PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF FOR CASEY by KC from Casey

[Demonland 65,652]

Persistence has finally paid off for Justin Plapp's Casey Scorpions with a 70 point demolition of the Footscray Bulldogs in the VFL First Qualifying Final after 11 consecutive finals defeats since the commencement of the club's alignment with the Melbourne Demons. 

In front of a big crowd at Casey Fields the home side opened up the game in a manner that was not dissimilar to last week's final round match up with Box Hill. The team conceded the first three goals while squandering their own opportunities with Dean Terlich being the main offender in the early going. Despite a winning midfield of Matt Jones, Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen and Ben Kennedy, it took until the 25 minute mark before the Scorpions managed their first major to big man Oscar McInerney and when Angus Scott slammed one through on the siren, the Bulldogs' lead had been pegged back to three points. 

The second quarter was something of an arm wrestle with the Scorps wresting the lead and the Doggies fighting back until late in the term when Terlich finally managed to find the big sticks for his first, following it up soon after with a pass to Sam Weideman who goaled to give the side a handy 8 point lead going into the main break. 

The second half began badly for the Scorpions with Terlich on report but the tide was turning in their favour on the scoreboard with Weideman and Scott both on fire up forward and benefitting from some damaging inside work from Clayton Oliver and Neal-Bullen. By three quarter time, the team had kicked away to a comfortable five goal lead which was the same margin Casey held over Footscray in Round 15 at Whitten Oval when the Bulldogs came home in a barnstorming finish to win by a point.

However, the difference was that back in July they came home with a raging gale at their backs whilst this time it was barely more than a zephyr. Still, there was plenty of fight left in the Doggies and for the first seven or eight minutes of the final quarter they gave it their all and narrowed the margin to 22 points after wasting a few chances to further narrow the gap. The Casey defence with skipper Jack Hutchins and veterans Lynden Dunn and Colin Garland to the fore was just too strong and with the weight of sheer numbers led by Jack Grimes who was once again superb around the ground and the hard work of Mitch White, the Footscray resistance cracked. 

The goals flowed from every source. Weideman and Scott combined well up forward. Liam Hulett chimed in for a couple and there was some impressive work from small men Ed Morris and the slick Aloysio Ferreira who was 23rd player for the day. Before you knew it, Casey had kicked eight goals for the final term and the mission to win a final was complete.

The result, which gives the team a well-earned week's break before playing off for a grand final spot in a preliminary final in a fortnight's time, was a triumph for Plapp who took over a team that two years ago that finished second last, ahead only of the now defunct Bendigo Gold.

Peter Jackson VFL 2016 First Elimination Final

Casey Scorpions 2.3.15 7.6.48 12.6.78 20.8.128

Footscray Bulldogs 3.0.18 6.4.40 7.6.48 8.10.58

Goals

Casey Scorpions Scott 4 Weideman 3 Grimes Hulett Neal-Bullen Terlich 2 M Jones McInerney Michie Oliver White

Footscray Bulldogs Hamilton 3 Adcock Greenwood Hannan Jamieson Webb

Best

Casey Scorpions Grimes White Neal-Bullen Scott Weideman Michie

Footscray Bulldogs Hamilton Smith Russell Barry Jamieson Honeychurch

Statistics

Lynden Dunn 24 disposals 20 kicks 4 handballs 7 marks 1 tackles 90 dream team points
Colin Garland 18 disposals 15 kicks 3 handballs 8 marks 1 tackles 76 dream team points
Jack Grimes 2 goals 27 disposals 16 kicks 11 handballs 7 marks 3 tackles 116 dream team points
Liam Hulett 2 goals 1 behind 11 disposals 7 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 1 tackles 60 dream team points
Matt Jones 1 goal 34 disposals 18 kicks 16 handballs 10 marks 122 dream team points
Ben Kennedy 21 disposals 13 kicks 8 handballs 7 marks 4 tackles 86 dream team points
Viv Michie 1 goal 31 disposals 19 kicks 12 handballs 6 marks 4 tackles 119 dream team points
Alex Neal-Bullen 2 goals 1 behind disposals 17 kicks 13 handballs 7 marks 2 tackles 119 dream team points
Ben Newton 19 disposals 12  kicks 7 handballs 8 marks 6 tackles 96 dream team points
Clayton Oliver 1 goal 1 behind 28 disposals 12 kicks 16 handballs 2 marks 3 tackles 4 hit outs 98 dream team points
Jake Spencer 9 disposals 3 kicks 6 handballs 2 marks 7 tackles 24 hit outs 78 dream team points
Dean Terlich 2 goals 3 behinds 24 disposals 19  kicks 5 handballs 15 marks 4 tackles 140 dream team points
Jack Trengove 14 disposals 6 kicks 8 handballs 1 mark 7 tackles 62 dream team points
Sam Weideman 3 goals disposals 9  kicks 5 handballs 5 marks 62 dream team points
Mitch White 1 goal 19 disposals 9 kicks 10 handballs 6 marks 68 dream team points

AFL Victoria Development League - Second Semi Final 

In the curtain raiser at Casey Fields, the Scorpions opened the day in truly disappointing fashion. Having worked hard to make the finals and win the double chance after a slow start to the season, they were comprehensively beaten by 92 points and barely raised a sweat until junk time. They have a week to regroup before next week's Preliminary Final.

Casey Scorpions 1.0.6 2.1.13 2.3.15 7.4.46

Box Hill Hawks 6.2.38 11.6.72 16.10.106 21.12.138

Goals 

Casey Scorpions  Freeman 3  Vander Haar 2 Baker Jaffer-Williams

Box Hill Hawks Summers 5 Cox Langford  Spangher Traynor 2 Brolic Dimasi  Gordon Kidd McIntyre Murphy Soccio Switkowski

Best  

Casey Scorpions Gains Jaffer-Williams D Collis Moncrieff Max King Freeman

Box Hill Hawks Brolic Fisher Langford O'Sullivan Evans Switkowski