The TAC Cup finals are now well and truly upon us after the wild card round last week.

AFL Draft Central has its preview of the first week here. 

The Dandenong Stingrays and Gippsland Power won yesterday -

TAC Cup 2018

Dandenong Stingrays 5.6.30 11.11.77 14.14.98 19.20.134

Greater Western Victoria Rebels   0.2.2 2.2.14 2.4.16 3.6.24

Goals

Dandenong Stingrays Cahill 4 McDonnell 3 Bayne 2 Hustwaite  Frawley  Cottrell  Fletcher  Williams  Bedford  Goonan  Bowman  Taylor  Cumming 

Greater Western Victoria Rebels Jennings  McEldrew  Wilson 

Best

Dandenong Stingrays Fletcher Cahill Cottrell Gahan Frampton Hustwaite

Greater Western Victoria Rebels Helyar Wright Carlin Dawson Wareham Ugle-Hagan

Gippsland Power 5.1.31 8.3.51 8.5.53 13.10.88

Geelong Falcons 2.3.15 4.7.31 6.9.45 7.11.53

Goals

Gippsland Power Smith 2 Connolly 2 Henkel 2 Pepper  Beck  Gown  Duursma  Serong  Neocleous  Mosquito 

Geelong Falcons Idun 2 Ham 2 Sprague  Walsh  Schlensog 

Best

Gippsland Power Beck Gown Motton Duursma Hourigan Baldi

Geelong Falcons Brownless Schlensog Stephens Walsh Clark Bruhn

Ben King, the big Sandringham key forward, confirmed his status as a top 5 draft pick with 5 goals today.

TAC Cup 2018

Oakleigh Chargers 7.1.43 14.6.90 20.10.130 25.13.163

Western Jets 4.0.24 5.1.31 6.3.39 6.7.43

Goals

Oakleigh Chargers Williams 6 Bosenavulagi 4 Whitehead 3 Gasper 3 Day 3 Robertson 2 Rowell  Collier-Dawkins  O'Neill  Wraith 

Western Jets Watkins  Andrews  O'Halloran  Kyriazis  Manton  Pantalleresco 

Best

Oakleigh Chargers Williams Jordon Rowell Answerth  Day Bosenavulagi

Western Jets O'Halloran Khamis Thar Watkins Manton Radovanovic

Sandringham Dragons 1.4.10 5.8.38 9.10.64 13.16.94

Murray Bushrangers 2.4.16 2.7.19 5.8.38 7.9.51

Goals

Sandringham Dragons King 5 Maginness 2 Stocker  Mahony  Grey  Chirgwin  Rendell  Hanrahan 

Murray Bushrangers Garoni 3 Hollands 2 Ash  Frauenfelder 

Best

Sandringham Dragons King Mahony Byrnes Denborough Stocker Worrell

Murray Bushrangers Boyd Butts Irvine Hollands Bollinghaus Boyer

Weekend Previews: TAC Cup – Preliminary finals

The TAC Cup is in preliminary finals mode today with two cracking games coming up at Ikon Park. For those who don’t know where that is, a formerly great AFL club used to play there. 

The first game between the Dandenong Stingrays and the Sandringham Dragons should be a cracker. There’s also plenty of interest in the Oakleigh Chargers v Gippsland Power. With this year’s draft being deep in terms of talent, there is an array of talent who are likely to be available in the latter part of the second round where the Demons’ choices are likely to be found.

The TAC Cup Grand Final will be fought out between the Dandenong Stingrays and Oakleigh Chargers. Both easily won their respective preliminary final matches. The potential Demon zone selection Toby Bedford kicked three for the Stingrays.

TAC Cup 2018

Dandenong Stingrays 2.1.13 6.3.39 11.7.73 14.11.95

Sandringham Dragons 1.1.7 5.3.33 6.3.39 8.5.53

Goals 

Dandenong Stingrays Williams 3 Bedford 3 Cahill 2 Sturt 2 Taylor 2 Foot  Bayne 

Sandringham Dragons Mahony 2 Chirgwin 2 King 2 Grey  Maginness 

Best

Dandenong Stingrays Hustwaite Hamill Williams Fletcher Bedford Bowman

Sandringham Dragons Rendell Worrell Dean Stocker Chirgwin Byrnes

AFL Draft Wrap: Toby Bedford stands out against Sandringham

TAC Cup 2018

Gippsland Power 0.0.0 0.3.3 0.4.4 3.4.22

Oakleigh Chargers 4.4.28 9.5.59  14.10.94 17.13.115

Goals

Gippsland Power Serong 2 Gown 

Oakleigh Chargers Williams 3 Gasper 3 Day 2 Rowbottom  Anderson  Collier-Dawkins  Answerth  Ross  O'Neill  Bosenavulagi  Wraith  Rowell 

Best

Gippsland Power Duursma Sparkes Beck Patterson Gown Smith

Oakleigh Chargers Ross Ayton-Delaney Rowbottom Wraith O'Neill Rowell

Comprehensive 2018 TAC Cup Grand Final Preview

TAC Cup 2018

Dandenong Stingrays 2.1.13 6.2.38 10.7.67 12.8.80

Oakleigh Chargers 3.2.20 3.6.24 6.8.44 11.8.74

Goals 

Dandenong Stingrays Foot 2 Williams 2 Sturt 2 McDonnell 2 Cahill  Bedford  Bowman  Bayne

Oakleigh Chargers Williams 4 Anderson 2 Collier-Dawkins  Robertson  Ross  Bosenavulagi  Gasper 

Best

Dandenong Stingrays Hustwaite Frampton Stenning Hamill Fletcher Williams

Oakleigh Chargers Rowell Collier-Dawkins Williams Answerth  Robertson Westwood

Campbell Hustwaite has had an outstanding year. Captaincy has elevated his play. 

Positives is his strong contested play, run and discipline. Disposal needs improvement so may miss getting drafted if recruiting think he cannot be improved. But realistically he is a definite rookie chance.  Nick Smith Swans champ had same issue but has corrected to simply kick the footy without pinpointed style. 

Two articles on the TAC Cup Grand Final from AFL Draft Central ~

Stingrays set out to make own history: Black

Scouting notes: 2018 TAC Cup Grand Final