Summary:
Casey burst out of the blocks at the Swinburne Centre on Sunday afternoon, booting the opening five goals of the match in quick succession. But last year’s VFL grand finalists got their run going, responding with 12 first-half goals.

In a rematch of the semi-final from last season, the Demons were out for redemption, but with six Melbourne-listed players out of the side from round two, the task was always going to be tough.

With the sun shining and perfect football conditions on display, it was a free-flowing affair, and Richmond benefited from the fast paced game. The Tigers managed 36 scoring shots as they claimed a 35-point victory, handing Casey its first loss of 2018.

Telling stat:
The highly rated Tigers outfit were impressive around the ball, winning 78 more disposals than Casey throughout the match. As a result of its dominance in the centre, Richmond had 57 inside 50’s, scoring from 36 of those attacks. Casey tried to show some resistance, but the Tigers were too classy, eventually getting the reward on the scoreboard. 

Disposals:
Munro 27, Spargo 19, Gent 20, Hannan 18, Pedersen 17, Kennedy-Harris 16, Baker 15.

Goals:
Pedersen 5, Spargo 2, Baker, Filipovic, Hannan, Kennedy-Harris, Lockhart, Scott.

Injury Update:
The Demons had their injury woes, with Mitch Lewis ruled out of the game with concussion after a head knock in just the second minute of the match. It was then Melbourne’s Tom Bugg who left the field prior to half-time, hurting himself in a marking contest and failing to remerge. Jay Kennedy-Harris injured his shoulder early in the third term, but had it strapped and played out the final quarter.

3 Votes: Cameron Pedersen
As the Demons attacked early in the game, Pedersen was the man to hit the scoreboard. He booted three goals in the first 21 minutes of the match, making his presence felt inside 50. With eight contested marks and 17 disposals, Pedersen was the focal point for Casey, clunking a screamer on the wing, and finishing with five majors. He showed some ominous signs as the number one forward target, and had defenders worried when he jumped at the ball. Pedersen hasn’t been used as a back-up ruckman this season, but thrived as the stand-alone key-forward in the side.

2 Votes: James Munro
Munro epitomises Casey’s style of football, thriving around the contest and consistently winning the hard ball. He gathered 27 disposals and laid an impressive 13 tackles in a gutsy effort which left blood dripping down his face post-game. Munro’s work rate is second to none, applying constant pressure and setting a high standard on Sunday.

1 Vote: Charlie Spargo
After sitting out last week with suspension, Spargo had 19 disposals and two goals in his second game for the Demons. The 18-year-old runs hard and gets into the right spots, giving himself a chance to win the ball. He is still early in his development, but is a handy inclusion for Casey and will be one to watch throughout the year.

Apologies to:
In his first game for the season, Ryan Morrison was impressive at half-back, reading the ball well in the air and rebounding well with five inside 50’s from his 12 kicks. On the wing it was Oskar Baker who provided a spark with 15 disposals, running hard and creating chances with ball in hand, while Mitch Gent and Mitch Hannan were competitive with 18 touches each. There weren’t a lot of stand-out contributors in the match, as Richmond controlled the tempo for a fair portion of the contest.

Good to see:
Despite the disappointing result, Casey produced a fast paced style of footy early in the game, running hard and moving the ball well to create scoring chances. They kicked five goals in just 13 minutes, playing with a real spark, but unfortunately weren’t able to keep the momentum going. After playing an extremely congested match in round two, it was good to see the Demons ability to hit the scoreboard, adding another dimension to their game. If Casey can combine its strong stoppage work with the fast ball movement, they will be a dangerous proposition at the pointy end of the season.

Coaches say:
“Richmond were just too good in every facet of the game in the end. They’re a very good outfit, I think they’re the best team in the competition … so we got challenged by a really good footy club. It has been a challenging start, to play away for the first three weeks, but it’s got nothing to do with how we performed.” – Jade Rawlings

Looking ahead:
After three games on the road to start the VFL season, Casey will finally head home to Casey Fields in round four, taking on Geelong next Saturday night. The Cats and Demons both have two wins under their belt, as the winner of this clash will skip ahead and sit in the top four.