Photo: Solstice Digital
It was a tough outing for the Devils in round ten of the NAB League Boys, as they fell by 80 points to the Dandenong Stingrays. Tasmania entered Saturday’s clash at Kingston’s Twin Ovals missing several stars to injury and Allies duties, and they were unable to overcome a classy Stingrays side.
TASMANIA DEVILS: 2.0 2.3 3.4 5.5 (35)
DANDENONG STINGRAYS: 4.3 8.8 11.12 17.13 (115)
Goals: Oscar Harper 2, Cooper Warren, Thomas Beaumont, Geordie Payne
Best players: Josh Gillow, Mitch Nicholas, Fletcher Hooker, Dillon Goss, Khai Lunson, Oscar Harper
The Devils midfield battled hard from start to finish, with Dillon Goss (18 disposals, nine contested possessions) and Fletcher Hooker (23 disposals, ten marks) leading the way there. Half-backs Arie Schoenmaker (29 disposals, 13 marks) and Braidy Simpson (28 disposals, six marks) were kept busy throughout and led the game in disposals, while key forward Oscar Harper impressed in just his second game with two goals.
Clearly untroubled by their first interstate trip of the season, the Stingrays burst out of the blocks and kicked the first three goals of the game inside ten minutes. Harper helped to steady the ship with his first of the day, and when debutant Cooper Warren joined the “first kick, first goal” club late in the term the Devils were still well and truly in the fight.
DEVILS PLAY OF THE WEEK 🔥
First game ✅
First kick ✅
First goal ✅Cooper Warren joined the exclusive club in his @NABLeague debut, making an immediate impact on the scoreboard.#NABLeagueBoys #TheDevilYouKnow pic.twitter.com/NcHs2MDdVl
— Tasmania Devils (@TasmaniaDevils_) June 20, 2022
Dandenong led by just 15 points at quarter-time, but they put their foot down in the second term to build a decisive lead. The Devils were held goalless in the quarter, kicking just three behinds, while the Stingrays piled on four unanswered goals. That damage could have been even greater if not for some resistance from Tasmania’s backline, who were put under plenty of pressure as Dandeong racked up 65 inside 50s throughout the game. Debutant Khai Lunson and fellow defender Josh Gillow battled manfully, and their efforts helped to keep the margin to 41 points at the main break.
It was more of the same early in the third quarter, with the Stingrays kicking the first three goals and Tasmania not hitting the scoreboard until Liam Howard’s behind after 23 minutes of play. Harper booted his second in the dying moments of the period to wrest back some momentum, but that still left the Devils trailing by 56 points at the last change. There were some positives in the fourth quarter, with Tom Beaumont and Geordie Payne both adding goals and Oscar Van Dam setting up play well from the wing. Dandenong continued to accelerate away, though, and kicked six goals in the term to blow the final margin out to 80 points.
The Devils will look to bounce back quickly this Sunday when they take on the Bendigo Pioneers at the Highgate Recreation Reserve.