CASEY has showcased its class in a brilliant 107-point victory over Coburg at Piranha Park on Sunday afternoon.

Casey Demons 28.12 (180) defeated Coburg 11.7 (73).

The Demons had the luxury of fielding 18 AFL-listed players in this round one clash and after conceding the first goal of the game, ran all over their less experienced opposition.



“When you have a fit AFL list it presents challenges of how to fit them all in,” senior coach Jade Rawlings told Melbourne Media.

“Some really good players on our VFL list missed out so it was a challenge to fit them (AFL players) in and have a balance in the team, but I thought the balance of performance was very good across the board.”

Casey produced a high quality first half, and on the back of Sam Weideman’s dominance, the Demons took a match winning 55-point lead into the main break.

Weideman set the game up with four of his five goals in the opening two quarters, demanding the ball inside 50 and taking five contested marks throughout the game. His ability to win the ball in the air and at ground level was a feature of the match as he compiled 17 disposals.

“He’s really improved over the last few weeks,” Rawlings said.

“He looks like he’s going to mark it when it’s in his area and he’s kicking accurately, but it’s how he’s competing that we’re happy with.”

Weideman received good support from fellow tall forward’s Tim Smith and Cameron Pedersen, but it was new recruit Harley Balic who had the greatest impact on the ground. Balic kicked six majors and had 20 disposals as he pushed through the centre, producing a stunning performance for his new team.

“He’s come to us with a forward and midfield background, and we made an emphasis on playing him forward to get him to understand how we play forward at Casey,” Rawlings said.

“It was a good performance from Harley.”

Pedersen, following his omission from the Melbourne side, played an impressive team-orientated role with 26 disposals and 15 marks, creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.

“I thought he was absolutely terrific,” Rawlings said.

“His team-first play was as good as anyone on the field … we were wrapped with his performance.”

Rawlings was particularly pleased with how the Melbourne players returning to VFL level have bought into the Casey brand of football.

“We’ve got a way we want to go about it and (Jayden) Hunt, (Corey) Maynard, (Billy) Stretch and Pedersen all came back and made us better,” he said.

An even spread of contributors in the middle of the ground helped Casey remain on top in the second half, and blow the margin out to triple figures, with nine goals coming in the last quarter.

“I think the key to performance is being able to spread the load,” Rawlings said.

“A lot of people go through the midfield so we try to maximise the flexibility we’ve got as a team and they did a good job in there.”

Angus Brayshaw grew into the game and worked well with Mitch Hannan around the stoppages with both players hitting the scoreboard.

Casey’s defensive structure was of high quality, with Harrison Petty – pick number 37 in the 2017 AFL Draft – leading the way. The 18-year-old, standing at 197cm, worked well with Declan Keilty to consistently neutralise the contest.

Dion Johnstone left the field with cramp in the third quarter and failed to remerge, as multiple young players were tested by the warm conditions.

First-year player Charlie Spargo found himself on report following a tackle on Nick Mellington in the first quarter, but from that point in the game, played with confidence, drifting forward to kick two goals.

The Demons will remain on the road next week, travelling to Werribee on Saturday night to play in the first game at Avalon Airport Oval.

CASEY DEMONS  5.2   13.4 19.9   28.12 (180)
COBURG                2.0  4.3   6.5    11.7   (73)

CASEY GOALS
Balic 6, Weideman 5, Hannan 3, Kennedy-Harris, Scott, T. Smith, Spargo 2, Brayshaw, Johnstone, Lockhart, Maynard, Pedersen, Stretch

CASEY BEST
Balic, Weideman, Pedersen, Brayshaw, Hannan, Petty