Stingrays on the improve

Nick Cox believes his side is on the improve. 182660 Picture: ROB CAREW

By Tyler Lewis

“We are becoming really healthy at the right end of the year, getting our better players back and I don’t think anyone would like to play us, put it that way.”

Despite dropping another game on the weekend, this time to Eastern – Dandenong coach Nick Cox has been impressed with what his side has delivered over the past month, and backs them to deliver when it counts.

It isn’t often that a side kicks more goals than its opposition and loses the match, but that was just another factor in the building frustration for the Stingrays.

Going into the first interval this week against Eastern, the Rays were yet to record a major and had five behinds on the board.

Ned Cahill roved the pack and dished a neat handball to Corey Ellison who kicked Dandenong’s opener in the second term, and the Rays were threatening to be back where they belong.

Cahill again only moments later wheeled around from deep inside the pocket and snapped the ball truly, putting his side in front.

Unfortunately in a big third-term, big man Sam De Koning – who was an enormous target forward – went off the ground with an ankle injury.

Eastern edged back into the game in the dying moments of the third to make it a mouth-watering final term.

Both sides converted one goal in the final term – Dandenong’s through Ellison’s second, but the Ranges crawled over the line through minor scores.

The loss to Eastern makes it seven in a row for the Stingrays, yet Cox isn’t taking much out of the loss – more how his side is playing.

“We have been really good for the last two weeks and even the back end of the Sandringham game we were pretty good against all quality opposition over the last three weeks,” he said.

“It was just disappointing we weren’t able to execute with our ball movement going forward but we’re pleased with the result nonetheless.

“It was a positive step leading into the last game of the year and hopefully a couple of finals.”

Combine invitee Sam De Koning went down clutching his left foot and sat out the remainder of the game, but Cox shook off any concerns of the dynamic utility.

“He’s fine, he just got stood on,” he said.

“He was actually asking to come back on the ground late but we didn’t want to risk it.

“Going into what he has individually and us as a team over the next few weeks we didn’t want to risk it but he will be fine.

“I think the biggest thing with Sam is he was really frustrated with the attention he was getting – but good players have to get through the being held and scragged or whatever but he wanted to get back on to prove he was.

“He will be right for Geelong in a couple weeks I would’ve thought.”

The Stingrays will use the week off to recover for the big final game against Geelong on Sunday 18 August.

If the Stingrays lose to last placed Geelong – there fate will be in the hands of Murray who play the game after them in a football festival at Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo.