By Hayley Wildes
TAC CUP FOOTBALL
SEASON PREVIEWS
DANDENONG STINGRAYS
Coach: Craig Black
2017 finish (W/L): Third in TAC Cup; 12 wins, 6 losses
2017 best and fairest: Hunter Clark
2017 leading goal kicker: Riley D’Arcy (39)
2018 list:
Bailey Angwin (#37, Frankston YCW), Jarryd Barker (#6, Cranbourne), Finlay Bayne (#17, Mt Eliza), Toby Bedford (#15, Rosebud), Luca Bellinvia (#46, Cranbourne), Riley Boland (#40, Beaconsfield), Riley Bowman (#13, Crib Point), Jeremy Burton (#19, Mt Eliza), Heath Briggs (#31, Cora Lynn), Ned Cahill (#11, Mt Eliza), Jake Carosella (#33, Cranbourne), Matthew Cottrell (#49, Pearcedale), Matthew Cumming (#56, Rosebud), Stephen Cumming (#36, Rosebud), Aaron Darling (#14, Crib Point), Sam De Koning (#20, Mornington), Cooper De Merlo (#53, Mt Eliza), Corey Ellison (#52, Cranbourne), Sam Fletcher (#1, Red Hill), Zac Foot (#9, Langwarrin), Daniel Frampton (#32, Red Hill), Jake Frawley (#16, Pearcedale), Matthew Gahan (#12, Red Hill), Billy Geurts (#43, Dromana), Luca Goonan (#45, Mt Eliza), William Hamill (#58, Dromana), Jack Harmes (#38, Beaconsfield), James Hickey (#47, Edi-Aspendale), Kyle Hindle (#22, Bonbeach), Campbell Hustwaite (#23, Rosebud), Joshua Johnson (#21, Red Hill), Kyah Karavasilis (#54, Karingal), William Lewis (#4, Mornington), Lachlan McDonnell (#27, Noble Park), Dylan Mutimer (#51, Narre Warren), Jai Nanscawen (#42, Rosebud), Reid Nanscawen (#57, Rosebud), Bigoa Nyuon (#24, Rowville), Jafar Ocaa (#55, Pakenham), Reece Orchard (#34, Edi-Aspendale), Angus Paterson (#5, Mornington), Jamie Plumridge (#3, Beaconsfield), Chris Raso (#26, Noble Park), Mitchell Riordan (#18, Beaconsfield), Bailey Schmidt (#28, Seaford), Jarrod Smith (#8, Noble Park), Fabian Stellato (#35, Narre Warren), Lachlan Stenning (#41, Bonbeach), Jaxon Stuart (#48, Edi-Aspendale), Jai Taylor (#7, Red Hill), Jack Toner (#39, Narre Warren), Jai Triep (#25, Karingal), Cody Weightman (#44, Beaconsfield), Bailey Williams (#29, Crib Point), Lachlan Williams (#50, Mt Eliza), Alexander Young (#30, Beaconsfield), Hayden Young (#2, Somerville), Lachlan Young (#10, Mt Eliza).
The Stingrays finished season 2017 in third, before being bundled out by the Geelong Falcons in the Preliminary Final.
With six players from the 2017 team joining AFL lists – including top 10 picks Luke Davies-Uniacke (#4) and Hunter Clark (#7) – there is a great opportunity for the next crop of young guns coming through to fill the void left by those stars.
Dandenong Stingrays Talent Manager, Mark Wheeler identified three Academy players – Bailey Williams, Riley Bowman and Sam Fletcher –as players to keep an eye on.
“Sam Fletcher is probably the one that is really jumping out because his last game of football was round three last year when he went down with a lacerated kidney.” Wheeler said. “He’s been a stand-out on the track and he’s a good size now (189cm) – he’ll probably play inside mid/half forward flanker roles.”
The Stingrays boast a deep list; one that Wheeler says is probably the deepest in recent memory. He talks about the positives and negatives of culling the training squad down to the final list.
“There’s a negative to the positive and the positive is that it means we’re developing football well in the zone, but the negative is that 10-15 young gentleman probably, in any other year, would’ve made our list.”
What type of game style can we expect to see from the ‘Rays in 2018? Wheeler explains.
“We’re a strong, aggressive tackling midfield team – that’s probably going to be our stand-out and something we’re going to pride ourselves on.” Wheeler said.
“We’ve got a lot of height – we’ve got six players at around 200cms, so we’re going to have a fair bit of height up and down the ground. It’s going to be quick movement – getting the ball in there quick to give our guys one-on-ones.”
If there is one player who looms as someone to keep an eye on, it’s Jake Frawley.
“Aaron Darling and Jake Frawley are coming back from serious ACL’s. If anyone can tackle him this year, good luck to them because I haven’t seen a player that strong in our competition for a long time. He’s got a great don’t argue, he’s a beast and definitely well-built.”
Coach Craig Black and his team have a way with developing promising young players full of potential into stars of the game. Expect that to continue in season 2018.
In Tac Cup Girls news, the Stingrays fell to the Eastern Ranges 8.8(56) to 2.5(17). Eliza Wilson-Macdonald and Samantha Ryan were best for the ‘Rays as Georgia MacPherson dominated for the Ranges.
GIPPSLAND POWER
Coach: Leigh Brown
2017 finish (W/L): Seventh in TAC Cup; 8 wins, 10 losses
2017 best and fairest: Callum Porter
2017 leading goal kicker: Will Stephenson (27)
2018 list:
Wade Anderson (#41, Moe), Riley Baldi (#6, Moe), Trent Baldi (#30, Moe), Bailey Beck (#8, Nar Nar Goon), Mitch Bentvelzen (#36, Leongatha), Will Broadbent (#26, Trarlagon), Grady Cocksedge (#17, Moe), Leo Connolly (#10, Moe), Xavier Duursma (#5, Foster), Sam Flanders (#4, Moe), Noah Gown (#23, Moe), Tyrone Hayes (#1, Lakes Entrance), Rylan Henkel (#22, Moe), Austin Hodge (#11, Bairnsdale), Harold Hood (#28, Lindenow), Tye Hourigan (#14, Traralgon), Ricky Howard (#42, Maffra), Jack Hume (#34, Leongatha), Zac Hurley (#40, Sale), Nick Lowden (#13, Traralgon), Ben Maslen (#24, Moe), Burkley McFarlane (#31, Morwell), Mason McGannon (#3, Leongatha), Matthew McGannon (#18, Fish Creek), Mason McGarrity (#21, Warragul), Irving Mosquito (#9, Maffra), Boadie Motton (#29, Leongatha), Levi Munns (#27, Cora Lynn), Harvey Neocleous (#20, Traralgon), Bailey Patterson (#7, Leongatha), Harrison Pepper (#37, Moe), Fraser Phillips (#19, Warragul), Kyle Reid (#25, Leongatha), Matt Ryan (#39, Noble Park), Caleb Serong (#2, Warragul), Zac Skinner (#43, Moe), Brock Smith (#12, Moe), Josh Smith (#16, Koo Wee Rup), Ryan Sparkes (#15, Inverloch-Kongwak), Brett Thorson (#33, Meeniyan-Dumbalk), Marcus Toussaint (#44, Inverloch-Kongwak), Jake Van Der Pligt (#35, Leongatha), Luke Williams (#32, Sale), Josh Wykes (#38, Bairnsdale)
There is plenty to like about the 2018 Gippsland Power squad. With some top-age talent looking ready to explode into the season, there is also a plethora of younger guns that will provide excitement.
The likes of Xavier Duursma (Captain) and over-ager Matt McGannon will feature heavily for the Power this season. Both have shown they can be genuine stars of the competition and with another preseason under their belts, they will be raring to go in 2018.
Perhaps the most exciting prospect to watch for Gippsland this season is Irving Mosquito.
Mosquito is a member of Hawthorn’s Next Generation Academy and spent a week at Hawthorn earlier this year. He is an absolute excitement machine who will bring forward-line pressure and certainly knows where the goals are. Also, keep an eye on his ability to take a screamer.
At times, Gippsland struggled to put scoreboard pressure on teams last season and with 2017 leading goal kicker Will Stephenson no longer at the Power, there is the opportunity for others to step up.
Mosquito, along with Tyrone Hayes – who only played one game in 2017 – will be keys to ensuring the ball doesn’t come out of their attacking fifty without a fight due to their manic pressure.
Hayes is a potential star of the 2018 TAC Cup competition. He can play at both ends or even on a wing and at his most dangerous, he can turn a game on its head as a small forward.
Young guns Caleb Serong (Warragul) and Bailey Beck (Nar Nar Goon) are rising stars of the competition and will be vital pieces of the Power’s puzzle.
Serong played six games for the Power last season; kicking six goals and being named in the best four times – remember the name in coming years.
As an under-ager, Beck was a constant fixture in the Gippsland midfield last season, playing in 17 games and averaging 15 disposals and four tackles. His ability to impact games on the wing stood out last season, but don’t be fooled – he can win his own ball on the inside too.
The Gippsland Power Girls recorded their first win of the 2018 TAC Cup season over the Western Jets, 5.5(35) to 3.2(20) at Casey Fields on the weekend.
A dominant first quarter, which saw the Power kick five goals to one, set up the win as Tyla Hanks (2 goals) and Jasmine Ferguson took over the game.
