Summary
Casey’s second half comeback kept its win streak alive, as the Demons overran Footscray in a windy contest at Casey Fields on Sunday afternoon.
The breeze played a significant role in the match, clearly making one end of the field the scoring end. But the Demons failed to fully capitalise on the advantage in the first quarter, conceding three goals to Bulldog Fergus Greene.
Footscray dominated the second term and at one stage slotted seven of eight goals to lead by as much as 26 points, but Casey was able to shift the momentum, answering with seven straight goals of its own.
Casey’s intensity was back to its best after half-time, responding well to the Bulldogs pressure and denying them of any opportunity to win the game in the latter stages of the match.
The Demons held Footscray scoreless for the entire third term, opening up a 14-point three quarter-time lead, and defended well against the breeze to hold on to an impressive 15-point win.
Telling stat
Casey was under immense pressure early in the match and had just 18 marks in the first half, as it proved difficult to control the ball on the outside. But the Demons gained ascendancy after the main break, showing their class with 43 marks in the second half.
Disposals
Wagner 27, Tyson 26, Pedersen 24, vandenBerg 19, Kent, Lockhart 17, Weideman 16.
Goals
Weideman 4, Munro 2, Baker, Lok, Pedersen, Scott, Smith, vandenBerg, C. Wagner.
3 Votes: Jay Lockhart
After making the move from Tasmania in the off-season, Jay Lockhart has seriously impressed in the VFL. He’s been a reliable contributor in defence, and in the second half on Sunday he pushed up the field to help deliver the ball inside 50 for Casey. The Demons look dangerous when Lockhart has the ball and he’s certainly one to watch at the National Draft come season’s end.
2 Votes: Corey Wagner
Another Demon who is sticking his hand up for an AFL drafting is ex-North Melbourne midfielder Corey Wagner. He had 27 disposals on Sunday, battling a hard tag in the second half to lead the way for Casey. Wagner is an elite runner and a superior VFL player.
1 Vote: Sam Weideman
When the game was up for grabs in the final term with Casey kicking into the wind, Sam Weideman rose to the occasion clunking some big pack marks and kicking two goals. Weideman slotted four majors for the game, had 16 disposals and continues to perform at a high level for the Demons.
Apologies to
Dom Tyson finds the ball with ease in the VFL, racking up another 26 disposals on Sunday and having plenty of time with ball in hand. In defence, Cameron Pedersen continues to show his versatility, performing well in the key post with 24 disposals and seven marks, while Josh Wagner’s form can’t be faulted.
But it’s James Munro who is the heart and soul for Casey, sparking his teammates with his fierce attack on the ball. Munro laid 10 tackles, throwing his body around the contest and he drifted forward to kick two long-range goals.
Good to see
Over the past few weeks, Casey has recorded some comfortable wins, but at half-time on Sunday victory looked unlikely. Footscray was strong at the contest, but the Demons resilience and ability to respond was very impressive and a good sign of things to come this season.
Coaches say
“When you’re a coach you want to see how your team deals with adversity and we were well and truly on the back foot. But our players with more seniority were able to deal with what the situation was at half-time and then go and apply some key things in the third quarter which helped change the momentum back our way.” – Jade Rawlings
Looking ahead
Casey has won nine consecutive games with its last loss coming in round four against Geelong. The Demons will have a shot at redemption when they travel down the highway to face the Cats at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The match will be played as a curtain raiser to Melbourne v Geelong.
