DANDENONG JOURNAL
Page 60 Monday, 31 March, 2014
Connecting people and communities
SPORT
DJ
TAC Cup - round 2
Hard work By JARROD POTTER WRITTEN in blue ink on a whiteboard were these two simple words for the Dandenong Stingrays to play and abide by in its TAC Cup season opener. The demands on the Stingrays after last year’s horror finish - downed 112 points by Eastern Ranges in the 2013 TAC Cup grand final - would have been great and the lads stood up to the challenge... eventually. Under new coach Craig Black - the hard work he craved from the Stingrays didn’t show up in the first quarter-anda-half. Dandenong was blown away by Gippsland as the Power extended its lead beyond 40 points at one stage and threatened to tear the Stingrays apart. Little by little Dandenong turned the match around. Tom Lamb (six goals) was swung up forward to great effect as he clunked a number of contested marks. The run-and-carry from Alex Harnett and Mitchell White also kept the game moving while TAC Cup debuts continued promisingly as Tooradin-Dalmore ruckman Elliot Hunt showed he belonged at the level with a hit-out spree. The run on came late in the second quarter as goals to Wheeler, Wilson and Lamb revived the Rays. After half-time Dandenong was
dominion, with three quick goals levelling the once heavily-lopsided scoreline. Showing the brave characteristics necessary for a captain - Daniel Capiron was involved in a collision
TAC CUP DANDENONG STINGRAYS 0.2 5.3 10.4 12.7 (79) GIPPSLAND POWER 3.6 8.8 9.11 10.18 (78) DANDENONG GOALS: T. Lamb 6, J. Wheeler 2, A. Wilson , A. Harnett , B. Mullane , J. Bennett. BEST: T. Lamb, A. Harnett, J. Holden, E. Hunt, M. White, B. Mullane. GIPPSLAND GOALS: M. Jacobsen 3, T. Marsh , C. Ambler , C. Buykx-Smith , J. Dunkley , R. Hearn , N. Dennison , S. Skinner. BEST: T. Marsh, M. Jacobsen, J. Cunico, J. Dunkley, N. Argento, B. Olsson. reminiscent of a car crash - spinning around twice in the air after a shoulderto-shoulder hit with a Power player,
Dandenong District Cricket Association
Hit the road running By JARROD POTTER PARKFIELD premiership captain Steve Spoljaric is on the move. A week on from playing the allround match of his life, batting the Bears out of trouble in the DDCA Turf 1 grand final with 106 before snaring 4/49 with the ball, Spoljaric has left Dunblane Reserve and will head down the South Gippsland Freeway to join Cranbourne. Spoljaric said the time was right to head off with Parkfield strong on the field and Cranbourne on the rise into the top division. “They had a chat to me the previous season and they showed their interest, but they didn’t make it (to Turf 1),” Spoljaric said. “This year they have, and what happened to us was a bit of a surprise… I had a think about things and thought I’d done this and that and I think I’ve left them (Parkfield) in a healthy state on field. “They’ve got enough talent to see them through, provided they stay together over the next few years… it was time to move on.” The 2013/14 Wookey Medalist - his third in four seasons - will be part of a bumper squad for the newly promoted Turf 1 team Cranbourne, which features former Buckley Ridges all-rounder Te Ahu Davis. “When you do your research they shouldn’t have been in Turf 2… hopefully a little bit of my direction and we can turn them into a powerhouse like they should be,” Spoljaric said. “Just happy for the fresh start and it’s going to be good fun… I’m there for two years and I hope I can get them on a very dominant path.” Looking back on his time at
Steve Spoljaric is heading off to Cranbourne after having guided Parkfield to premiership glory this season. 116838 Pictures: JARROD POTTER Parkfield, Spoljaric was rapt with the medals he’s won individually but loved getting the side a premiership and was still thinking about his run-out of Springvale South’s Aaron Morison in the grand final. “That little cheeky run out was the highlight for me,” Spoljaric said about the grand final win. “Doing something that only I knew what was going on at the time - everyone else was probably wiping their eyes, wondering what happened then.” Spoljaric’s finishes up his time at Parkfield with 3055 runs and 117 wickets including nine centuries and three six-wicket hauls.
Stingrays utility Aaron Wilson snares a strong grab. 117763 but he brushed off the knock to get up under his own strength. Gippsland’s kicking efficiency would have kept the Power awake on Saturday night - kicking 1.7 in the last term to squander a 28-to-19 scoring shot advantage to walk away without the points Gippsland squeezed a late goal to bring the match back to two points and eventually kicked a point with mere moments left in the game. Dandenong would hold on by a solitary point as the siren blared - in what seemed like an eternity - to spell
an end to a thrilling season opener. “I thought early on we had opportunities but going forward we didn’t kick the ball that well,” Black said. “To the boys credit they fought back hard to get back into the game. “Sam Geurts, Keiran Collins and Jacob Weitering proved defensively invulnerable - clutching any high ball that floated their way and rebounding strongly to impress on debut. “For a 17-year-old who hasn’t played a game at this level to go back and show the composure and mark the footy - and Jacob Weitering - they
Pictures: JARROD POTTER (Power) kept bombing the ball in and our boys stood up,” Black said. Even with his first TAC Cup match and win in the bag now, the result for Black meant more for his charges to grit their teeth and get back into the clash. “Little bit nervous before the game but to win by a point, I was really happy for the boys - 42 points down to be able to work ourselves back into the game then win the game so I’m more happy for them,” Black said. Dandenong heads to Simonds Stadium on Saturday to face Geelong from 2pm.
National Premier Leagues - round 2
Thunder out of nowhere
By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG Thunder pulled off a result that many around the National Premier League would struggle to fathom. The Thunder, battling last season’s State Knockout Cup champions Green Gully, had been swamped at the back throughout the first 35 minutes, but the Cavaliers failed to seize its chances in front of the box before everything started improving for the visitors soon after. Green Gully peppered the Dandenong goals throughout the first half and everyone thought the game was over when Thunder midfielder Kris Kioussis departed - to leave the Thunder one-man down. “It was an amazing game,” Thunder coach Dean Hennessey said. “Once we lost Kris - and to be fair we hadn’t played that well in the first half an hour - the boys were all very much up for the game. “The players were aware that I coached Green Gully last year and really focused on trying to do a good job for us doing what we were good at.” With only 10 men the Thunder had its back to the wall, but the Dandenong resolve kicked in and a fight-back of legendary status ensued. Rotations forced Keiran Dover to be substituted for the defensively minded Anthony Giannopoulos and the shuffle left Thunder playing a 4-4-1 lineup. Holding onto a drawn clash at half-time, Dandenong exploded in the second stanza as Jake Nakic almost had the go-ahead goal. Enter Matt Millar. The Pearcedale powerhouse stormed through the midfield at the 75-minute mark of the clash, side-stepping Green Gully defenders at will before launching a thunderous strike into the bottom of the goals to erupt George Andrews Reserve. Dandenong held out Green Gully for the next 15 minutes to push the Thunder up to fourth on the NPL ladder with results still to come this weekend. “Matt Millar was always going to be a feature,” Hennessey said. “Millar scored a great goal off a great build up and great run and it turned into a very fabulous outcome based on a difficult circumstance. “I thought we dealt with it well - the boys were very organised and Green Gully found it hard to break us down.” Dandenong Thunder faces Hume City on Saturday night
Dandenong captain Alan Mulcahy charges through the centre in the Thunder’s 1-0 win over Green Gully. 117765 Picture: JARROD POTTER - the first return of premiership player and former captain Shane Rexhepi to George Andrews Reserve since his offseason switch. “Hume is a good side,” Hennessey said. “I think Hume have really improved from last year and maybe didn’t finish as high as they should. “I don’t fear anyone in this league though - every game we go into we should think we can win. “We want to make Dandenong a fortress… we’re twofrom-two there… we’re off to a good start.” In other NPL Victoria results, Dandenong City knocked off Brunswick City 4-3 in a high-scoring thriller at Dunstan Reserve with Damien Miskulin, Keegan Ziada, Dario Matkovic and Goran Jozeljic scoring goals, while Springvale White Eagles was beaten 0-1 by Richmond.