By Jonty Ralphsmith
AFL Academy forward Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves has returned from a shoulder injury in style, kicking four goals to lead Dandenong Stingrays to a comfortable 11.9(75) to 4.13(37) victory over Calder at Shepley Oval on Sunday.
Prior to Sunday, Hibbins-Hargreaves had played just one full game for the season, before being the victim of a heavy collision in the Stingrays’ round two match.
He had an immediate impact, kicking the first goal of the game, and finishing with 13 disposals and four tackles to accompany his scoring.
A four-goal-to-zero second quarter helped Dandenong break away from Calder in a match where both sides were depleted due to the absence of players to private school footy.
Another key storyline out of the game was the debut of two 2027 draft-eligible Port Adelaide father-son prospects: Louis Salopek, son of Stephen, for Dandenong, and Tevita Rodan, son of David, for Calder.
Salopek finished with 13 disposals and six marks playing off half forward, while Rodan, also an Essendon Next Generation Academy player, had seven disposals and a goal.
Both are set to represent Vic Country at the under-16s national championships later this year.
Sam Lewis and Callum Smith formed a potent one-two punch in the midfield, with both racking up 27 disposals and five tackles to advance their selection case for Vic Country.
The Stingrays will face Bendigo at Shepley Oval this Saturday at 2pm.
