By Tyler Lewis
The girls are off to the big dance!
After a sensational home and away season to go with an excellent finals series, the Dandenong Stingrays girls have booked a NAB League grand final berth.
The Rays continued their unbeaten run to defeat the Geelong Falcons at Frankston Park on Saturday afternoon, 7.7 (49) to 3.14 (32).
Dandenong led the wasteful Falcons at every change and ultimately hung on in the final term, despite not hitting the scoreboard.
Amber Clarke paved the way for the Rays for disposals (19), but such is the unselfishness of the Dandenong side, was fifth leading ball winner on the ground.
The Rays were switched on from the first bounce, needing no motivation to strike the first blow in the big final
The attitude of the group for the preliminary final pleased Rays head coach Nick Cox.
“The environment inside the rooms was a bit different, the expectations of being a team that haven’t lost a game were pretty high,” he said.
“It was great they were switched on early, I thought it showed when we started the game and the girls never thought they’d get the win easily.
It was great to see us come away with it in the end.
“Credit to Geelong, the way they stayed in the game, if they kicked a bit straighter it might’ve been a different result.”
The Falcons kicked 14 minor scores, eight of which in the final term.
But wayward kicking from opposition seems to be a common theme against the Rays, while Dandenong itself isn’t often caught by the miss-kicking bug.
Cox addressed that theme by revealing his girls have an understanding of their capabilities when it comes to distance from goal.
“I thought the way we distributed going forward makes a big difference, to give girls an opportunity to have easier shots on goal rather than a rushed kick from 40” he said.
“A couple of times girls were about 40 or 50 (metres) out, instead of going back we’re looking for a better option.
“The girls have an understanding that we want to make a play and look good in the moment.”
A key to the Dandenong units success is the willingness from players to play a role that may not be the flashy and enjoyable, but one that has guided this side to a grand final.
Felicity Crank and Olivia Robininson had 18 tackles between them, and as Cox explains, they’re just two that are all in to the Rays’ mantra.
“You must’ve been in the room before the game, because that was the first word on the board: selfless,” he said.
“And knowing that when your moment comes, it’s not about possessions, it will be your moment of when the team will benefit.
“That has been a big emphasis for us, every week most of the leading disposal winners, there is not usually many Stingrays at the top, we have an even spread across the board.
“That is a pleasing aspect, particularly in NAB League, girls and boys can be a bit individualised at times.
“But the importance of developing as a team is something we as coaches have been really pleased with.
“I am sure it is a big emphasis for most NAB League regions.”
This Rays side has been through it all. Playing all over the state, having sprinklers on during games and effectively being homeless, training out of the old St Kilda venue at Seaford, as cricket season crosses over the Shepley Oval timeline.
But all of that is taken into their stride, and it is something Cox couldn’t be prouder of.
“It is a great word, resilience, we have been all over the country with these girls,” he said.
“We have been to Craigieburn, out to Churchill, a few games at Seaford, one at Frankston yesterday – which was great.
“The resilience and I suppose the girls not complaining about what they can’t control I guess is a great thing, they just get on with it.
“They train hard, challenge each other, we have had few issues on and off the ground but we work through them as a group.
“The big thing on it is they’re not just good footballers, but they’re maturing and developing as humans who will go out into the real world once they leave our program.
“I am sure they will represent themselves well which is credit to their junior clubs, their parents and themselves.”
The Rays will travel to Werribee to take on the Western Jets in the NAB League grand final this Friday night.
