By JARROD POTTER
A DANDY line-up is coming together for the Stingrays ahead of their 2015 TAC Cup season.
Craig Black and his coaching staff have run their eye across the best talent in the south east and taken their pick of the best 50.
The players have put in charge Lachlan Williams as their 2015 TAC Cup captain – a single captain this season down from the dual role the club had used in previous years.
Williams – a wily midfielder/forward – will lead the team alongside vice-captains Mitch Cox and Lachie Batten while the greater leadership group also includes Brandon White, Keiran Collins, Jacob Weitering and Jake Lovett.
“We’ve just gone for the one captain this year,” Black said.
“I think his (Williams) pre-season has been really good and he’s got a lot fitter.
“You just hope the natural progression – his improvement from a 16 to 17-year-old was really good – and if he can take that step again and continually improve on last year he’ll be another really good player in the TAC Cup.”
Training and testing day for the TAC Cup was on Saturday and the Stingrays excelled as the Rouse brothers – Jordan and Zachary – pushed to 16.6 in the beep test – a distance that would equal former Dandenong Stingray Billy Hartung’s AFL National Combine record. Also starring were Darcy Warke, highly ranked in the agility run, while Brandon White and Liam Myatt and Warke all clocked sub-three-second times for the 20-metre.
Dandenong’s final practice match is against Gippsland Power this Sunday at Garfield – with the senior Stingrays kicking off at 3pm.
DANDENONG STINGRAYS’ SQUAD – LOCAL PLAYERS
BEACONSFIELD – Jayden Bubb, Thomas Glen, Jordan Stewart, Thomas Jok, Bailey Rice, Brandon White.
BERWICK – Ryan Gains, Trent Thomas, Emmett Yawney, Sean Nicholson, Reece Piper.
CRANBOURNE – Zak Roscoe.
DEVON MEADOWS – Kyle Beveridge, Phillip Raso.
DOVETON – Lachlan Batten, Josh Battle.
NARRE WARREN – Gach Nyuon, Kurt Mutimer, Liam Myatt, Mitchell Cox, Jason Edtmaier, Malis Lokeron, Cory Machaya, Michael Milivojevic, Brenton Wells.
NOBLE PARK – Caleb Millman, Jack Murray.
PEARCEDALE – Harrison Prior.
