IT is that time of year again where the best sides take to the field and determine which TAC Cup clubs are contenders and which are pretenders. In the past years, the junior competition has seen the finals series take on the identical look to that of the AFL, but in 2017, the finals will be three weeks of pure knockout. The first two games to kick off the round are first taking on eighth and third taking on sixth. So without further adue, we take a look at the second match of the finals series.

Dandenong Stingrays vs. Eastern Ranges

Dandenong: 3rd, 12-6, 1543 points for, 1297 points against, 119%
Eastern: 6th, 9-9, 1286 points for, 1404 points against, 92%

Heading into the 2017 season, these two teams were my tip to make the TAC Cup Grand Final based on the sheer amount of top-end talent they both have. With the finals series changed to pure elimination finals now, this is no longer possible and these two teams will have to battle it out to remain in the premiership hunt. Dandenong has been very impressive leading into finals, having won four of its last six games, with its two losses coming against Gippsland Power by two points and Geelong Falcons by eight points.

Eastern on the other hand, had looked to have found its form heading into the finals with five consecutive wins, but with three of them coming against the bottom four teams, one has to wonder if it masked their true form. They were no match for either of the top two sides in the final two rounds with a 58-point defeat against Geelong and a 45-point loss to Oakleigh surely raising concerns behind closed doors. Eastern has the talent to seriously make a play for the premiership, but the Ranges will need to be at their absolute best to win.

The last time these two sides played back on May 20, the Stingrays belted the Ranges by 63 points as Mason De Wit was a sponge in defence, rebounding the ball nine times to go with his 31 disposals and seven marks. Potential first rounder Hunter Clark also had a day out with 28 disposals, six clearances, six inside 50s and eight tackles. Others that impressed in the win were highly touted bottom-ager Will Hamill (25disposals, five marks), hard-working midfielder Mitch Cotter (24 disposals, five clearances, five inside 50s, four rebounds) and forward duo tall Tom De Koning and small Jai Nanscawen who both booted four majors on the day.

For Eastern, Thomas North was the major ball winner with 24 disposals (12 contested), five clearances and five tackles, but the Ranges will not be able to rely on him on the weekend after he was injured in their loss to Oakleigh last week. The talented Jaidyn Stephenson had 16 disposals and laid a massive 13 tackles to go with six clearances in an impressive display, while first round draft pick Sam Hayes had 15 disposals, 21 hitouts, five inside 50s and a goal. Jordan Lynch (21 disposals, eight clearances and eight tackles) and Kye Quirk (19 disposals, five marks and four clearances) were also among Eastern’s better players on the day.

Key players today:

Luke Davies-Uniacke (Dandenong Stingrays) 22.5 disposals, 4.3 marks, 3.5 tackles, 1.0 goals per game

The potential number one draft pick has been chugging along nicely in the TAC Cup but is yet to break a game open. On the finals stage with no second chances, this is his opportunity to really make a stand for his side. Davies-Uniacke is a contested beast and good around the ground and expect him to make a statement in the middle around the clearances.

Ryley Stoddart (Eastern Ranges) 16.3 disposals, 3.6 marks, 1.4 tackles, 0.4 goals per game

While it would be easy to point out either Stephenson or Hayes as a key player for the Ranges, I think their next group of stars is likely to be the difference. Stoddart is a key down back because of his ability to clear the ball and rebound really well, averaging 3.7 rebounds per game. If he can move the ball well out of Dandenong’s defence, they are always a better chance of victory.

Last word:

Both sides would back their chances in this one, but with Dandenong’s better form I will stick with them, the team I tipped to ultimately win the TAC Cup flag. Both sides have room for improvement, and if Eastern can fulfil the potential that they show in patches, they are capable of anything, particularly with the amount of top-end talent they have. It will come down to which side can play the game on their terms as both can score at will when given the opportunity.