COOL CATS CANE CASEY

[Demonland 73,140]

COOL CATS CANE CASEY by Ice Station

With the Casey Scorpions a game out of the top four and with only five games left in the home and away season, the team faced up to a must win game against Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Saturday morning.

The Cats have been out of the top eight all season but their recent form had been good and they have come close to causing an upset or two but nobody in their wildest dreams could have anticipated the 128 point thrashing they inflicted on the hapless Scorpions.

With the opening bounce taking place at 10.40am, it was an early start for the participants but only one team seemed ready to play. The home side opened with a blistering 10-goal first term in which their co-captain Troy Selwood booted three goals in the first few minutes on the way to four for the quarter and seven for the game. From there a super accurate Geelong never looked back, winning every term and finishing with an amazing score of 31.6.192 to Casey's meagre 10.4.64.

The visitors appeared listless and out of sorts. Spearhead Brendan Fevola was clearly suffering from illness but still battled manfully for four goals before leaving the field halfway through the third term. It was a strong effort given his condition and the limited supply to the Scorpion forwards.

Ruckman Max Gawn again worked hard against the odds, Clint Bartram battled away in defence while Troy Davis was given the task of nullifying Selwood after the first break and performed admirably. The Scorpions were however, well beaten for pace in the midfield and struck the Cats on one of those days where they could do little wrong.

Casey football manager Matthew Young expressed his disappointment.

"How would you describe getting belted by 130 points?" Young said.

"There could be a whole number of reasons for the performance today but we don't really know. We're hoping it's just an aberration."

The result was certainly a mystery but it was a bad day for any team venturing down the highway as Casey's alignment partner would readily attest. The Demons could well have done with the likes of Aaron Davey (24 touches on return from injury), Cale Morton (34 disposals) and Joel Macdonald (24) on a day when disaster management was the order of the day.

Coach Brad Gotch was exasperated at the performance.

"Some of the errors we made were ... I don't know if it was the early start ... the boys were there at 8.30, 8.45, some stayed in Geelong, some travelled ... we fumbled, our backs were really poor.

"Just mentally, we weren't with it."

The team's percentage was sent plummeting by almost 15% from 127.37 to 112.38 as a result of the loss and it will need to regain its composure in the weeks ahead if it is to have any chance of gaining a coveted top four placing.

This Sunday, the Scorpions take on the Zebras at home and Gotch will no doubt be demanding more commitment and attack on the football from his charges.

On a brighter note, key position player Tim Mohr has been rewarded for a stellar season in defence with an invitation to the draft camp at year's end.

Casey Scorpions 4.1.25 6.1.37 6.3.39 10.4.64

Geelong 10.0.60 16.4.100 23.5.143 31.6.192

Goals

Casey Scorpions Fevola 4 Waite 2 Blease Cook Corry Johnston

Geelong T Selwood Simpkin 7 Schroder 4 Burbury 3 Corrigan Hollmer Johnson Stringer 2 Hogan Horlin-Smith

Best

Casey Scorpions Davis Bartram Gawn Morton Fevola Davey

Geelong Simpkin Corrigan Guthrie Bathie Schroder T Selwood

Casey reserves played at Victoria Park against Frankston at roughly the same time as their senior counterparts but with a diametrically opposite performance winning by 169 points. Jack Fitzpatrick booted six goals and was best on ground in a game in which a number of players put their hands up for senior selection. The reserves also consolidated their place in the top four with the finals on the horizon.

Casey Scorpions 5.9.39 11.15.81 20.17.137 29.24.198

Frankston 1.2.8 2.3.15 2.5.17 4.5.29

Goals

Casey Scorpions Fitzpatrick 6 Purves 5 Fieldsend 3 Clay Collins McShane Tynan 2 Bell Lawrence Lees Pollard Purdy Riseley Wall

Frankston Douglas 2 Elton Hayes

Best

Casey Scorpions Fitzpatrick Tynan Pollard Cleven Gent

Frankston Boland Ongarello Sienkiewicz Anwyl Heddles Wells