DANDENONG Stingrays midfielder Taj Campbell-Farrell is our NAB League Player of the Week for Round 8. The consistent ball winner was dominant in his side’s 21-point win over the Sandringham Dragons on Friday night, collecting season-high numbers of 40 disposals, six marks, and 10 inside 50s against stiff opposition in the engine room.

The top-ager now has a steady buffer atop the NAB League disposal charts with a total of 182 from six outings. Campbell-Farrell’s season average of 30.3 has now been exceeded thrice in 2022, with his latest effort the first time he has ticked up to 40 touches in Stingrays colours.

At 185cm, the 17-year-old has become a reliable asset around the ball with his size and clean hands. His work in combination with the likes of Mitch Szybkowski and Henry Hustwaite at stoppages has been a feature of Dandenong’s play this year, with each player helping the other shine.

Campbell-Farrell is the second Stingray to earn a Player of the Week nod in 2022, after leading mid-season draft candidate Jai Culley did so in Round 1. He is now just the second Country-based talent to do so, but joins an esteemed list of overall recipients which includes top pick contenders Will Ashcroft and Elijah Tsatas.

Having knocked off the highly rated, albeit undermanned Sandringham Dragons, Campbell-Farrell and his Stingrays now sit sixth overall with a 4-2 record. Their next chance to impress comes on Saturday, as Dandenong hosts Greater Western Victoria at Shepley Oval.

2022 ROOKIE ME CENTRAL NAB LEAGUE BOYS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Round 1: Jai Culley (Dandenong Stingrays)
Round 2: Will Ashcroft (Sandringham Dragons)
Round 3: Elijah Tsatas (Oakleigh Chargers)
Round 4: Harry Sheezel (Sandringham Dragons)
Round 5: Seth Campbell (Tasmania Devils)
Round 7: Lewis Hayes (Eastern Ranges)
Round 8: TAJ CAMPBELL-FARRELL (Dandenong Stingrays)