CASEY were no match for Geelong on Saturday night, suffering a 22-point defeat in greasy conditions at Casey Fields.
Casey Demons 9.8 (62) defeated by Geelong 12.12 (84).
A poor start from the Demons gave Geelong the upper hand, and with just 15 points on the board at the main break, victory never looked likely for Casey.
It was a slippery contest under lights, but the Cats were cleaner when going forward and were able to do the damage on the scoreboard as a result.
With a hunger for the ball and a high intensity, Geelong restricted the Demons to just five goals in the first three quarters of the match.
“Geelong were much harder than us, much cleaner and made the most of their opportunities,” senior coach Jade Rawlings told Melbourne Media.
“They were much better than us tonight.”
The Demons reversed the momentum in the final term, showing some fight to kick four goals and cut back the 40-point three quarter-time deficit.
But Casey were left with too much to do late in the game, and fell to record back-to-back losses.
“There was quite a stark contrast in how we attacked the game in the second half,” Rawlings said.
“I thought we were not at the level in relation to how we attacked the footy … but to walk away with that margin shows the players showed some resilience and were able to hang in.”
Geelong’s defence was impressive throughout the game, forcing the Demon’s wide upon entry inside 50 and making scoring difficult, but it was Casey’s sloppy disposal which disappointed Rawlings.
“I think the way we used the ball gave us no chance of scoring,” he said.
“We couldn’t hit handballs and we were dropping marks … so it was a bit to do with how Geelong defended but a lot of it was self inflicted.”
It was a scrappy affair, with 11 scoreless minutes passing by in the second term before a goal was registered, curtesy of Geelong’s Sam Dobson.
Jamaine Jones then added two majors in quick succession to extend Geelong’s lead to 32 points, in a period that ultimately decided the match.
“I thought they moved the ball better, defended better and attacked the ball better, especially to half-time,” Rawlings said.
Tall defender Sam Frost was swung forward in the third quarter and showed some good signs when chopping out in the ruck, as the Demons began to lift their intensity in the second half.
Casey were able to get the game back on its terms in the latter stages of the match, which was one positive to take away from a disappointing night.
“I’m pleased there’s a capacity to respond,” Rawlings said.
“But I’m disappointed that it takes a half-time assessment for the players to go and play the way they should have been playing in the first half.”
Tough on-baller James Munro found himself in the umpire’s book following a collision with Ben Reid, and when Reid converted from the free kick, the margin was out to an insurmountable 40 points.
Casey’s pressure around the ball lifted dramatically in the second half, with an urgency to win the football.
“The intensity was very good, more at our expected level,” Rawlings said.
There weren’t many contributors for Casey, but Tim Smith lived up to his nickname ‘Bull’, thriving in the scrappy contest and throwing his weight around at ground level.
“He’s a guy who’s consistent in how he prepares … and I really admire him,” Rawlings said.
“Across the board there weren’t too many players who could walk away and say they played at a high level.”
Demon ruckman Mitch King was out with an elbow injury, leaving an almighty challenge for first-gamer Kieren Byers. The debutant came up against the 206cm Zac Smith, who used his 110 games of AFL experience to his advantage, assisting Geelong’s midfield domination early.
Casey’s onballers failed to impact the contest, as Geelong prove to be a very strong VFL outfit.
After recording two wins and two losses in the opening four matches, Casey will have a rest next week due to its round five bye.
CASEY DEMONS 1.1 2.3 5.4 9.8 (62)
GEELONG 3.3 7.6 11.8 12.12 (84)
CASEY GOALS
Baker, Lok, Scott 2, Bugg, Pedersen, J. Smith
CASEY BEST
T.Smith, Lok, Scott, Lockhart, Frost
