DANDENONG Stingrays have finished top of the Country conference after a 20-point win over Eastern at Kennedy Community Centre on Saturday afternoon. The result sees Dandenong earn a bye in Wildcard Round and direct entry to next week’s finals series on the back of its 11-3-1 record.

Forward Mitch Toner was the catalyst for his side’s consolidating final term, booting three of his five goals within a sparking 10-minute patch. It came after Eastern closed to within single-digits heading into three-quarter time, with the sides engaging in a heated scuffle and looking up for a tight scrap.

Last year’s premier, Eastern, has ended up bottom of the Metro pool with a 5-10 record having lost its last four matches. Despite that, leading an immensely talented team were the likes of Archie Spencer, skipper Jordan Knapp, and bottom-age star Baxter Sruk – who all had 30 disposals or more.

We took note of the top prospects and performers from either side.

EASTERN RANGES 2.4 | 3.5 | 6.6 | 9.7 (61)
DANDENONG STINGRAYS 2.3 | 6.6 | 7.7 | 12.9 (81)

GOALS:
Eastern Ranges: R. Hofmann 2, B. Wilson 2, J. Lawrence, R. McConnell, B. McMillan, H. Ryan, N. Smith
Dandenong Stingrays: M. Toner 5, B. Carroll 4, C. Ah-Mu, J. Phillips, O. Shepheard

BEST:
Eastern Ranges: A. Spencer, B. Sruk, Z. Antonellos, T. Krawczyk, H. Chapman, J. Knapp
Dandenong Stingrays: B. Carroll, M. Toner, A. Sousa, G. Kennedy, A. McCarthy, J. Vaughan

EASTERN RANGES:

#2 Baxter Sruk
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 18/07/2009

Stats: 31 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 clearances, 4 inside 50s

Sruk ran riot in the first half, picking up 14 disposals during the opening term alone to stamp his authority on the contest. He seemed to pop up everywhere, covering plenty of ground between the arcs to both help defensive transition and be a dangerous launch player heading inside 50. The bottom-ager’s compact frame, clean hands and poise made for dynamic stoppage exits and he combined well with teammates in every phase of play. That prolific combination play was underlined by his 17 handball receives. His level of consistency is outstanding.

#7 Jordan Knapp
Midfielder | 179cm | 05/01/2008

Stats: 30 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles

Knapp seldom has any issue finding the ball, but his use and decision making have been tested in recent weeks. The Ranges skipper was typically clean and tough on the inside and thrived when combining his work rate with high footy IQ to accumulate on the outside. In tough kicking conditions, he looked stylish at best but tended to pick off a few tricky options which invited pressure. Still, he wanted the ball in his hands and set a strong example for teammates.

#8 Archie Spencer
Midfielder | 181cm | 24/09/2008

Stats: 30 disposals, 7 marks, 6 tackles, 6 clearances

Spencer was busy through the midfield, showcasing his clean set of hands to mop up plenty of loose ball around the ground. His core strength and toughness ensured he would be able to absorb pressure while winning possession and distributing to teammates, proving near-flawless by hand. No player won more clearances than Spencer, who also got stuck in with tackle efforts and was prepared to put his body on the line all day. A great competitor.

#14 Zac Antonellos
Forward/Midfielder | 181cm | 04/04/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 7 marks, 12 inside 50s

While many of Eastern’s key midfielders were handball happy, Antonellos brought a different approach through his 16 kicks. Although, his main role was as a high forward, where he effectively connected the ground with his speed off the mark and outstanding leading patterns. The lively top-ager was slippery in tight spots and cool under pressure, bringing the game forward with his 12 inside 50 entries. His turn of foot was electric and a massive weapon in transition.

#16 Harrison Chapman
Wing | 189cm | 06/01/2008

Stats: 22 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s

Speaking of weapons, Chapman’s ability to time his forward runs and carry the ball in transition posed a threat to Dandenong. Stationed out on the wing – a natural position for his traits – the athletic utility glided away from opponents with ease to help Eastern get out the back in attacking phases. Chapman provided great width, and while he can be patchy, is damaging at his best. He was right in the thick of the action as both teams came together after the three-quarter time siren.

DANDENONG STINGRAYS:

#3 Gus Kennedy
Defender/Midfielder | 186cm | 21/02/2008

Stats: 21 disposals, 4 marks, 5 rebound 50s

Kennedy was his competitive self on Saturday, primarily in defence before a late move on-ball. The Stingrays’ skipper provided reliable effort in the air and at ground level, able to split contests and recover the ball before blasting it forward. His quick and dual-footed rebound kicks were sometimes hasty, but generally helped put Dandenong on the front foot with impetus. He has one gear: go. Among his highlights in the final term was a nasty baulk in the corridor before launching inside 50.

#4 Marcus Prasad
Small Forward | 167cm | 23/03/2008

Stats: 10 disposals, 8 tackles, 3 inside 50s

The element which stood out most in Prasad’s game on the weekend was his pressure, laying eight tackles to have a presence out-of-possession. As any good small forward does, he helped force stoppages or spills with his defensive intent, packing a punch despite being among the smallest players afield. He searched high up the ground and even had a run in midfield, but didn’t have too many opportunities to utilise his creative kicking in the front half. When he did, it was eye-catching.

#6 Mitch Toner
Forward | 186cm | 16/01/2008

Stats: 13 disposals, 4 marks, 5 goals

Toner was the catalyst for Dandenong’s decisive fourth quarter burst, booting three of his five goals in the first 10 minutes to help put the game to bed. He played with plenty of raw power and intensity, splitting through contests and tackles en route to goal. While a little scrappy at times, he was robust in one-on-one situations and pounced on his opportunities within close proximity to goal. Toner was briefly thrown in to the middle but did his best work as a game-breaker deep inside 50.

#7 Andrio Sousa
Wing/Forward | 182cm | 11/08/2008

Stats: 27 disposals, 7 marks, 4 inside 50s

In what was one of his best four-quarter efforts for the season, Sousa displayed just how effective he can be in the attacking phase. He held with on the wing and connected well as a high forward, racking up 19 uncontested possessions and carrying the ball forward with energy. His clean hands and wicked turn of speed were key features throughout a performance where he linked up and dealt damage in waves. He’s a great player to watch in full flight.

#11 Jackson Phillips
Midfielder | 182cm | 30/01/2008

Stats: 13 disposals, 5 marks, 4 tackles, 1 goal

It was a relatively quiet day for Phillips by his lofty standards, although his class was evident throughout an active start to proceedings. He was innately cool and calm in possession, drifting into pockets of space where he could utilise his elite foot skills between the arcs. Clearly a trusted user, Phillips was at his best on the outside but can continue to build his body strength as an onballer. He capped off a strong opening term by converting his lone goal on the end of a 50-metre penalty.

#36 Ben Carroll
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 28/08/2008

Stats: 30 disposals, 5 marks, 5 clearances, 4 goals

One of the stars of the day, Carroll put together 17 disposals and three goals in an impactful first half. The tough midfielder-forward showed good power and intent to drive his legs through congestion, able to cut through traffic and slot goals on the run. His core strength and speed helped to withstand pressure en route to a game-high 15 contested possessions.