The Brisbane Lions VFL side is the only team to have beaten Casey this season. The Demons will be looking to claim revenge and continue their impressive preliminary final form from the past decade.
The stage is set for the Casey Demons, who are primed and ready to take on Brisbane for a spot in this year’s Smithy’s VFL Grand Final.
The Demons got to the penultimate weekend of VFL footy with a stunning Qualifying Final rout of Sydney, led by a superb Luke Dunstan display and a bag of five goals from Mitch Brown. A dynamic seven-goal third term set the tone and ensured Casey was never stressed in the impressive victory.
The Lions have had to take the hard road to Preliminary Final weekend. Brisbane finished second on the ladder yet stuttered against fellow Queensland rivals in Southport as it lost its double chance.
In a wet and wild Semi-Final against Carlton, the Lions held firm and booked their date with the Demons following a 12-point victory.
Casey enters the clash with a much calmer run, but Brisbane looms as a threat to the Demons’ premiership hopes after being the only side to have defeated the Dees in 2022.
The last time they met
Round 22 – Casey 8.9 (57) defeated by Brisbane 10.11 (71)
The Dees travelled to Brisbane following a flawless VFL campaign. With the minor premiership already wrapped up for Casey, it headed to Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex looking to further discourage any competitors. The Lions came in wanting to claim outright second spot and book a home final against a strong Southport side.
In a tight first quarter, inaccurate kicking cost Casey the lead heading into quarter time. Despite some magic from Jacob van Rooyen, who kicked two of his four goals for the day in the opening term, the Lions’ three goals gave them a three-point lead at quarter time.
The two teams continued to go toe-to-toe, with the Demons kicking three goals to level the scores at 35 apiece at the main break. On a sunny Queensland day, van Rooyen’s presence up forward was joined by the classy James Jordon, who dominated on a wing and finished with 27 possessions.
With Oskar Baker and Matt Buntine also rebounding with pace off half-back, the Demons looked more settled in the second term. But it was the Lions who came out hot, led by Devin Robertson and Mitch Robinson. The latter dominated in the midfield, amassing 42 possessions to put his name in lights ahead of Brisbane’s AFL finals campaign.
The Lions had the best of the third term, kicking three goals to one to take a 14-point lead into the final term. Facing its first loss, Casey had to dig deep to pull a rabbit out of the hat. Casey kicked two vital goals in a rapid last quarter, as Kade Chandler and then van Rooyen did everything to give the Demons a shot at an unlikely win.
Yet it was the Lions who roared home, answering with two of their own goals to hold the 14-point margin to the final siren and consign Casey to its first loss for 2022. A month later, the two teams now meet again in a cut-throat Preliminary Final.
History favours the Dees
Despite this Round 22 hiccup, Casey can take plenty of confident into its Preliminary Final with the Lions this Saturday.
In recent history, the Demons have been ruthless in the penultimate weekend of the season in the past decade.
As the Scorpions, Casey topped the ladder in 2016 and roared to a home Preliminary Final following a 70-point win over Footscray. In its Preliminary Final at home against Williamstown, Casey booked its spot in its first VFL Grand Final since 1999 as it led from start to finish in a commanding 12.13 (85) to 5.13 (43) win over the Seagulls.
Despite falling to a rampant Footscray outfit in the 2016 decider, the Demons returned to Preliminary Final weekend two years later after a straight sets exit in 2017. In 2018, Casey finished second on the same amount of wins as minor premiers Richmond.
The Demons made a statement in the Qualifying Final, smacking Geelong by 91 points at Casey Fields to cruise through a fortnight later.
In the Preliminary Final, a vengeful Casey took on a valiant Essendon side coming off a remarkable win over minor premiers Richmond the week before that sent the Tigers out in straight sets.
In a classic match at Port Melbourne, Essendon once again took it up to the best in the competition as it pushed the Demons all the way to the final siren.
Yet unlike its counterparts, the Demons held firm to deny the Bombers of a fairy-tale Grand Final appearance.
In the end Casey made vital plays in the final term to hold off Essendon by eight points, winning a tight encounter 10.13 (73) to 10.5 (65) at ETU Stadium.
As the Dees look to face Brisbane this Saturday, it’ll be hoping to recreate this good Preliminary Final form and book its spot in its third VFL Grand Final in a decade as it looks to break its drought.
