Live stream: Dandenong Stingrays face Sandringham Dragons in Coates League boys preliminary final

Sandringham Dragons have sent a message to their Coates Talent League premiership rivals after thrashing Dandenong Stingrays in the preliminary final. Watch the replay here.

Sandringham Dragons have sent a message to their Coates Talent League premiership rivals after a 49-point thrashing of Dandenong in the preliminary final.

And in the premiership quarter no less.

The Dragons breathed fire from the bounce, consistently finding their way forward - and turning those opportunities into points - as they battled the Stingrays for the first place in the grand final.

Dandenong was confident of their ability to find a way to compete in the bout between the teams which finished third and fourth on the ladder, but the Dragons came out on a mission.

Not only did they find points, they snuffed out the Stingrays, they, remarkably, held the team which finished one place above them on the Coates Talent League ladder to just one point in the third quarter.

It was the go-or-go-home term for Dandenong, who trailed by 21 points at the main break, but Sandringham put their rivals to the sword in an impressive quarter of footy.

Sandringham ran out 14.10 (94) to 6.7 (43) winners, and will face the winner of GWV Rebels v Oakleigh Chargers in the decider.

STINGRAYS’ PLAN TO ‘FIND A WAY’

Dandenong Stingrays coach Nick Cox is confident his side’s ability to “find a way under adversity” has prepared them for their biggest game of the year.

The Stingrays take on the Sandringham Dragons at RSEA Park in Sunday’s Coates Talent League preliminary final.

The winner will advance through to the grand final and, as form suggests, likely go in as favourites.

Catch the match LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on KommunityTV from 11am.

Cox knows beating a highly talented Dragons outfit will be tough, but says the Stingrays have built confidence from overcoming recent challenges.

Watch Saturday’s Coates League girls clash between Oakleigh and Dandenong here

Charlie Orchard is sure to play a key role for the Stingrays.

“The ability to find a way under adversity and when it looks like all is lost, it’s the biggest strength of our team,” he said.

“There’s a lot of examples I can look at through the year: Brisbane, we’re six goals down, we get back and pinch a draw.

“Bendigo, we got overtaken but came back and pinched a one-point victory, Gippsland in a final last week, they came back and we stood up to get over the line.

“We find a way. It’s off the back of our program implementing scenario training and our players having the ability to execute.

“Even though the pressure is 10, they have an understanding of what needs to be done and then they get the job done.”

The Stingrays advanced through to the preliminary final after defeating Gippsland Power by a straight kick last weekend.

They have played Sandringham just once this season and went down by eight points despite having more shots on goal.

Cox thinks the group has grown since that loss, saying each member is happy for individuals to achieve knowing it benefits the Stingrays as a collective.

“I think in life, and in football, it’s how you represent yourself, how you are with your humility and respect for the game,” he said.

“Our boys have got that respect. They realise, at times, there’s hurdles they have to jump, but through their understanding of what’s required.

Vic Country representative Cooper Hynes bagged a couple of goals last weekend.

“We are really, really proud of what we achieve individually because we know it helps the team.

“It’s taken us a long way and if players aren’t implementing that, they’re probably going to miss out on games and opportunities.

“A strength of our squad is that when players are missing on game day we still had 15 of them there on the sidelines.

“We just want to continue that because we’re positive, we’re having fun and we enjoy each other’s company, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far.”