Left: Gippsland Power players Steven O’Bryan and Dale Thomas celebrate the side’s great 11point win over the Stingrays on Saturday.GIPPSLAND Power claimed the 2005 TAC Cup minor premiership with a spirited 11point win in the topofthetable clash with Dandenong Stingrays at Dandenong in what football pundits rated as one of the TAC Cup games of the year last Saturday.
The Stingrays made another four changes in an attempt to settle its team with the finals just around the corner. Into the team came Aaron Murray, Paul Rebeschini, Shane Wright and captain Greg Bentley. The first time the two teams clashed the Stingrays came from 54 points down to snatch victory with seconds to go.
Shepley Oval came up a treat due to the hard and diligent work of curator Phil Orchard and the Stingrays started the game kicking into a twogoal breeze. The pace of the game was frenetic as both teams approached the ball ferociously and attacked and counterattacked with precision hand and foot skills. The Power combination was having the better of the forward thrusts and should have been more than nine points in front at the first break. Gippsland paid plenty of attention to Stingrays playmakers Nathan Jones, Travis Tuck and Daniel Nicholls and matched Bentley with Xavier Ellis in what was an epic manonman battle. Bentley was the Stingrays’ only firstquarter goalkicker with two. The Stingrays also matched up key Power players, with Sam Carpenter on Ricky Delphine and James Magner on Steve O’Brien. These matchups were working and it was up to the backup onballers to get the teams going.
The second and third terms brought more of the same and no quarter was asked or given by either team. Every possession had to be earned as constant physical pressure was applied. Each quarter the Power managed to convert opportunities, outscoring the Stingrays by three goals to two, and at the last break held a comfortable 27point lead.
Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats urged his players to continue to attack the ball and play on at every opportunity. Slowly the Stingrays bridged the gap and with six minutes to go had closed to within five points. A goal by the Power was quickly answered by the home team and it looked like the Stingrays may pinch another victory. A set play at a stoppage in the front half again got the Power’s margin out to 11 points and that is where it stayed, both teams having played themselves to a standstill.
Leading the way for the Power was dynamic onballer Ricky Delphine, whose 42 hardwon possessions were pivotal in the teams’ engine room. Jeff Ryan was given a crucial “runwith” role and did it brilliantly as well as being a damaging player himself. They were give great support by Beau Vernon, Steven O’Bryan, Scott Pendlebury, Lachlan Hansen, Jaymie Youle, Dale Thomas, Ben Ross and Brett Dore. In round 18 the Power hosts Western Jets.
Yeats thought the difference between the teams was the work of the big men. Horaczko, McCall, Murray, Comben and Zwar were well off their best and would have to improve if the Stingrays were to have an impact in September. The Stingrays are against local rival the Eastern Ranges next Saturday at Shepley Oval at 11am and the Stingrays looked likely to play North Ballarat Rebels in the first weekend of finals.
Scores: Gippsland Power 11.16.82 d Dandenong Southern Stingrays 10.11.71.
Goals: (Power) Dale Thomas 3, Ben Ross, Ben Fraser, Chris Dunne 2, Jeff Ryan, Beau Vernon 1. (Stingrays) Greg Bentley 3, Brad Scalzo 2, Travis Tuck, Logan Hill, Pas Saccuzzo, Sam Carpenter, James Magner 1.
Best: (Power) Ricky Delphine, Jeff Ryan, Beau Vernon, Steven O’Bryan, Scott Pendlebury, Lachlan Hansen, Jaymie Youle, Dale Thomas, Ben Ross and Brett Dore. (Stingrays) Sam Gill, Adam Kirkwood, Greg Bentley, Ryan Cook, Matt Stanley, Shane Wright.
