By Jonty Ralphsmith
End it at quarter time?
That’s what the Rays would have been hoping for on Friday night at Shepley Oval, the girls first game at their true home venue in three years, against Oakleigh.
It was described at the first break by coach Josh Moore as the team’s best quarter of the year.
Led by bottom-aged winger Tahlia Sanger, who got into good spots and found plenty of the footy, and Sophie Butterworth, who is on the precipice of tearing a game apart, the Stingrays had 65 per cent of the ball in their forward half.
It felt like more – much more.
The margin also felt like it should have been greater than the 14 points it was at quarter time, but, for all their ascendancy, Dandenong put only two goals on the board.
They came courtesy of Butterworth and Brooke Smith.
The Stingrays could not manage another major for the remainder of the night, ultimately going down by 18 points.
Oakleigh had the game on their terms more than not after quarter time, but the hosts still had their opportunities, lacking the finishing polish.
Dandenong was still in it at three-quarter-time, but the three decisive fourth-quarter goals conceded all came via Chargers’ free kicks.
“Grit is one of our values as a team and, generally, I think we’re a gritty team, giving effort and fighting until the end – it was a big focus at three quarter time,” said coach Josh Moore.
“I thought we tried but we didn’t quite have enough grit.
“We put Felicity (Crank) in the midfield and she tried really hard.
“The players lost a little bit of hope when they kicked the first goal and felt it’s out of reach.”
Along with Sanger, fellow winger Ruby Murdoch – who importantly held her shape and played a role for the team – and midfielder Mikayla Williamson, the other big performer was Elli Symonds.
The bottom-aged key-position prospect played a statement game against the Power the previous week and backed it up against the Chargers.
She finished with 14 hitouts and 17 disposals and eight tackles.
A few of those disposals came after she took possession out of the ruck contest.
As well as monopolising the ruck contests she was in, she impressed with some eye-catching moments.
Symonds took a contested intercept mark in defensive 50 and burst away from stoppage and accelerated in the middle of the ground,
Slightly undersized to be a full time ruck at AFLW level, Symonds, who is working tirelessly on her kicking, needs to show she can aptly play another position.
She’s arguably been the biggest riser for the Stingrays of the first month.
“That’s not an instruction, but she can do what she wants,” quipped Moore of Symonds grabbing balls out of the ruck.
“There were a couple of things she did where we looked at each other in the box and started laughing because she’s just that good.
“She can do things other girls can’t do so as a bottom-ager who has played three games, she has got huge upside.”
Vic Country-listed Jemma Reynolds is another who continues to impress with her clean fundamentals.
Meanwhile, Abbey Tregallis has played her last game for the Stingrays, picking up eight touches and seven tackles.
She will now link with the Southern Saints VFLW side.
RAYS BOYS
On Sunday, Dandenong’s boys pulled away from GWV in the third quarter and always looked the better team after halftime.
That followed a close start where mid-season draft prospect Ziggy Toledo-Glasman’s three early goals were crucial before he was thrown into defence and even had a go in the ruck.
Strong, rebounding defender Billy Wilson continued to push his claims for Vic Country with another excellent outing, finishing with 25 disposals and a classy goal.
Kade De La Rue was another that was everywhere, roaming in the midfield and forward line ominously, finishing with 32 disposals, six tackles and a goal.
Bottom-aged prospect Cooper Hynes built on his strong first three weeks with his best showing at the level, collecting 26 disposals, several clearances and scoring two goals in the 34-point victory.
Beaconsfield boy Kobe Shipp’s versatility was on display, while Hampton Park’s Jack Wilson played both wing and half forward in his best game of the season.
POWER TRIPPED
Gippsland, meanwhile, got outplayed in the first quarter against Bendigo and was always playing catch-up at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Power, coached by Hayden Burgiel on the day, threatened to mount a comeback in the second half but left themselves with too much to do, going down 10.9 69 to 7.10 52.
Captain Seb Amoroso, who put his head over the ball and had it going forward all day, finished with 22 disposals which backed up a strong effort last week.
He’s been an important in-and-under contributor for Gippsland this season after plying his trade as a small pressure forward in 2022.
“I’m pretty happy with how I’ve attacked the footy off the deck in the first month,” Amoroso said.
“My ability to be clean and pick it up through traffic is something I’ve worked on a lot through the off-season so I’m happy to see it come into games.
“It’s been good to adjust to midfield conditions and help set up our structure in there.”
The skipper also praised the effort of Wil Dawson and Lachie Smith in the ruck.
The pair had the size advantage and put it on a platter for the midfielders all day, though they were not always able to capitalise.
Key-position player Harvey Howe also bagged 14 hitouts, starting in the ruck then pinch-hitting in there throughout the day as he settled at full forward.
It was Howe’s return game after cartilage damage to his knee interrupted his preseason, and he is one capable of putting himself on the map to go in the mid-season draft.
Ryan Maric is another mid-season draft prospect, finishing with three goals including two at crucial junctures in the last quarter which kept the Power in it as they made an unlikely – and unsuccessful – charge to snatch it.
Bottom-agers Xavier Lindsay, providing run off halfback, and Asher Eastham, who showed his overhead and lead-up acumen in attack, were also impressive.
