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<\/a>, skipper Jordan Knapp<\/a>, and bottom-age star Baxter Sruk<\/a> – who all had 30 disposals or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We took note of the top prospects and performers from either side.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n EASTERN RANGES 2.4 | 3.5 | 6.6 | 9.7 (61) GOALS:<\/strong> BEST:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n EASTERN RANGES:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n #2 <\/strong>Baxter Sruk<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>31 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 clearances, 4 inside 50s<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #7 <\/strong>Jordan Knapp<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>30 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #8 <\/strong>Archie Spencer<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>30 disposals, 7 marks, 6 tackles, 6 clearances<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #14 <\/strong>Zac Antonellos<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>22 disposals, 7 marks, 12 inside 50s<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #16 <\/strong>Harrison Chapman<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>22 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of weapons, Chapman\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DANDENONG STINGRAYS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n #3 <\/strong>Gus Kennedy<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>21 disposals, 4 marks, 5 rebound 50s<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kennedy was his competitive self on Saturday, primarily in defence before a late move on-ball. The Stingrays\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #4 <\/strong>Marcus Prasad<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>10 disposals, 8 tackles, 3 inside 50s<\/p>\n\n\n\n The element which stood out most in Prasad\u2019s 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\u2019t have too many opportunities to utilise his creative kicking in the front half. When he did, it was eye-catching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #6 <\/strong>Mitch Toner<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>13 disposals, 4 marks, 5 goals<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #7 <\/strong>Andrio Sousa<\/a> Stats: <\/strong>27 disposals, 7 marks, 4 inside 50s<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DANDENONG STINGRAYS 2.3 | 6.6 | 7.7 | 12.9 (81)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eastern Ranges: <\/strong>R. Hofmann 2, B. Wilson 2, J. Lawrence, R. McConnell, B. McMillan, H. Ryan, N. Smith
Dandenong Stingrays: <\/strong>M. Toner 5, B. Carroll 4, C. Ah-Mu, J. Phillips, O. Shepheard<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eastern Ranges: <\/strong>A. Spencer, B. Sruk, Z. Antonellos, T. Krawczyk, H. Chapman, J. Knapp
Dandenong Stingrays: <\/strong>B. Carroll, M. Toner, A. Sousa, G. Kennedy, A. McCarthy, J. Vaughan<\/p>\n\n\n\nEastern Ranges<\/h5>
<\/li><\/ul><\/div>Dandenong Stingrays<\/h5>
<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
Midfielder\/Forward | 181cm | 18\/07\/2009<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Midfielder | 179cm | 05\/01\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Midfielder | 181cm | 24\/09\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forward\/Midfielder | 181cm | 04\/04\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wing | 189cm | 06\/01\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defender\/Midfielder | 186cm | 21\/02\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Small Forward | 167cm | 23\/03\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forward | 186cm | 16\/01\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wing\/Forward | 182cm | 11\/08\/2008<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n