Former Berwick junior Madison Andrews led Dandenong to an upset preliminary By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG has booked a spot in its third TAC Cup grand final in five years after blindsiding minor premier Geelong in the preliminary final at Visy Park on Saturday.
The Stingrays could not have been more impressive on their way to a 41-point victory and will start as slim favourites against the Calder Cannons in Friday’s premiership decider at Etihad Stadium.
Sixth-year coach Graeme Yeats told his players he felt ‘privileged’ to watch the uncompromising four-quarter performance.
Courageous midfielder Madison Andrews (22 disposals) was a standout on a day when reputation counted for little.
It was a nightmare for Geelong coach Garry Hocking and his charges that weren’t allowed to reproduce the free-flowing footy that saw them lose just one game in the home-and-away season.
It seems the underdog tag sat comfortably with the Rays.
“There’s no doubt that they underestimated us to some degree,” Yeats declared afterwards, recalling his side’s 34-point loss to the Falcons in round 16.
“They probably thought that if they could get their game going they wouldn’t have to worry about us, but we always believed that we could beat them.”
Dandenong was determined to be the aggressor, as midfielder Mitch Gent showed when he floored Geelong star Michael Sodamaco with a crunching shepherd in the opening minutes.
Returning defender Jarryd Amalfi made his presence felt by running down Falcons’ flyer Gary Rohan on the wing and forwards Corey Millard and Luke Parker kicked the first two goals from contested marks.
Stingrays’ stars Ryan Bastinac, Tom Scully and Matt Shaw were prominent early, guiding their side to a 25-point break at the first change.
The Falcons stopped the bleeding in the second, but they wasted some easy scoring opportunities and still trailed by 23 at half-time.
And just when gun midfielder Ben Cunnington (17, two goals) looked like sparking a Geelong revival, Dandenong defender James Hallahan ran 60m to receive a handball from Myles Pitt at centre half-forward and launched a game-breaking goal.
The Rays looked to have absorbed Geelong’s best blow, until key defender Josh Walker struck Pitt with an elbow behind play on the stroke of three-quarter time.
It was an act of frustration, perhaps desperation, but it didn’t work.
Pitt and his team-mates regrouped at the break, leading by 34 points, and showed no sign of faltering in the final term.
Half-forward Rohan Kerr sealed the result with a running goal after 11 minutes, before Adam Treloar – the youngest player on the ground – strolled in to kick his second for the afternoon and spark the celebrations.
“You couldn’t help but be proud of them,” Yeats beamed.
“They were fantastic.”
Yeats would have been buoyed by the evenness of contributions. Proven match-winners Scully (15), Parker (14) and Levi Casboult (12, 13 hit-outs) were serviceable, but it was the likes of Luke Sheppard, Will Petropoulos and Riley Heddles who made the difference.
Dylan Roberton (22, 12 marks) was poised and creative across half-back and Amalfi gave the highly regarded Rohan (10) a bath.
Bastinac (19) was typically constructive and kicked a vital goal in the third quarter, the Hallahan boys – James and Mitch – won plenty of disputed footy and Pitt provided a strong lead-up target.
The Falcons were led by defenders Billy Smedts (21), Brent Macleod (25) and Tom Mackenzie (18) and ball-winners Joseph Dare (31) and Allen Christensen (23).
