahead.

Rob Hogan pitching for Springvale Lions in the first of the threematch Baseball Victoria Division 2 grand-final series against Williamstown. 116455 Picture: WAYNE HAWKINS

Smart list for smarting Stingrays last year and didn’t get a game,” Black said. “Mullane has been in the system for a year and Hunt only came into our system half way through the year.” Dandenong plays its last practice match of the TAC Cup pre-season against the Gippsland Power on Sunday 16 March at Garfield in three games - Under 16 at 11am and two Under-18 games at 1pm and 3pm.

By JARROD POTTER

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SMARTING from last season’s 112-point TAC Cup grand final loss to the Eastern Ranges, Dandenong has its eyes set on going one better in 2014 with a stronger and much taller list. The Stingrays have just announced their playing list for 2014 with AIS-AFL representatives Tom Lamb and Daniel Capiron leading the list. Dandenong coach Craig Black admitted it was one of the tougher lists to whittle down to its final size, but said it was all the stronger for those difficult cuts. “We’re going well and the boys have been training well,” Dandenong coach Craig Black said. “Had the camp last week and it was pretty tough to finalise the squad - but it’s good that it’s done now and we can concentrate on playing games. “The average height in the initial squad was 187cm… probably the tallest squad we have ever had, but the AFL has a lot taller players around. “So we just need to start putting into plans our direction that we’re trying to teach them, and our game style and play… that team brand and team-first approach.” Dandenong’s leadership group has been announced with Mitch White, Jake Wilson, Jack Lonie, Rourke Fischer, Daniel Capiron and Tom Lamb all in line to receive the

DANDENONG STINGRAYS’ TAC CUP LIST 2014

Tom Lamb was selected as a Dandenong Stingray for the upcoming Picture: JARROD POTTER TAC Cup football season. 105890 Stingrays captaincy, which has yet to be announced. “Hopefully those boys that got an opportunity last year are driven from that last result and are spurred on a bit during the year and play a nice exciting brand of team-oriented

footy,” Black said. Dandenong has returned four 19-year-old players with Blake Mullane, Elliott Hunt, Jayden Tomkins, Troy Jacobson and Joel O’Sullivan back for another shot in the TAC Cup. “Troy and Joel were injured all

Sam Geurts, James Freeman, Mitch White, Kyle Gray, Taylor Joyce, Alex Harnett, Daniel Moloney, Jack Wheeler, Jack Lonie, Chris Johnson, Aaron Pawel, Lachlan Batten, Thomas Jok, Daniel Capiron, Thomas Glen, Jake Wilson, Blake Mullane, Joel O’Sullivan, Keegan Downie, Rourke Fischer, Kieran Collins, Dylan Barfoot, Matt Homfray, Gach Nyuon, Troy Jacobson, Daylan Kempster, Jayden Tomkins, Kurt Mutimer, Aaron Wilson, Tom Lamb, Jacob Weitering, Elliot Hunt, Thomas Stoffels, Brandon White, Liam Hulett, Travis Young, Caleb Gray, Jack Holden, Justin Bennett, Ben Giobbi, Lachlan Williams, Bailey Dale, Sean Nicholson, Mitchell Cox, Zak Roscoe, Jake Lovett, Joshua Steen, Robbie Turnbull, Bailey Rice, James Paligorov, Jordan Rouse, Liam Myatt, Zachary Rouse, Mitchell Mccarthy, Brad Kiely, Jake Dipasquale, Darcy Warke, Emmett Yawney, Jason Edtmaier.

Fudged a win By JASON ADAMS CORNELIUS Fudge made it yet another win at Sandown Park last Thursday night, defeating Dyna Tony in a time of 29.73. The fawn chaser was slow out of the boxes before weaving his way through the field, storming home to claim first prize in what was typical Cornelius Fudge style. Trainer Lisa Cockerell was delighted with the win from her kennel star aka ‘Cashy’, although she did get slightly worried throughout the mid-part of the race. “When he got checked down the back straight I thought the leaders may have got too far in front for him but he proved me wrong… I was really proud of him!” Cockerell said. Cornelius Fudge was unlucky when finishing sixth in a heat of the Group 1 Australia Cup, but Group glory is something that may be on the horizon for Cashy, with the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg just under one month away. “We will be taking him to Sydney for the Easter Egg, we would have to give him a trial around Wentworth Park before the heats as he has never raced outside of Victoria before.” Cornelius Fudge’s win was not the only win for Cockerell last Thursday night, she also owned the winner of the tenth race, Lavender Brown, who ironically is trained by Cockerell’s mother, Marlene Dopper. It was back in 2003 when Cockerell was working behind the bar at the Geelong greyhounds, where she met her husband Ian, who is now Lisa’s training partner. It was only four years later that the training pair experienced their biggest thrill in greyhound racing, getting Finlandia into a Group 1 Sapphire Crown final. “Her Sapphire Crown heat was only her fifth career start, and she won that in 29.66, on the old Sandown surface which was really impressive,” she said. “It was one of the biggest thrills I’ve experienced in greyhound racing.” Finlandia went on to compete in another Group 1 final and finished up with nearly $50,000 in prize money.

VSDCA - round 13 (one day)

Bulls rampage home NOBLE Park (9/165) will take strong form into the VSDCA finals following its one-day triumph over Williamstown (100) Losing three quick, and particularly important, wickets early proved challenging for the Bulls but the revival came in earnest from Johan Vorster (50) - notching his third score over 40 in four rounds. Vorster and Mevan Fernando (32) would add 55 for the fourth wicket before Vorster succumbed to Graham Murdoch (3/25). Rizan Mawzoon (38 not out) flew the flag at the end, setting a middling total for Williamstown to knock off. The visitors couldn’t get over the line as Marasinghe Perera (4/24), Fernando (2/10) and Mawzoon (2/15) led the charge through the opposition. Noble Park now face off against Oakleigh in their qualifying final this Saturday and Sunday from 1pm at Warrawee Park Oval.


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