SEASON GONE WRONG by KC from Casey

Until this game Frankston had never won a game at Casey Fields. In recent years the Dolphins have suffered some humiliating losses both at home and away and they have not beaten the Scorpions since 2006. Well they finally made it and deservedly so because, despite the poor start they kept plugging away with an insatiable desire for the football and ultimately, they triumphed by a solitary goal.

Casey started well in the cold and drizzly conditions that prevailed at Cranbourne East playing arguably their best football for more than twelve months. They were getting first use of the ball out of the middle and moving it well into the forward line. Max Gawn was in good marking form when he played up forward and had two goals at the first break.

The Dolphins came out with improved intensity with the aid of the breeze and took 12 minutes to narrow the deficit to a mere two points and looked like brushing the home team aside completely but the Scorpions regrouped and held firm to hold the narrowest of leads at half time.

Frankston continued to work hard and harass the more accomplished Casey players and held the lead for much of the early part of the third quarter. From there the game ebbed and flowed to the end and whilst the Scorps looked winners when the lead went out to 17 points halfway through the final term and with Gawn in great form up forward, the Dolphins surged to a well deserved victory. The excitement continued until well after the thirty minute mark when Christian Salem marked 45 metres out. Unlike a few weeks ago, his shot for goal fell short just before the siren sounded.

Most of Casey's better players were its AFL listees but young Ed Morris (29 disposals) again impressed and the club introduced yet another debutant Nathan Paraedes who had his moments as did young Demon international rookie Maia Westrupp in just his second game. Youngsters such as Angus Scott who kicked two goals are showing improvement.

Casey now has a week's bye to reflect on a season gone wrong.

2014 Peter Jackson VFL

Casey Scorpions 5.3.33 6.4.40 9.10.64 12.10.82

Frankston 1.1.7 6.3.39 8.4.52 13.10.88

Goals

Casey Scorpions Gawn 4 Petropoulos Scott 2 Best Clisby Fitzpatrick M Jones

Frankston Harper Potts Simpson 2 Buchan Coleman Haretuku Lourey Newman Pollard Sutton

Best

Casey Scorpions Gawn Strauss Nicholson Fitzpatrick Morris M Jones

Frankston Kitchin Potts Simpson Tynan Harper

Statistics

The statistics from the game are interesting. Casey finished with 422 disposals to 345, they had 123 to 68 marks and dominated the hit outs by 69 to 22. I would expect figures like those to produce a reasonably easy win but instead they lost by a goal and in fact, went inside 50 only 43 times to 56.

Disposal and decision-making must have been rather ordinary to produce such a result.

Dom Barry 8 disposals 2 kicks 6 handballs 1 marks 3 tackles 30 Dream Team Points

Matt Clisby 1 goal 28 disposals 15 kicks 13 handballs 8 marks 2 tackles 106 Dream Team Points

Jack Fitzpatrick 1 goal 3 behinds 19 disposals 12 kicks 7 handballs 10 marks 2 tackles 30 hit outs 128 Dream Team Points

Max Gawn 4 goals 1 point 23 disposals 12 kicks 11 handballs 13 marks 5 tackles 39 hit outs 179 Dream Team Pointsłuî

Alexis Georgoiu 10 disposals 7 kicks 3 handballs 6 marks 3 tackles 53 Dream Team Points

James Harmes 21 disposals 8 kicks 13 handballs 3 marks 1 tackle 59 Dream Team Points

Matt Jones 1 goal 2 behinds 35 disposals 17 kicks 18 handballs 9 marks 5 tackles 139 Dream Team Points

Viv Michie 24 disposals 13 kicks 11 handballs 2 marks 7 tackles 93 Dream Team Points

Dan Nicholson 39 disposals 23 kicks 16 handballs 11 marks 8 tackles 168 Dream Team Points

Christian Salem 1 point 22 disposals 18 kicks 4 handballs 3 marks 4 tackles 85 Dream Team Points

James Strauss 35 disposals 22 kicks 13 handballs 11 marks 3 tackles 135 Dream Team Points

Maia Westrupp disposals 3 kicks 4 handballs 3 tackles 32 Dream Team Points

The development league team was in the game until well into the final quarter before going down by 16 points.

2014 AFL Victoria Development League

Casey Scorpions 3.4.22 4.7.31 6.11.47 7.15.57

Frankston 3.4.22 5.8.38 7.9.51 10.13.73

Casey Scorpions Rennie 2 Anderson Pears Rosier Saunders Smith

Frankston Farmer 4 Alwan 3 Clements Fox Irving

Best

Casey Scorpions Hillard Jackson Lang Anderson Welsh Del Papa

Frankston Irving Fox Alwan Farmer Brennan Beech